GovGains US Agenda & Speakers

Speakers

Jon Barker

VP of Pricing, Strategic Growth Partners

With over 20 years’ experience in federal government contracting (GovCon), Jon has managed and negotiated thousands of proposals and overseen contracts worth over $5.5 billion. His expertise spans program control, contracts management, consulting, and pricing, consistently overseeing annual business exceeding $150M. As a subject matter expert in the full procurement lifecycle, Jon excels in market research, contract execution, and close-out processes, ensuring proposals meet rigorous Government “fair 2& reasonable” standards. He is committed to helping businesses optimize pricing strategies, maximize win probabilities, and improve margins. Jon's extensive network within federal agencies and prime contractors, combined with his leadership at SGP, enables small businesses to navigate the GovCon market effectively. Active in numerous professional organizations, including the NCMA and APMP, Jon also mentors through various programs, supporting innovation and small business growth.

Morgan Barker

Director of Proposals at Leidos

Morgan Barker is a seasoned proposal leader with over a decade of experience driving high-stakes public sector pursuits and leading large-scale proposal operations. As the Director of Proposals at Leidos, she focuses on digital modernization and proposal innovation, bringing cutting-edge solutions to the federal contracting space.

Previously, as the Americas Proposal Leader at AWS, Morgan managed a 40+ person team, spearheading process development, personnel management, and strategic resource planning. She leveraged data-driven decision-making and scalable tools, including GenAI, to support a 20% year-over-year increase in complex pursuits.

Tommy Benz

Principal + Lead Strategist at GrowthLab

Tommy has spent the last fifteen years working in federal government contracting. He has worked broadly throughout the federal civilian and defense sectors, both bringing in business and managing the work. Tommy has stood up new verticals within companies and doubled the federal portfolio in multiple agencies. His entire career, Tommy has served as an executive within small businesses, and he has extensive experience in growth strategies and strategic planning for that sector.

Tommy is also an expert in the SBA Mentor-Protege Program, and he is passionate about helping small businesses grow in that capacity. Tommy is an advisor and instructor at the Bowie State Government Contracting Center of Excellence, the Bowie Innovation Center 8(a) Accelerator, and the Veteran Institute of Procurement. He also serves as an advisor for the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

Brenda Crist, CPP APMP Fellow

VP, Capture and Proposal Manager, Lohfeld Consulting Group

Brenda Crist brings 25+ years of experience as a senior capture, proposal manager and program director, specializing in civilian health, IT, and scientific markets. As Vice President of Lohfeld Consulting Group, she helps businesses win government contracts through effective strategy development and proposal management. Brenda is certified at the APMP Professional Level, is an APMP Fellow and teaches APMP Certification, Boot Camp, and Proposal Writing classes.

Bruce Feldman

Vice President, Lohfeld Consulting Group

Bruce Feldman brings 30+ years of experience as a subject matter expert (SME) in business development, capture management, and proposal development, specializing in defense and intelligence programs. As a Lohfeld Consulting Vice President, Bruce leads the company’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) initiatives and is the lead trainer for our Generative AI for Proposal Professionals and Capture Management classes. Bruce was the senior vice president of business development for SAIC’s $3B national security and space sector. He also served as Chief Growth Officer for Engility and Senior Vice President of QinetiQ North America.

Drew Hartley

SVP - Solutions Engineering, pWin,ai

Drew Hartley, VP of Solutions Engineering at pWin.ai, is a technology leader with a passion for bringing solutions to customers. As a former Director at a top insurance company, he led engineering teams in building core insurance platforms. He was also Managing Director at a cloud, data, and AI consulting company. Prior to joining pWin.ai, Drew was Director of Generative AI at Applied Information Sciences.

Gerald Jones

Senior Consultant at La Puerta Productions

Gerald Everett Jones has managed major proposal and business analysis projects in government, healthcare, and commercial sectors. He is author of more than 25 business and technical books, including How to Lie with Charts and PMP Certification for Dummies, as well as 14 novels. He has an extensive background in IT systems development. His past presentations at APMP Bid & Proposal Con have been consistently top-rated. He is also host of the GetPublished! Radio and Thinking About Thinking podcasts.

Dana Katalinas

Vice President, Account Executive, Lohfeld Consulting Group

Dana Katalinas is a proposal management professional with over 20 years of experience overseeing business, capture, proposal management, and training. As Vice President at Lohfeld Consulting, she assists companies in capture and proposal development and oversees Lohfeld Consulting’s grant support practice. Dana is an APMP member and previously served on their Board of Directors. Dana recently received her certification as an AI Proposal & Business Development Professional Level 1 from Procurement Sciences. 

Brian Lindholm

Managing Principal, FedSavvy Strategies

Brian Lindholm is a veteran, an entrepreneur and a seasoned federal business developer over a 25-year career. Since starting FedSavvy Strategies in 2012, he has supported both some of the largest federal contractors and small businesses alike pursuing federal contracts. His experience with clients spans strategic planning, market analysis, capture management, business development process improvement and competitive intelligence.

Melissa Palmer, CF APMP

VP of Proposals, Strategic Growth Advisors

Since 2008, Melissa has been a dynamic force in the proposal industry, dedicated to helping businesses optimize their proposal processes and resources for more efficient success. In 2014, she launched Palmer Consultants, which quickly became a leading business development consulting firm in the GovCon space, gaining national recognition before its acquisition by Strategic Growth Advisors (SGA) in 2022. As SGA’s VP of Proposals, Melissa has driven a remarkable 600% increase in annual revenue within two years. She leads a team of 30 professionals, focusing on individual growth, work-life balance, and mindful leadership, while implementing strategies that streamline proposal development and improve outcomes. Her commitment to fostering entrepreneurship and community success extends beyond her team, serving as an International Board Member for the APMP, where she advocates for diverse affinity groups and promotes access to critical resources. A sought-after speaker on topics like work-life balance, imposter syndrome, and self-advocacy, Melissa empowers organizations and individuals to thrive.

Deniece Peterson

Sr. Director, Federal Market Analysis at Deltek

Larry Pitts

Director of Customer Success, Procurement Sciences AI

Larry Pitts leads the Customer Success and Account Management team, driving strategic initiatives that enhance client engagement and satisfaction in the government contracting sector. As a Committee Member with the Maryland Tech Council and a member of AFCEA and APMP, Larry is deeply involved in industry advancements and networking, contributing to the growth and innovation within the tech and proposal management communities. Larry also serves as a member of the "Procurement Improvement Committee" for the State of Maryland. Honored as a 2024 Rising Star by APMP, Larry holds multiple certifications, including "ChatGPT: Using AI For Market Research." His credentials underscore his expertise in market planning and AI-driven solutions. With a CyberReadyMBE® Certificate of Completion from Industry Workforce Solutions, Inc., Larry combines his knowledge in cybersecurity with his role as an AI Proposal & Business Development Professional, ensuring comprehensive and secure business development strategies

Bill Powell

VP Growth Advisor, Strategic Growth Partners

Kel Raleigh, CF APMP

Proposal Manager at K2 Inc.

Kel brings more than five years of proposal industry experience, complemented by a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Baltimore and a diverse professional background spanning aquatics, poetry, marketing, and publishing. Kel is the author of The Skin & Bones of It, a book of poetry crafted during their MFA program, and hosts a writing and brunch salon out of their home, fostering creativity and community.

After three years teaching in higher education, Kel now approaches proposal management with a blend of innovation and storytelling to deliver exceptional results. In addition to government proposals, they provide grant writing and editing assistance to nonprofits in the Baltimore area. Passionate about the art and strategy of proposal development, Kel is dedicated to sharing knowledge and empowering others in the proposal industry.

Arthur Runno

Co-Founder/CEO of Turingon, Inc.

With nearly two decades of experience in government contracting and proposal management and having led bids securing billions of dollars in federal contracts, Arthur brings a wealth of practical expertise and strategic insights into leveraging technology to drive innovation. He is an active thought leader in AI's role in government contracting and has a passion for empowering professionals with tools and strategies to excel in the evolving landscape of bids and proposals..

Chip Schaller, CF APMP

Chief of Capture & Proposals, AutogenAI

Chip Schaller is AutogenAI’s Proposal & Capture Subject Matter Expert, bolstering the company's leadership in AI solutions for enterprise and federal proposal writing. With over thirty years of global experience, Schaller brings expertise in capture and proposal development, operations management, and business development. Previously at Maximus and DynCorp, Schaller led teams in securing multimillion to billion-dollar contracts for US Federal agencies and international organizations.

Mitchell Sutika-Sipus

Chief Solutions Architect, AutogenAI

Dr. Mitchell Sutika-Sipus is AutogenAI's Chief Solutions Architect. With nearly two decades of AI and data science experience across U.S. government agencies, he's well-positioned to help businesses secure more federal contracts through AutogenAI's technologies. His career began in Afghanistan and Somalia, providing GIS datasets to governments. He foresaw the security threat of disinformation in machine learning systems in 2011 and co-founded two AI companies, including Tulco Labs, later acquired. In 2016, he was a White House Presidential Innovation Fellow, working on federal changes for the National Security Council, EPA, and State Department, contributing to federal technology growth and contracting opportunities.

Ryanne Spigelman

Senior Competitive Analyst at Citrin Cooperman

Ryanne specializes in Competitive Intelligence and Market Analysis, bringing over seven years of experience delivering actionable insights across diverse market domains. She has supported programs valued between $50 million and $5 billion for both Defense and Civilian customers, spanning areas such as vehicle and soldier weapon systems to large-scale IT initiatives.

Guy Timberlake

Chief Executive Visionary and Co-Founder at The American Small Business Coalition, LLC (The ASBC)

Go-To-Guy Timberlake brings over 35 years of federal contracting experience, knowledge, and relationships to every client, cohort, and community engagement. He’s developed his acumen while supporting civilian, defense, and intelligence agency programs, starting with Operation Desert Shield in 1990. He is the chief executive visionary and co-founder of The American Small Business Coalition (ASBC), and he’s referred to as “Professor” and ‘Edutainer’ for his ability to make mundane discussions about business essential topics interesting and practical. Guy is also the creator of Ethical Stalking for Government Contractors®, the curriculum and philosophy that has guided hundreds of small and large companies to realize more than $5 billion federal contract and subcontract revenues since 2010.