Josef Allen is a subject matter expert for Non-Linear Applications to Geo-Spatial Solutions and Secure Open Source Enterprise Architectural Solutions for Harris Corporation. Harris is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 150 countries. Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has annual revenue of $5.4 billion and 16,000 employees — including nearly 7,000 engineers and scientists.

Josef’s interests are Geo-Spatial Image Products, Health Care Solutions, Bio-Metrics, Robotics, and Information Assurance. Josef received his Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the Florida Institute of Technology. He received his Master’s and BS from the Florida State University, his Masters was in Computer Science with an emphasis in Computer Security and a Bachelors of Science in Pure Mathematics. He has published several papers and applied for 30 Patents. He holds a professional license from the National Security Agency in computer security. He served ten years in the United States Marine Corps. During his tours in the USMC, he actively served in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm where his unit was the spear-head of the breaching operation that ultimately restored freedom to Kuwait.

Chris Arney graduated from West Point and served 30 years in the Army, retiring as a Brigadier General. His academic studies resumed at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he received a MS in computer science and PhD in mathematics. Chris spent most of his military career as a mathematics professor at West Point. He also served as the Dean of Mathematics and Sciences and as Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs at the College of Saint Rose in Albany. Chris has authored 22 books, written over 120 technical articles, made over 240 presentations. His technical areas of interest include mathematical modeling, cooperative systems, and the history of mathematics and science. Chris is currently the director of the Mathematical Sciences Division of the Army Research Office and manages and performs research in the area of cooperative systems, with particular interest in information networks, pursuit-evasion modeling, intelligence processing, and language for robots.

Dr. Moges Ayele is currently holding the position of Senior Liaison for Higher Education in the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Prior to that, he held the career Senior Executive Service position as the Director of National Highway Institute (NHI), the education and training arm of the FHWA. As the Director of NHI, he directed a multi¬disciplinary, technical and non-technical staff involved in the development and delivery of education and training to Federal, State and Local highway personnel, and other customers from the private sector and international highway community. He administered the Agency’s University and Grants Program including the Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program. Dr. Ayele also administered the Local Technical Assistance Program, a network of 58 centers located in each State, Puerto Rico and seven Native American communities. In 2006, he served as Executive in Residence at Howard University.

Dr. Ayele has also been active in civic, community and professional organizations, including committees of the Transportation Research Board, International Road Federation, the Council of University Transportation Centers, American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials, and the American Public Transit Association. He had also served as a consultant to several organizations on urban and community development, transportation and related projects.

Dr. Ayele received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from Morgan State College, his Masters Degree in Planning from the University of Pennsylvania, another Masters Degree in Public Policy and Administration from the University of Southern California, and his Doctorate Degree in Public Administration also from the University of Southern California.

Dr. Denise M. Barnes is a Program Director, Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) with the National Science Foundation. Prior to this, Denise was Vice President of New Business Development for the Telecommunications and Electronics Markets with ITECS-Innovative. Past experience also includes Adjunct Professor of Chemistry at Spelman College in Atlanta, GA., and President, Amalan Networks until April 2004. In this role, Dr. Barnes was accountable for the emerging services business. Previously, Dr. Barnes held the position of Vice President of the Optical Connectivity Division Unit for OFS (formerly Lucent Technologies). Dr. Barnes holds an AB in Chemistry from Vassar College and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Brown University. She has also completed SMU’s Executive MBA Program. Dr. Barnes is a member of the Executive Board of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers and is the Immediate Past Chairman of the Executive Board. She also serves on the Advisory Board of Noble & Associates and has served as a Board member of Georgia Industrial Fellowship for Teachers (GIFT), an organization that is focused on enhancing the technical skills of science and math teachers.

Tiffany Rogers Bussey is the founding Director of the Morehouse Entrepreneurship Center, a global model for providing HBCU contract support in the areas of process improvement, and organizational management infrastructure development. Ms. Bussey has over twenty years experience in various aspects of business management for corporate, small business, educational and non profit organizations. As Director of the Morehouse College Entrepreneurship Center, Ms. Bussey manages activities for the college’s pursuit of federal contracting opportunities. She facilitates strategic teams of faculty, staff and consultants to achieve the goals of the Center, which is to assist in the development of minority Entrepreneurship through scholarly research, training and consulting services. Ms. Bussey is also an instructor of entrepreneurship at Morehouse College. Ms. Bussey holds a baccalaureate degree in economics from The College of Saint Elizabeth in New Jersey and a Master’s degree in business administration from George Washington University in Washington D.C. She is currently pursing a doctorate in business administration from Edinburgh Business School in Scotland, U.K. Ms. Bussey is a Project Management Professional, Certified Quality Auditor, Certified Training Presenter, and a Certified Teacher of Entrepreneurship.

Thomas W. Dortch, Jr., Chairman Emeritus of 100 Black Men of America, Inc. and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TWD, Inc., has established himself as a leader by diligently working to dismantle systemic barriers to empowerment. Under his guidance, The 100 Black Men of America expanded from 43 Chapters in the U. S., which now include 102 chapters throughout the United States, Africa, England and the West Indies. Formed in 1986, the mission of the “100” is to improve the quality of life, and enhance the educational and economic opportunities for African-Americans.

In 1994, Mr. Dortch chose to apply the more than twenty years of experience and knowledge gained from working in government to his business interests. These include serving as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TWD, Inc., a consulting firm with emphasis on business development, public relations and fundraising; President of South West Investment Group (SWIG), a community development and investment group; and Chief Executive Officer of Atlanta Transportation Systems, Inc., a paratransit system that manages non-emergency transportation for Fulton County Government.

Some of Mr. Dortch’s other accomplishments include: establishing the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc. as a vehicle to highlight the major contributions of Historically Black Colleges and Universities and their graduates; co-founding the Georgia Association of Minority Entrepreneurs (GAME) to fill a void as an advocacy organization for minority business development; and co-founding the Greater Atlanta Economic Alliance as a capacity building and business development organization for the construction and transportation industries.

He earned a B.A. Degree in Sociology and Pre- Professional Social Work from Fort Valley State University in 1972, and a Masters of Art Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Clark-Atlanta University in 1986. He also attended Georgia State University as a Ford Fellow in the Urban Administration Program. Dortch received Honorary Doctors Degrees from Fayetteville State University, Jarvis Christian College and Fort Valley State University.

Ms. Fox is a Contracting, Grants and Agreements Officer, responsible for executing research and technology development agreements on behalf of the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL.) Ms. Fox has been working in the contracting community for over 20 years, with specialized experience in grants, cooperative agreements and other transaction agreements for over 7 years. Ms. Fox has a BS degree in Business Management with an emphasis on Public Policy from the University of Maryland and a MS degree in Science and Technology Commercialization from the University of Texas at Austin. Ms. Fox is a member of the Army Acquisition Corps.

Secretary Margaret Spellings named Leonard L. Haynes III—a veteran of many top education posts—as executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities on Oct. 22, 2007. In this position, he implements Executive Order 13256, which supports the work of the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). He also serves as an adviser to the secretary and is the executive branch’s liaison to these institutions, working closely with the President’s Board of Advisers for HBCUs and more than 30 federal agencies that award grants and contracts to HBCUs in support of their operations.

Prior to being named executive director, Haynes led the Department’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) for four-and-a-half years. Two recent successes for FIPSE under his leadership were the 2007 CONAHEC Award of Distinction given to the Program for North American Mobility in Higher Education. Additionally, in FY 2007, FIPSE’s Comprehensive Program successfully funded the priorities outlined in the secretary’s 2006 commission report, A Test of Leadership: Charting the Future of U.S. Higher Education.

Dorothy W. Huston, PhD., is President/CEO of Technology Management Training Group, Inc., a provider of information technology, management, and training solutions. She has amassed almost 30 years of experience in organizational change and leadership, program planning and execution, training and development, student development, research administration, fundraising, and educational program outreach. She provided the visionary leadership for the establishment of the Alabama A & M University Research Institute in 1999, a business entity designed to respond to a diverse business and industry clientele in partnership with the university. She served as Vice President for Research and Development for 7 years. She was responsible for executing unprecedented agreements with business and industry, including loaned executives, IPAs, cooperative agreements, and partnership agreements that include support for co-ops, interns, and corporate scholarships.

Dr. Huston has consulted and provided training for more than 50 organizations and agencies. She is an experienced proposal developer, evaluator, and trainer. She earned her undergraduate degree at Alabama A & M University in 1979 and her Masters and Doctorate degrees from The Ohio State University in 1980 and 1983, respectively. She is a 2006 graduate of Harvard University’s School of Business Executive Development Institute. She has earned additional credits and certificates in the areas of student personnel administration, environmental safety, lean processes and executive leadership development. She has participated in management development in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and New Zealand.

Dr. Daryush Ila is an expert in ion-matter interactions and has authored or coauthored over 200 publications, eight books and one book chapter in this area. At Alabama A&M, he has built up a research program that has garnered more than $45 million and has led to the creation of the AAMU Research institute, a 100% independently supported, university-owned 501c(3) entity that serves as the contracting arm of AAMU. As director and co-founder, Dr. Ila has built partnerships that have helped win more than $125 million in grants and contracts – more than $40 million of which were from the Department of Defense alone.

Dr. Ila also founded the Center for Irradiation of Materials at AAMU, and serves as its director. In addition to his AAMU responsibilities, Dr. Ila is the Campus Director of AAMU-Space Grant Consortium (since 1989), Secretary of South Eastern Section of University Space Research Association (USRA), Director of the Advanced Propulsion Materials Center at AAMU, and is the Executive Director of the State of Alabama’s Experimental Program to Simulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Program.

Dr. Ila has had extensive training in management, writing winning contracts and negotiation at the MIT Sloan School of Management, GTRI, Harvard School of Law, and at SAIC. Dr. Ila has also held positions as a member of National Academies’ Committee on Emerging Research Institutions, Chair of the GS Awards of the Materials Research Society, and a professor of physics. He graduated from MIT with specialty in nuclear instrumentation and nuclear structure, and earned his Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts – Lowell with specialty in condensed matter physics.

Mr. James currently serves as Executive Director, Logistics, Maintenance and Industrial Operations at Naval Sea Systems Command where he is responsible for Navy ship maintenance, environment and logistics policy, processes, and execution oversight. He also oversees the four Supervisors of Shipbuilding. He was selected for the Senior Executive Service in May 2000 and has been in government civil service for 27 years.

Since beginning his career in 1981, he has served at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Naval Sea Systems Command Headquarters, Chief of Naval Operations, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Ships). Key assignments included: Nuclear Ship Superintendent, Senior Electrical Engineer, Branch Head for Submarine Electrical Systems; Senior Project Engineer for Post Shakedown Availabilities; Assistant Air Defense Systems Manager; Technical Director, Submarine Hull, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Management Division.

As a Senior Executive, he has worked as: Deputy Program Manager, Strategic and Fast Attack Submarine Programs; Program Manager for Submarine Repair and Overhaul, and Executive Director, Undersea Warfare.

In addition to his regular duties, he Chairs the Department of the Navy African American Senior Executive Service Advisory Committee advising the Under Secretary of the Navy for matters concerning diversity of the Senior Executive Service. He is also actively involved in various Navy initiatives to increase interest by elementary, high school and college students (Navy’s future workforce) in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. In conjunction with these actions, he is leading joint NAVSEA/Office of Naval Research efforts to expand Navy related research partnerships with colleges and universities, especially with institutions that have a focus on the minority population.

Personal awards and special recognitions include: Special Advisor on Diversity to Chief of Naval Operations, National Society of Black Engineers Golden Torch Award for Lifetime Achievement in Government; Presidential Rank award, Black Engineer of the Year Award - Special Recognition; and receipt of the Department of the Navy Nathaniel Stinson Equal Employment Opportunity Award for Leadership.

Mr. James graduated from Howard University in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and received his Master’s Degree from Florida Institute of Technology. He has also attended the Harvard School of Business and the Keenan-Flagler Business School.

Dr. Walter F. Jones joined the Office of Naval Research in September 2007, as Executive Director. Dr. Jones is the senior civilian manager at ONR, and provides executive, technical, and scientific direction in the performance of ONR’s mission of planning and managing science and technology research for the Department of the Navy. He works closely with ONR’s Directorate leads in the identification, prioritization, and support of specific areas of science and technology development.

Dr. Jones has held a wide variety of positions in government and academia. He has served as Director, Aerospace and Materials Sciences, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Arlington, Va. In this capacity, he planned, coordinated, and executed a $55-million basic research program, including solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, materials science, and propulsion. He has also served as a senior program analyst with the Office of the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence for Community Management. He has held several positions with the Air Force, including Deputy for Research Sciences with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition), and Deputy for Science and Technology with the Office of the National Security Space Architect. In addition, Dr. Jones has held faculty positions at the University of Florida, University of Tennessee, and Clemson University.

Dr. Jones received his Ph.D. and M.S. in engineering mechanics and a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Clemson University. He also has an M.S. in national resource strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at Ft. Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Junior serves as the Director, Department of the Navy’s (DON) Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI) Program Office. Dr. Junior issues program guidance and administrative instructions and monitors their implementation. He has the responsibility to encourage, develop, implement, manage, evaluate and report on activities and programs that strengthen and support the capabilities of HBCU/MIs to participate in Naval science and technology research programs, education programs, and contracting opportunities. Dr. Junior is the principal advisor to the Chief of Naval Research, Director of the Navy’s Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization Program, and the Director of Research and Technical Director of the Office of Naval Research (ONR) on issues related to HBCU/MIs.

In addition, Dr. Junior manages the education, outreach, and workforce development program portfolio for ONR. In this capacity, Dr. Junior develops, implements, and manages programs and activities to enhance the quality and increase the quantity of US scientists and engineers trained to pursue DoD technical requirements.

Dr. Junior served as Deputy Director, ONR Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization and Deputy Director, Systems Engineering Division at the Office of Naval Research. He has also served as Director of Computer Security, as a systems engineer, and as a systems programmer at the ONR.

Dr. Junior earned his Ph.D in urban higher education administration from Jackson State University, Jackson, MS. Dr. Junior attended Assumption College, Worcester, MA and Strayer University, Arlington, VA where he earned a B.S. in Business Administration and a Masters in Business Administration. He also earned a professional certificate in finance for managers from the Harvard University Business School. Dr. Junior is a DoD certified Acquisition Professional and an industry certified systems engineer/systems programmer.

Evelyn W. Kent serves in several capacities within the Office of Defense Research and Engineering. She serves as the DoD Program Director for the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Infrastructure Support Program in the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Laboratories and Basic Sciences. In this capacity, she oversees the Infrastructure Support Program, the Hispanic Serving Institutions Program, and the Tribal Colleges and Universities Program basic research, instrumentation, graduate fellowships, scholarships, research and education centers, and education programs in the science and engineering disciplines. She also has the responsibility as the DoD Representative for the E-Grants initiative which is one of 26 E-Government initiatives. Her career spans over 30 years of government service in the information technology, weapon systems acquisition, international affairs, environmental life sciences, and the command, control and intelligence environment.

Mr. Edward J. Lee is the Deputy Chief and HBCU/MI Program Manager for the External Programs and Resources Interface Directorate of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) in Arlington, Virginia. AFOSR is the manager of all basic research in the Air Force. The AFOSR is one of 10 directorates that comprise the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The office has a staff of 200 people and an annual working budget of $400 million that supports more than 5,000 basic research grants and contracts critical to the defense of the United States. AFOSR is charged with maintaining the technological superiority of the U.S. Air Force and manages its entire basic research program. In 2008, AFRL’s total support for Historical Black Colleges and Universities, Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI) was approximately $26 million in Research and Development funding in the form of grants, contracts and fellowships. Mr. Lee has worked for the AFOSR since 1997, initially overseeing the University Research Initiative program. He is now working closely with external programs to help enhance and develop communications between HBCU/MI and Tribal Colleges. Working in private industry prior to coming to AFOSR and owning his own business since 1987, EJL Associates, Ed has helped to establish and support black-owned businesses in the Washington Metropolitan area. Ed is also a graduate from an HBCU, Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland.

Mr. Leslie has been with The Boeing Company more than 35 years and held positions of increasing responsibility in the Avionics Engineering Division prior to joining the Supplier Diversity Program in 1992. He has developed a viable pool of diverse suppliers including Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minorities Universities (HBCU/MIs) to increase their utilization for current and future procurement requirements. Mr. Leslie helps analyze the supply base, assess utilization gaps, and target outreach efforts to identify potential suppliers. He also oversees the establishment of mentoring relationships with key suppliers including HBCU/MIs, in partnership with supplier quality and supplier development organizations to meet utilization gaps and strategic objectives. Mr. Leslie works to cultivate and maintain relationships with special interest groups whose purpose is to foster opportunities for diverse suppliers including (HBCU/MIs). He seeks to provide guidance and direction to management regarding the development of company policies and procedures and other resources to diverse suppliers, as well as to align supplier development efforts to business unit and enterprise strategies.

Tizoc S. Loza is the Corporate Mentor-Protégé, Small Business Innovated Research, and Historically Black College & Universities /Minority Institutions Programs, Program Manager reporting to the Corporate Director, Socio-Economic Business Programs/Government Relations at Northrop Grumman Corporation.

Tizoc has the corporate oversight responsibility for all Mentor-Protégé, SBIR/STTR, and HBCU/MI programs, including the review and approval of new Mentor-Protégé agreements, corporate strategy development, and training. Tizoc also serves as Northrop Grumman’s Mentor-Protégé, SBIR, and HBCU/MI customer liaison that insures consistent and efficient program management. In addition, Tizoc develops and implements strategies to increase the involvement of SBIR’s, HBCU/MI’s in the Mentor-Protégé program and other subcontracting opportunities.

Tizoc started his career with TRW in 1981 as a college summer hire, working in subcontracts. Tizoc worked for Hughes Aircraft Company as a Buyer and Rockwell International as a Contracts Negotiator and then returned to TRW as a Contracts manager.

Tizoc earned his Bachelors Degree in Financial Management and International Business from California State University at Long Beach. In addition, Tizoc received the Government Contract Management Certification from University of California at Los Angeles and is a certified Six Sigma Green Belt and currently enrolled in a MBA program.

George Ludwig is currently the Civilian Deputy Principal Assistant for Research and Technology with the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (MRMC), MEDCOM where he is responsible for developing and implementing medical research policy, facilitating strategic partnerships, and coordinating medical research and development intellectual capital and physical infrastructure for the MRMC.

Previously he served as Science Director at the United States Army Research Institute of Infectious Diseases where he helped USAMRIID meet the challenges of a changing national international biodefense landscape. Dr. Ludwig served as Chief of the Diagnostic Systems Division at USAMRIID where he coordinated a program for development of advanced diagnostics capable of identifying potential biological weapons and other high-hazard infectious and non-infectious disease agents in order to meet the diagnostics requirements of the military. Dr. Ludwig has also made significant contributions to USAMRIID’s Virology Division where he worked extensively on vaccine development for protection against the equine encephalitides. Dr. Ludwig has keen research and intellectual interest in arbovirus-host interactions. His expertise in viral ecology and wildlife biology has served him well during his contributions to disease outbreak investigations in the former Zaire (Ebola virus), Colombia (Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus), and the Southwest United States (Sin Nombre virus).

Dr. Ludwig received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin in 1990 and is author on over 60 manuscripts, technical reports, book chapters, and other publications written during 21 years of relevant experience.

Mark McConnell is a vice president for business development for Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), which had annual revenues of $8.9 billion for the fiscal year ending January 31, 2008. SAIC is a FORTUNE 500® scientific, engineering and technology applications company that uses its deep domain knowledge to solve problems of vital importance to the nation and the world, in national security, energy and the environment, critical infrastructure, and health.

For more than 20 years, Mr. McConnell has provided leadership in developing and implementing pricing strategies and tactics. He has been recognized for his exceptional ability to integrate technical, financial, and management concerns to develop multimillion-dollar business strategies, form synergistic business alliances, and optimize returns for SAIC, its customers, and its clients. In his current role, Mark provides SAIC with business process and analysis expertise by way of Strategic Pricing & Price-to-Win, Metric Tools, Cost Analysis & Modeling and company-wide training. He is known for his work on highly complex initiatives that require his negotiating with major partners and customers to maximize profitability and minimize risk – expertise includes fixed-price, cost reimbursement, and performance-based contracts.

Mark McConnell is recognized today for his highly-interactive speaking engagements - most recently the White House and State Dept’s initiatives were he dug deep into topics and then simplifies. As a service-connected disabled veteran, Mark understands the need to focus a significant amount of his time on supporting small disadvantaged business concerns so that they are be better equipped to compete and pursue government contracting.

A native of Long Island, N.Y., Vice Admiral McCoy graduated from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1978, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering.

At sea, McCoy served aboard USS Daniel Webster (SSBN 626) and as repair officer aboard USS Ly Spear (AS 36). In these assignments he earned his submarine engineering duty qualification and his surface warfare qualification. He was also awarded the Claud A. Jones Award from the American Society of Naval Engineers as “Fleet Engineer of the Year” during his tour onboard Ly Spear.

Ashore, McCoy served in numerous assignments in the Naval Shipyards, including assignment to Mare Island, Charleston, Norfolk, Puget Sound and Portsmouth Naval Shipyards. From 2001-2004, he served as the 80th commander of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. McCoy earned a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and an engineer’s degree in Naval Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also earned a Masters in Business Administration Degree from Emory University.

Upon selection to flag rank, McCoy served as assistant deputy commander of Industrial Operations of the Naval Sea Systems Command from 2004-2005. From 2005-2008, he served as the Naval Sea Systems Command’s chief engineer. In June 2008, he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate for promotion to the rank of vice admiral and was assigned as the 42nd commander, Naval Sea Systems Command.

Ms. Susan Nichols began her 20-year career with the Federal government at the US Army Corps of Engineers, where she started out as a secretary and worked her way into the Comptroller career program as a Department of the Army (DA) Intern. After graduating from the DA Intern program, she held various management and budget analysis positions before moving into program analysis where she was introduced to the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. From 2004-2008, she served as the Army SBIR Program Manager at the US Army Materiel Command. Today, she is serving as the Small Business Program Director at DARPA.

Ms. Nichols has a Bachelor of Science degree in Management/Computer Information Systems from Park University.

Ms. Tracey L. Pinson became the Director for the Office of Small Business Programs, Secretary of the Army in May 1995. Ms. Pinson advises the Secretary of the Army and the Army Staff on all small business procurement issues and is responsible for the implementation of the Federal acquisition programs designed to assist small businesses. She provides management and oversight for the Army’s Mentor-Protégé Program as well as the Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI) program, and develops policies and initiatives to enhance HBCU/MI participation in Army funded programs. As one of the top females in the Army’s acquisition career field, she is responsible for the integration of small businesses, HBCUs and MIs in acquisition strategies developed at the Army Headquarters.

From 1986 until 1995, Ms. Pinson served as Assistant to the Director, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Office of the Secretary of Defense. During this time frame she served as the program manager of the DOD Small Disadvantaged Business Program and the HBCU/MI Program. She developed the implementation strategy for the DOD Mentor-Protégé Program resulting in over 250 participants with a budget allocation as high as $120 million. This program has served as the model-mentoring program for all Federal government agencies.

Ms. Pinson was born in Washington, D.C. She received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science from Howard University. She also received a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. She is a member in good standing of the Maryland Bar Association.

Mr. Gregory G. Pridgeon serves as Chief of Staff to the Honorable Shirley Franklin, who is the 58th Mayor of the City of Atlanta. He graduated from North Carolina A&T State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science in 1974. He furthered his study on the graduate level in Urban Planning at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University at Blacksburg, VA.

Mr. Pridgeon served as the Director of Local Government Relations for the Atlanta Committee for The Olympic Games (ACOG) during the 1996 Centennial Olympic Summer Games. He has also served as a Policy Analyst for the Atlanta City Council and a senior staff member to Mayors Jackson and Campbell. Additionally, Greg served briefly as a City Councilmember in 1993 representing District 1. Mr. Pridgeon has been active in the Atlanta community for over thirty years and has performed services with numerous boards, commissions, and organizations such as the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Atlanta Mutual Housing Association. He is a active life member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and Vice-President of the Gandhi Foundation of USA.

Mr. Pridgeon is married to the former Jeannen Michelle Billups and the couple has three children. They have resided in the historic Grant Park neighborhood of the City of Atlanta for nearly three decades. Mr. Pridgeon is an avid golfer, kite enthusiast, grillmaster, saxophonist and sports fan.

Ms. Amanda Quiñones is a native of Brooklyn, New York where she lived until moving to Washington, DC to attend American University. She graduated from American University with a Bachelors of Arts degree in International Studies in 2008. Currently she is employed at the Department of Energy (DOE) as a Program Analyst in the Office of Minority Economic Impact.

Ms. Quiñones began her service with the Department of Energy in 2007 as a Student Trainee. She serves as the Coordinator for the Minority Educational Institution Student Partnership Program and provides support to the Program Analysts assigned to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU) and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI). Ms. Quiñones is the liaison to the Hispanic College Fund.

Before joining the Department of Energy, Ms. Quiñones worked with the United States Department of Labor- Mine Safety and Health Administration as an assistant to the Hispanic Employment Program Manager and was employed by the American University’s Washington Internships for Native Students (WINS) Program as a Program Assistant.

She enjoys working with her community-based organization, Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, Inc., where she holds leadership positions and carries out volunteer projects in the Washington, DC community. Ms. Quiñones served as the Volunteer Chair for the Washington, DC and Northern Virginia Hispanic Youth Symposia in 2008 and aspires to take on more challenging roles with this entity in the future.

Carlos Rey Romero serves as Associate Vice President for Research Administration at The University of New Mexico (UNM).

Prior to joining UNM Mr. Romero served as financial advisor and director of intergovernmental relations at the New Mexico Finance Authority where he provided advice and expert testimony in the area of public finance to two governors, the New Mexico state legislature and local government leaders. Mr. Romero served on the Governor’s Solar Power Taskforce, Blue Ribbon Water Taskforce, Clean Energy Commission and the Cumbres and Toltec Railroad Taskforce. Mr. Romero also has served as chapter president for the Society of Mexican American Engineers (MAES) and Scientists, and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE).

Mr. Romero was a visiting professor of economics at The Armand Hammer United World College in Montezuma, New Mexico; a visiting professor at New Mexico Highland University and a lecturer at Luna Community College. He focused his teaching and research in the areas of economics, ethics and physics. Mr. Romero was American Chemical Society (ACS) undergraduate fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory working in the Condensed Matter and Thermal Physics Division.

Mr. Romero was raised in the north central town of Española, New Mexico. He received his B.S. from New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (New Mexico Tech) where he majored in Basic Sciences and Chemical Engineering, and an MBA from the New Mexico Highlands University. He and his wife, Angelle, live in Albuquerque.

Lee R. Rosenberg is the Director for Small Business Programs at the Missile Defense Agency (MDA). He has responsibility for the development and oversight of MDA’s small business program and acts as an advocate for the utilization of small businesses throughout the Agency. His responsibilities also include oversight of MDA’s Small Business Program, the Agency’s small business outreach efforts, the Agency’s Historically Black College and University/Minority Institution (HBCU/MI) Program and The Agency’s Mentor-Protégé Program.

Prior to assuming his current position, Mr. Rosenberg was assigned within the MDA Contracts Directorate as part of the Acquisition Support Cadre, where he assisted various MDA program offices in developing innovative acquisition strategies to satisfy program requirements.

Upon his retirement in 1997, after having served 21 years in the Army, Mr. Rosenberg worked for a variety of small and large business contractors supporting the Department of Defense and various Military Services. He authored and presented acquisition reform classes to Government contracting and acquisition personnel and provided acquisition support services to several Army and Marine Corps programs located in the U.S. Army Program Manager for Mines, Countermines and Demolitions and the Office of Naval Research. Additionally he authored several case studies utilized in the PMT 401course, the capstone acquisition course taught in the Defense Acquisition University and supported the Department of Defense Acquisition Reform Office. Mr. Rosenberg re-entered Government Service as a Department of Defense civilian in 2003 while working at MDA.

Mr. Tony Sacco has over 40 years professional and management experience in the field of Information Systems development, integration and operations. A majority of his experience was and is involved in the management of significant, fixed price, software intensive, development, systems integration and O&M programs for the federal government. He is currently the SAIC program manager for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) EAGLE multimillion IDIQ program. His previous assignment includes more than 7 years of IT program management on DHS and predecessor agency contracts, running a $402 million, multi-task-order program. Mr. Sacco is a PMI-certified PMP and an experienced earned value methodology (EVM) instructor with real-world ability in implementing solu¬tions for large federal programs.

As program manager on a major IT services contract, Mr. Sacco oversaw critical projects for DHS, including the design and build of the DHS network backbone for OneNetwork, design and imple-mentation of the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) facility, and design and implementation of the DHS enterprise architecture (EA). In part, the work that Mr. Sacco led for SAIC re¬sulted in SAIC’s selection by Frost and Sulli¬van as the 2005 Homeland Security Company of the Year. He also was the program manager for the development and worldwide deployment of the Navy War Gaming System (NWGS). He holds a BSEE from Polytechnic Inst of NY, a MSOR from New York University and a MBA from Rider University. He is certified to teach EVM and courses in PM and Quality.

Ms. Jamie T. Scipio, a native Washingtonian, has over 17 years of Federal Government service related to research development, budget and financial management and grant and contract administration. She obtained her Masters of Science in Management Information Systems from the University of Maryland. Also, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Bowie State University, a Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs).

Ms. Scipio is currently employed at the Department of Energy (DOE) as a Program Analyst in the Office of Minority Economic Impact. She serves as a technical advisor for DOE funding programs for Minority Serving Institutions (MSI), and is specifically responsible for the HBCUs. Her duties include preparing financial and programmatic data for department-wide annual reports and plans related to HBCUs for the Department of Education’s White House Initiative Office. In addition, she serves as the liaison for providing training and guidance to DOE program offices on the Minority Education Awards (MEA) System. She is also responsible for preparing financial documents for grants and cooperative agreements from proposal submissions from HBCUs and public and private sector organizations.

Prior to joining the Department of Energy, she was employed at the National Science Foundation (NSF) where she held numerous positions. During her tenure at NSF, she worked closely with promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs to underrepresented minorities, specifically the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation, and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities-Undergraduate programs.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, shopping and reading.

Jeff Singleton has built a career with the Department of the Army as a research engineer, first in the field of experimental rotorcraft testing and analysis and later as team leader and then as division chief for rotorcraft dynamics, structural mechanics, and aeromechanics. His extensive background in science and technology studies spans more than two decades of fundamental research, technology development and acquisition. Mr. Singleton earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from West Virginia University where he graduated magna cum laude in 1980. He also earned a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1988, specializing in aeroelasticity. Beginning in November 2007, Mr. Singleton was selected and currently serves as Deputy Director for Research in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, Research and Technology, directing the basic research program for all Army laboratories, research, development and engineering centers¬—spanning 12 basic research disciplines and 14 technology areas at the Army Research Laboratory, the Army Research Institute, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Simulation and Training Technology Center with a combined annual budget of approximately $380M.

Cassandra Stuart is Program Manager of the HBCUs/Minority Educational Institution Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. ORNL, which is managed by UT-Battelle, is the largest science laboratory within the U.S. Department of Energy System. Oak Ridge National Laboratory is committed to maintaining and enhancing effective strategic partnerships with minority educational institutions (MEIs). Stuart is responsible for ORNL’s outreach efforts, which include research and development partnerships of mutual benefit, student internships, summer faculty research participation, equipment loans, joint hires and supporting research at the laboratory through subcontracting opportunities. The Department of Energy has rated the HBCU/MEI program’s initiatives as “Best in Class”, and ORNL has received two national awards: a letter of commendation from DOE, and an award of recognition. Stuart is a subcontractor and owner of StuTech, a small, disadvantaged marketing and public relations firm. She has worked successfully in the industry for more than 20 years, and is a former local television news anchor/reporter.

Major General Dennis L. Via serves as the Commanding General, CECOM Life Cycle Management Command (CECOM LCMC). As Commander, General Via leads a world-wide organization of over 10,000 military and civilian personnel responsible for coordinating, integrating and synchronizing the entire life-cycle management of the C4ISR systems for all of the Army’s battlefield mission areas –maneuver control, fire support, air defense, intelligence, combat services support, tactical radios, satellite communications, and the warfighter information network.

Prior to assuming command, General Via served as Commanding General, 5th Signal Command, and United States Army, Europe and Seventh Army (USAREUR) Chief Information Officer/Assistant Chief of Staff, G6 (CIO/G6).

General Via is a native of Martinsville, Virginia. He attended Virginia State University in Petersburg, Virginia, where he graduated in May 1980 as a Distinguished Military Graduate, and received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Signal Corps. He holds a Master’s Degree from Boston University. General Via is a graduate of the United States Army Command and General Staff College, and the United States Army War College.

General Via began his career with the 35th Signal Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Key assignments include Commander, 82nd Signal Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division; Commander, 3rd Signal Brigade and III Corps Assistant Chief of Staff, G6; Division Chief, Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) Division, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Army G8, Headquarters, Department of the Army; Director, Global Operations, Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA); and Deputy Commander, Joint Task Force-Global Network Operations (USSTRATCOM).