50 Most Powerful Minority CEO's & Corporate Executives

2009President’s MessageI would like to welcome you to the 10 th Annual Awards Gala. This event was especiallychallenging during these economic times. Even though we fell a little short, every yearwe do a class act event to show our dedication to women and small business enterprises.I would like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding.Minority Enterprise Executive Council has promoted the minority business communityfor over twelve years and hope to continue doing so through our publication, MEAMagazine. Just recently, the publication has been revived and making it possible topromote small businesses to the federal government and corporate America.This year MEA Magazine is one of the official publications that will be included in themedia package during the U.S. Department of Commerce – Minority Business Development Agency’s MEDWeek Conference in August 2009. We are very proud of this and hope all of you will be able to participateduring the Conference.We thank Cisco Systems for their support and congratulate them on the way in which they care about theminority business community. This is why we are naming them the Corporation of the Year and the SupplierDiversity Person of the Year. Cisco has really been outstanding; this should encourage other major corporationsto follow in their footsteps.Debra Williams and I give appreciation to all of our honorees and special recognitions. Every one of you is sodeserving and we love applauding your achievements during our awards programs each year.Hope you enjoy the evening.Sincerely,Sunny EzejiPresident

Keynote SpeakerGloria ParkerCEO & Senior Partner, Parker Group ConsultingGloria Parker is CEO and Senior Partner of Parker Group Consulting in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.She has contracts with major companies such as Deloitte, Unisys, QinetiQ-North America and others, consulting ongovernment and business strategies.Ms. Parker served on the Obama-Biden Transition team in 2008 – 2009 as co-team lead on National Archives andGovernment Printing Office (GPO) Agency Review Teams. She also served on the TIGR (technology) team for U.S.Department of Housing and Urban Development as well as the U.S. Department of Education. While reviewing theOffice of the Chief Information Officer at the Department of Education, Ms. Parker’s role was expanded to includea review of the Office of the Chief Financial Officer and the Office of Management, thus being added as a memberof the core Agency Review Team for Education.Ms. Parker was named Director, Business Solutions and Strategy for Civilian Business at Computer SciencesCorporation (CSC) on December 3, 2007. In this position, she was responsible for understanding the trends anddirections of IT in civilian government and ensuring that CSC solutions successfully match to government needs.She engaged all aspects of the CSC organization to develop new solutions, repackage existing solutions, and partnerwith or acquire companies with solutions that met the needs of CSC.Her previous role as Senior Vice President of Business Development and Strategy for Apptis, Inc. began on April 18,2005. In this position she was responsible for developing and executing new business strategies and shaping newopportunities to expand Apptis’ strategic lines of business in both the Government and commercial sectors.Prior to this appointment, Ms. Parker became the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s)Chief Technology Officer (CTO) on June 30, 2002. Ms. Parker previously served as HUD’s first Chief InformationOfficer (CIO) from April 13, 1998 through June 29, 2002.As CIO and CTO, Ms. Parker’s focus was on Information Technology (IT) Reform, IT Capital Planning andInvestment Management, Business Process Improvement, eGovernment, IT Security, Enterprise Architecture, ITOperations, and data quality and management.Prior to HUD, Ms. Parker held two positions at the Department of Education -- first as the Director of InformationResources Management and second as Deputy Chief Information Officer. Her legacy at the Department of Educationincludes her executive vision and leadership in implementing a world-class information system and infrastructurewith a focus on customer service.Ms. Parker’s government-wide leadership is recognized by both government and industry. She was a charter memberof the Federal CIO Council and a former Co-chair, IT Workforce Committee of the Federal CIO Council. Ms. Parkerwas past president of the Association for Federal Information Resources Management, the professional associationfor senior IRM managers. Ms. Parker has received a number of prestigious awards and acknowledgments includingthe 2000 Presidential Rank Award given for exemplary Government leadership, the 2000 Federal 100 Award for CIOCouncil leadership in recruiting and retaining Federal IT workers, the 2000 Top Women in Federal GovernmentAward for her outstanding leadership and vision, the Presidential Medal for successful Y2K conversion of HUD’ssystems, and Vice President Gore’s National Performance Review Hammer Award. In addition, Ms. Parker has beencommended by OMB for her leadership in establishing HUD as a model in IT investment management.Ms. Parker holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics from Hampton University and a Master of Sciencein Mathematical Statistics from Ohio State University.4

EmceeAl PorterCEO, Porter Education & Communications, Inc.Al Porter is President and CEO of Porter Education & Communications, Inc. (PE&C). His company will celebrateits 10 th year in business in February 2009. PE&C is a national education management and development companyspecializing in a full portfolio of services to students, families, government agencies, and school systems.A native of St. Louis, MO, Al is the youngest of 6 siblings. He received his undergraduate degree in Journalismand Public Relations in Denver. He attended The Ohio State University where he completed his Master of Artsdegree in Educational Policy and Leadership. He also holds a graduate Certificate in Management from theGeorge Washington University school of Professional Studies.Over the course of his career, Mr. Porter has been a staunch advocate for youth. Whether in his many roles asa YMCA director, Boys/Girls Club professional, national motivational speaker, teacher, principal, author andbusiness owner, he has continued to strive to help at-risk young men and women realize their personal andacademic potential.Mr. Porter is a strong community supporter serving on the boards of directors of the Chamber of Commerce,The Education Industry Association, and Court Appointed Special Advocates among many.Over the tenure of his business, he has launched a coordinated effort to explore the issues surrounding theunder achievement of minority students nationally. His “Erasing the Achievement Gap” Conference Seriesgathered some the most prolific educators from around the country to explore the root causes and developresearch and evidenced based strategies to confront the achievement gap that exists between minority childrenand their white counterparts.PE&C, also provide intensive academic remediation for some the poorest children in some the nationsmost challenging public school systems. The Porter Home Based Tutoring Program has been effective inhelping students achieve academic success in school systems around the country. Currently, his program isoperational in cities such as Atlanta , GA, Baltimore, MD, Washington DC, Indianapolis, IN, Houston, TX,Newark, NJ, Dayton, OH, Alexandria, VA, Tulsa, OK and many others.Mr. Porter has been named Small Business of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce, One of the FastestGrowing Firms by Inc. Magazine. Additionally, Mr. Porter has been honored as Businessman of the Year by theNRCC. He is listed in Who’s Who among Executives and Professionals. He received the Network Journal’s 40leaders under 40 Award, as well as the Wynnwood Image Award. He was twice honored as one of 50 InfluentialMinorities in Business.5

Corporation of the Year AwardeeRandy PondExecutive Vice President of Operations, Processes, and SystemsCisco SystemsAs Executive Vice President of Operations, Processes, and Systems at Cisco, Randy Pond oversees the functionsof Corporate Affairs, Customer Value Chain Management, Human Resources, Information Technology, LegalServices, and the Commerce Business Transformation Office. He also co-chairs the Connected BusinessOperations Council and is a key leader on the Commercial (SMB) Business Council, the Quality ExperienceCouncil and the Emerging Countries Council. To help fuel growth, drive innovation, and increase Cisco’sproductivity, Pond is currently leading a comprehensive business transformation across Cisco by re-engineeringbusiness processes, re-architecting IT systems, and redefining the role of Cisco leadership.After joining Cisco in September 1993 as Director of Manufacturing Operations through the acquisition ofCrescendo Communications, Pond held various positions within the Worldwide Manufacturing group. In1995, he was promoted to Vice President of Manufacturing with responsibility for all aspects of manufacturingoperations, including new product introduction, planning, procurement, productions operations, anddistribution and logistics. By 2000, Pond had become Senior Vice President of West Coast and Asia operations,and over the next three years assumed responsibility for all of Worldwide Manufacturing Operations, includingproduct fulfillment and logistics.Pond’s key accomplishments at Cisco include the establishment of consistent business processes and operationalmetrics across the company, double-digit productivity growth, redefinition of the manufacturing model,operationalization of Cisco’s new business models, and redesign of the employee value proposition.Prior to joining Cisco, Pond was Vice President of Finance, Chief Financial Officer, and Vice President ofOperations at Crescendo Communications. He has also held various finance and operations positions atVersatec, David Systems, Xerox Corporation, Schlumberger, and Arthur Andersen.Pond chairs the board of the Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose and serves as a board member for theInterfaith Networks Group, the American Leadership Forum of Silicon Valley, and the March of Dimes ofSilicon Valley. He has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and economics from Ball State University in Indianaand is a trustee for the Miller College of Business.6

Special Award“Community & Civic Leadership”William E. MillikenFounder & Vice ChairmanCommunities In Schools, Inc.Bill Milliken, founder and vice chairman of Communities In Schools, Inc., is one of the nation’s foremostpioneers in the movement to give young people the help they need to graduate from high school and go onto rewarding lives.The year 2000 marked the 40th anniversary of Milliken’s commitment to children, and saw him receive twomajor national awards. The Edward A. Smith Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Leadership honors oneexecutive each year who exemplifies “extraordinary leadership” over a lifetime of service. The “Champion forChildren” award from the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) honors a nationally knownnon-educator whose contributions have significantly and positively influenced the lives of children.Communities In Schools is the nation’s leading community-based organization helping kids stay in school andprepare for life. Currently, CIS directly serves nearly 1.2 million students and their families each year in morethan 3,250 schools in 27 states and the District of Columbia. Its grass-roots, personalized approach embodiesMilliken’s long-held philosophy, “Programs don’t change children – relationships do.”Milliken’s activism began in 1960 when he joined Young Life, an ecumenical youth organization. He helpedinitiate “street academies” for young people who had dropped out of school and wanted a chance to resume theireducation, as well as live-in programs for substance abusers and youth in need of shelter and support. Milliken’sexperiences led him to search for a comprehensive approach to helping young people. This search culminatedin the 1970s with the development of a model program that repositioned existing community resources intoschools — the Communities In Schools network, which Milliken led as president until May 2004.Milliken has served three U.S. presidents. During the Carter Administration, he was the White House Advisor onYouth Issues. In 1989, Milliken advised President Bush for the Education Summit with the nation’s governors.Most recently, Milliken was involved in the planning of The Presidents’ Summit for America’s Future. In1994, Milliken received the National Caring Award as one of the “10 most caring people in America.” In 1992,he received the Temple Award for Creative Altruism, given by the Institute of Noetic Sciences, which honorsindividuals “whose lives and work demonstrate the transformative power of caring coupled with imaginationand enterprise.”Milliken serves on the board of Leadership Foundations of America. He is the author of three books, So Long,Sweet Jesus, Tough Love and The Last Dropout: Stop the Epidemic!. He received an honorary degree of Doctor ofHumane Letters in 2007 from Bard College.8

p50 Most Powerful MinorityCEO’s and Corporate ExecutivesAwards GalaThursday, June 25, 2009Capital Hilton HotelpAGENDA6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.Mix and Mingle to light jazz by Jim Ballard(Photo opportunities)7:30p.m. - 8:00 p.m.Welcome and introduction of Keynote SpeakerGloria Parker, CEO, Parker Group Consulting by Al Porter8:00 p.m.Dinner Served8:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.Special RecognitionsCorporation of the Year - Cisco SystemsSupplier Diversity Person of the Year - Denise Coley, Cisco SystemsCivic & Community Person of the Year - William Milliken, Communities In SchoolsExecutive Person of the Year - Fernando Galaviz, THE CENTECH GROUPTechnology Executive of the Year - Joseph Fergus, COMTekTechnology Person of the Year - Theodore Fells, NucoreVision8:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.Awards Presentation9:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.Closing Remarks and Photo opportunities

Jayanth ChallaPresident & CEOAce Info Solutions, Inc.Jayanth (Jay) Challa is the president and chief executive officer of Ace Info Solutions, Inc. (AceInfo), thegovernment contracting company named last year as the Government Contractor of the year (under $25million) in the 5 th Annual Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards.In the Greater Washington, D.C. region, Mr. Challa has been an active supporter of Kormen Race for theCure, the world’s largest network of breast cancer, and Reston Celebrates 40 Years, an organization that hascome together to foster community pride and understanding of the unique 40-year history of our hometown,Reston, Virginia. He has made his company a proud member of the Reston and Herndon Chambers ofCommerce, the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce and has been a frequent event sponsor for VirginiaChamber of Commerce.Mr. Challa’s commitment to our country doesn’t stop at the local level. He has made his company activeregionally and nationally in both public service and technical forums. He participates actively in such industryorganizations as the Industry Advisory Council, the Armed Forces Communications-Electronics Association,and the Government Information Technology Executive Council (GITEC). Of particular note; last yearhe combined his commitment to community and his love of sport by sponsoring part of the GEITEC GolfTournament in Orlando.Mr. Challa has demonstrated his leadership to the government contracting industry through his personalleadership; in 2008, his company grew 110%, to $14.8 million from $6.9 million just a year previously.Mr. Challa values training and education, and every employee is expected to get at least 40 hours of job-relatedtraining every year. He provides financial assistance for professional certification testing such as the MicrosoftCertified Professional, and Project Management Professional programs. He encourages employees to completedegrees and pursue advanced degrees, and provides a base of $2,000 per year in tuition reimbursement, but hefrequently authorizes increases to that number.The most significant demonstration of Mr. Challa’s personal contributions and leadership to his company inthe past year was being named the Government Contractor of the Year (under $25 million) in last year’s 5 thAnnual Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards. His company was also named by the VirginiaChamber of Commerce as a Virginia Vanguard Company in recognition of its position as the fastest growingcompany it our sector in the state, and number six in growth regardless of sector, for which the firm wasfeatured in the May, 2008 issue of Virginia Business magazine. 100% of his program managers are certified bythe Project Management Institute (PMI). His is one of the very few small businesses that are ISO-9001:2000registered and CMMI Level II (software development) certified; in the past year, we will shortly be certified atCMMI Level III.10

Isabel ChancellorPresidentInguenuitEIsabel Chancellor has been with IngenuitE since it’s inception in 2002.As founder, President, and soleowner, Chancellor brings a broad range of experience to IngenuitE, as woman and minority-ownedbusiness enterprise.IngenuitE is a young company, Chancellor’s direction has led the company to experience tremendous growthand success, particularly in the public sector. Under her leadership, IngenuitE is established as a leadingsoftware consulting firm with expertise in the full-range of Oracle E-business Suite, particularly focused infinancial module implementations.IngenuitE was recently awarded a computer maintenance five-year contract with Tinker Air Force Base. Inaddition, IngenuitE is a subcontractor for L3-Titan Corporation with an Information Technology Support Servicescontract for the Department of Transportation at FAA (Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center). IngenuitE hasbeen honored as one of Oklahoma City’s Metro 50 for 2006, 2007 and 2008, an award that recognizes the fastestgrowing companies in the metro area.Born in Texas, Chancellor lived in Mexico as a child and immigrated to Corpus Christi, Texas at the age ofseven. Unable to speak English at first, she quickly learned the language and graduated at the top of herclass. Chancellor has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Texas A&M Corpus Christi as wellas a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Science in Management Information Systems from theUniversity of Oklahoma.Chair, Greater Oklahoma City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation; Board of Directors, GreaterOklahoma City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Board of Advisors, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber ofCommerce; Member, The State Chamber of Oklahoma; Member, Advancement of Hispanic Students in HigherEducation Task Force; Member, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act State Advisory Panel; NationalFounding Partner, Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP)Ms. Chancellor’s creative side is manifested in her love for sewing and hand-quilting. She has been happilymarried to her husband, Gary, for 19 years and has two sons, Ryan and Kevin.11

The Honorable H. R. CrawfordChairmanMetropolitan Washington Airport AuthorityMr. H.R. Crawford is a highly accomplished business leader, philanthropist, affordable housing expert,developer, certified property manager, former, 3-terms, elected official, political advisor, civic leader, long-timeDistrict of Columbia resident, and world traveler.Mr. Crawford is the founder and president of Crawford/Edgewood Managers, Inc., and Hazel, LLC. Bothsuccessful firms specialize in developing and managing affordable housing in Washington, D.C. He currentlymanages approximately 2,000 units of workforce and subsidized housing in the approximately 10 developments;and developed 6 major moderately priced housing complexes all located in the Southeast Washington, D.C.Mr. Crawford currently, serves as Chairman, Washington Airport Authority. He is the leader of the 13-member,Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority Board of Directors, which operates a two-airport system, ReaganNational Airport and Dulles International Airport.From 1980-1992 Mr. Crawford was elected as Council member from Ward 7 for three consecutive terms. Hewas a presidential appointed Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development(HUD). At HUD he corrected all code violations and modernized rent collection procedures. He workedclosely with regional and local offices of HUD to stabilize the property and restore credibility such that $3.2million in federal savings was achieved and bankruptcy issues resolved.Mr. Crawford has served as a consultant to The Alexander Housing Authority; Perpetual Savings and Loan; FederalCapitol Bank; DeFranceaux Realty Group; National Housing Partnership; Edgewood Management Corporation;The Pollinger Corporation; The Kate Maremont Foundation; and the U.S. Department of Defense.Mr. Crawford possesses a demonstrated ability to persevere and thrive under pressure while simultaneouslyconsidering the well being of fellow human beings. He is well known as an outstanding communicator and championof marginalized people.14

Tina DanteCEO & PresidentThe Metamorphosis Group, Inc.Ms. Tina Dante is currently the CEO & President of The Metamorphosis Group, Inc., an 8(a) woman-ownedsmall and disadvantaged business located in Fairfax County, Virginia, providing services in the Management,Engineering and Technology arenas to both commercial and government clients. Ms. Dante has over 25 yearsof leadership and management experience in leading operational, engineering and technology teams.Ms. Dante began her management career at Allstate Data Center Operations in Hudson, Ohio after receivinga Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Akron in 1983.As she progressed through her lengthy career at Allstate, she gained enormous interpersonal skills andperfected the art of management. Her national responsibilities expanded from the east coast to the HawaiianIslands, serving nine different regions, twenty-two states and the District of Columbia. It was the largest andmost expansive operation in the country. Because of her successes, she was selected for designing, formingand organizing a new division of the company, known as Customer Care - a new Division of Technical Services- which housed multiple functions by Central Processing Unit (CPU), while team members were cross trainedfor contingency functioning. Ms. Dante worked closely with and reported to the Senior Management Teamwhich consisted of the CEO, COO, Presidents and Vice Presidents of the various facets of Allstate’s Brands.During her tenure at Allstate, Ms. Dante was responsible for budgets of more than $1 billion and worked onprojects that saved the company more than $20 million. Ms. Dante’s P&L responsibilities range from $750,000to $27 billion.After almost twenty two long years with Allstate, Ms. Dante made a difficult decision to leave and was subsequentlyhired as a Director and Chief of Staff with a small systems and software engineering and technical servicescompany, IntelData, which supported the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community beforebeing acquired by Titan Technologies (now L-3 Communications).Ms. Dante began Metamorphosis Consulting in 2001 and later changed the name of the company to TheMetamorphosis Group, Inc. (TMG) in 2003. It was at this time that Ms. Dante began the difficult transitionfrom commercial clients to pursuing government clients.As a woman-owned small business, TMG obtained the 8(a) certification on July 13, 2004, which concludes in2013. This designation has opened many doors for TMG, especially when working with large prime contractors.TMG continues to actively market the 8(a) certification to various agencies, which include: Navy, DHS, NSA,HUD, FAA and Treasury.While not totally escaping the commercial environment, TMG is currently performing project managementand system integration work on the 2 GHz relocation effort for TV stations, which is a joint venture betweenSprint Nextel and the FCC. TMG manages and supplies turnkey solution including legal (licensing) support,administrative and financial functions for the stations.15

Gail Dolman-Smith, M.B.A.CEO and President,Paragon TEC, Inc.Since founding Paragon TEC (Technology, Education, Communication), Incorporated (Paragon) in 1996,Gail Dolman-Smith has been a dynamic leader in providing consulting services for government, education, andindustry clients. With experience spanning 20 years, her extensive program management knowledge includes:management of community public relations activities at NASA Glenn Research Center; numerous contractsnationwide with NASA and other organizations in industry, K-12 education, and higher education; as well asdiverse, wide-ranging support in her Northeast Ohio community.As a result of her leadership, Paragon TEC has twice won a five-year NASA contract to manage the Science,Engineering, Mathematics and Aerospace Academy (SEMAA), a national, innovative project designed toincrease the participation and retention of K-12 youth in groups historically underserved and underrepresentedin STEM fields. This project is located in 14 states in the U.S. and implemented at 24 colleges/universities andpublic schools. Ms. Dolman-Smith developed and established the first SEMAA Parent Café which has beenadapted nationwide by NASA and youth organizations. Paragon TEC was also awarded a five-year contract in2007 to manage NASA’s Aerospace Education Laboratories (AEL) located in 33 states in the U.S. and PuertoRico. Projects managed by Paragon TEC have reached over 400,000 underrepresented and underservedstudents, parents, and teachers in various sites and outreach locations across the United States.While NASA is one of Paragon’s primary and most valued partners, Gail Dolman-Smith has expanded bothher company’s suite of services and the delivery range of its expertise. The rapid expansion of Paragon TECthrough relationships with clients in the Northeast Ohio region, 40+ contracts with NASA Headquarters andthe 10 NASA field centers, and service to other organizations nationwide is evidence of Ms. Dolman-Smith’scommitment to business growth.Ms. Dolman-Smith is personally and professionally active in her local community with membership withCommunications Commission appointed by the mayor of University Heights and the City of UniversityHeights Diversity Committee. She is a board member of Cleveland Supplemental Empowerment Zone (SEZ)Technology Task Force, the Catholic Education Endowment Trust Board and former president of ClevelandAerospace Professional Representatives Association. Her company, Paragon TEC has conducted special roboticsoutreach programs on in conjunction with several NASA Awareness Days activities. Additionally, Paragon hasvolunteered services in support of regional FIRST Robotics Competitions, NASA Annual Open Houses, NASA50th Anniversary Celebrations, and other local educational initiatives.A lifelong Ohio resident, Ms. Dolman-Smith is a graduate of Baldwin Wallace College in Berea, Ohio. Sheresides with her husband Bill in Cleveland, and enjoys spending time with her daughter, son-in-law and twogranddaughters, Logan and London.16

Ted FellsCo-Founder, President & Chief Executive OfficerNucoreVision, Inc.As co-founder, President and CEO of NucoreVision, Inc., Ted Fells brings more than twelve years of executivemanagement experience within the federal government contracting arena. An accomplished strategist, hisexpertise in the areas of project management and consulting, business development have lead to the company’ssignificant venture growth in other areas to include information assurance, network engineering, web basedapplication development and training services. He led the transformation of NucoreVision into a top qualityCMMI Level 2, 8(a) IT firm with over seventy team members and consultants worldwide.As a project manager within the federal information technology arena, Ted Fells played a key role on a teamresponsible for the design, implementation and support of essential computer networks nationwide for theU.S. Department of Immigration and Naturalization Service.Offering a combination of innovation and operational strengths, Ted Fells has also earned the reputation forbeing fair, dedicated and always accessible to NucoreVision’s customer base, which includes the Department ofDefense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Interior,Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Transportation and the Department of Justice.Also, through a DoD mentor protégé program under technology powerhouse EDS (now an HP Company),NucoreVision, Inc. has partnered with Morehouse University to support the initiatives of this program for overtwo years and was honored with the 1 st annual ICE Small Business Award of Excellence from Morehouse.Ted Fells is committed to initiating a positive change within his community and encouraging others to do soas well. As a result of his commitment, NucoreVision Cares for Community (NVI-CFC) was born, which isthe community service arm of NucoreVision, Inc. Through NVI-CFC, the company sponsors events, offersvolunteer support and partnerships within various non-profit and other community organizations to includeCourt Appointed Special Advocates for Children, Prince George’s County (CASA PG), Susan G. Komen GlobalRace for the Cure and various local schools. Ted also dedicates his time serving as the Director of the BusinessPartnership Ministry in his church community. This organization supports new business owners in developingthe proficiency required to achieve long-lasting success.Ted Fells, has also been recognized for his achievements as an Outstanding Entrepreneur Under 40 by theMinority Diversity Council, named as one of the Top 100 Small Businesses in Maryland by DiversityBusiness.com, winner of the 1 st ICE Small Business Award of Excellence by the Morehouse University EntrepreneurshipProgram, honored as the Top Minority Supplier of the Year by the MDDC Minority Supplier DevelopmentCouncil and nominated for the SBA Minority Small Business Person of the Year award. Ted Fells is an alumnusof Norfolk State University where he received a BS in Management and Computer Information Systems and isalso a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated.17

Joseph E. FergusFounder & Chief Executive OfficerCommunications Technologies, Inc. (COMTek)Dr. Joseph E. Fergus is the founder and CEO of privately held Communication Technologies, Inc. (COMTek),a leading-edge telecommunications and information technology services company headquartered in Chantilly,VA. He founded the company in 1990 and has spearheaded its astounding growth to nearly 1200 employeestoday. In 2004, Fergus’ leadership was recognized nationally when COMTek earned a spot on the prestigious“Inc. 500” list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. COMTek also is listed as one of the top 100Black-owned businesses in the United States, ranking in the top one percent of all minority-owned businessesin the United States. The company has received awards for its support of employees and families of employeeswho serve in the National Guard and Reserve, including those deployed to the war in Iraq.Today, COMTek is the first company in the United States to commercially deploy Broadband Over Powerlines(BPL) technology on a citywide basis, and is considered the Nation’s foremost authority on the operation ofBPL networks. COMTek is one of a handful of available facility-based Global Broadband Service Providers,offering secure broadband services worldwide. For its work in the development of military training technology,COMTek is a recipient of the prestigious Department of Defense Nunn-Perry Award for Excellence.Fergus achieved both his technical expertise and management experience during his nine-year tenure atAT&T Bell Laboratories. It was at Bell Labs that he first emerged as a telecommunications leader, having spearheadedresearch and development efforts in leading-edge technologies. Among his unique accomplishmentsare: the creation of the Charge Number Parameter in Signaling System No. 7, which is designed to carry calleridentification (i.e., commonly known as caller ID) across networks (used in all SS7 networks today); creation ofthe Intermediate Signaling Networks Identifiers, which is designed to identify all intermediate networks duringcall establishment; and work in research and development of the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN),Intelligent Networks (IN), and Open Systems Interconnection (OSI). These technologies have emerged asindustry standards and are now used in nearly every aspect of today’s telecommunications marketplace.Fergus holds a patent on computer security technology and he has served as the chair on key industrycommittees responsible for setting the technical direction of industry standards (including ANSI and ITU-T,formerly CCITT). Fergus is a faculty member of the National Communications Forum and a published authoron the subject of Signaling System No. 7 and telecommunications matters.Fergus is from the Island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He received his Doctorate of HumaneLetters from Norfolk State University in 2004. He holds a Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering fromthe University of Illinois and a Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering from Norfolk State University.His recent awards include: “Minority Business Leader” Award (Washington Business Journal), “Excellence inLeadership” Award (Northern Virginia Urban League), “Best of Black Business” Award ( American Academyof Business and Commerce), and the Top Black Businesses Award (DiversityBusiness .com.). Dr. Fergus is aVietnam-era veteran of the US Navy.18

Fernando V. GalavizPresident & CEOTHE CENTECH GROUP, Inc.THE CENTECH GROUP, Inc., an Hispanic-owned technology systems and solutions provider serving federalgovernment civilian and military agencies for over 20 years with annual revenue of $155 million dollars isoverseen by its Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer, Fernando V. Galaviz. He also currently servesas chair of the board for The National Association of Small Business Federal Contractors, Inc. (NASBFC) anonprofit trade association and serves on the Board of Directors for Versar, Inc., an AMEX listed company.He has served in the federal government as chief of industry trade and market development for the U.S.Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency, and chief of direct contracting and financialassistance programs under the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation. Prior to establishingTHE CENTECH GROUP, Inc., he was executive vice president of a government contracting firm and founder andpresident of a manufacturing firm. Mr. Galaviz has held senior-level management positions with major nationalretail, wholesale, and import-export firms such as May Co., SHOPKO, Fedmart, Handyman, InternationalMercantile Corporation, and DAYLIN.Mr. Galaviz has been an advocate of small business since the 1960s. As a volunteer, he helped establish one ofthe first minority business development programs in corporate America. In the 1970s, Mr. Galaviz worked as avolunteer to assist in the development of the National Minority Purchasing Council and the Office of MinorityBusiness Enterprise (OMBE). In the 1980s Mr. Galaviz is co-founded the National Federation of 8(a) Companiesand the U.S. Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce and was Chairman of the Board for Community InvestmentOpportunity Group, a community-based organization founded to encourage self-investment by minorities incommunity projects. Mr. Galaviz has supported the economic development of the Native American communityby establishing formal business agreements with the Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma, which has created jobs andfostered economic development in the Choctaw Nation community.Mr. Galaviz is a lecturer on small and minority business issues, particularly addressing the challenges facingthe small disadvantaged business community. He has served on the board of United Way in Orange County,California, and was the fundraising chair for the American Cancer Society chapter in Los Angeles during the1970s. He served as vice chair of the Anaheim City Council Advisory Committee and was a member of theOrange County Housing Authority Advisory Board. Mr. Galaviz has testified before Congressional committeesas an advocate of small business programs and minority business enterprises.Born in Mexico City, Mr. Galaviz is an American citizen by choice. He has five sons—David, Adam, Matthew,Daniel and Jonathan—and two daughters, Linda and Karla. He has nine grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren.He currently resides in Arlington, Virginia.19

Karla Gonzalez-UnderwoodPresident & CEODBTS, Inc.Karla Gonzalez-Underwood, Owner, President and Chief Executive Officer of DBTS Inc., was born in El Salvadorin 1974. At age eighteen, she moved to the United States and was naturalized as a U.S. citizen. She holds a B.ADegree in International Studies from George Mason University and a MBA from Marymount University, with aconcentration in Finance.In a race to success Mrs. Gonzalez-Underwood, gained an enviable expertise in the world of informationtechnology and honed estimable entrepreneurial instincts, which were soon to find notable application in hercareer with the Washington, DC IT firm DBTS (DBTS: the initials of the phrase Delivering Business TechnologySolutions), which designs information systems tailored to the business model if each of broad variety of clientfirms and getting these systems, along with the personnel who will operate them, up and running..Since its founding in April 2000, DBTS has experienced rapid growth. “We started out with one employeeperforming network management services for the District of Columbia Government”. The company quicklygained a reputation for excellence serving the District and other federal, state, and local government clients. AsVice President from 2003 through January 2006, Mrs. Gonzalez-Underwood effectively operated the companyand spearheaded business development efforts. Since 2006 Mrs. Gonzalez-Underwood has led DBTS’ growthto its current size by being a company of firsts, taking risks in technology, innovative products and services,and a reputation for exceptional customer service. Word quickly spreads when a good thing is discovered, andDBTS benefits from loyal clients and enthusiastic employees.DBTS is certified as an 8(a), minority-owned, and woman-owned company by the SBA, State of Maryland,Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, Washington DC City Government, Commonwealth of Virginia,and several independent agencies. The success of DBTS is evidenced by many awards and achievements with themost significant being on INC magazine’s list of America’s 500 Fastest-Growing, Private Companies (2006)As the United States economy struggles thousands of companies across the Nation are contemplating andimplementing job cuts. Many are struggling to retain their current operations. But not DBTS, Inc. DBTSwas structured and positioned to be able to seek new opportunities. Over the past year DBTS has managedto enter into a new relationship with Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (October 2008), anagency of the District of Columbia to provide business process, functional analysis and project managementfor WMATA Web Applications Development efforts to improve and modernize business performance in theRail and Corporate Strategic Departments. At the same time DBTS worked diligently to increase it’s presencein the Federal sector. DBTS, Inc. was part of a team that was recently awarded (September 2008) a $250 Billionover 10 years Blanket Purchase Agreement contract with the U.S. Federal Drug Administration to acquireinformation technology support, goods, and services for the ICT21 Program. This award provides DBTS withthe opportunity for years of providing excellent service.20

Hubin JiangPresident & CEO,B.Sc.,M.Sc., and Ph.D. Candidate in Electrical EngineeringEcompex, Inc.Hubin Jiang has been President and CEO of Ecompex, Inc., an information and knowledge management company,since 1995.With a firm foundation and great interest in the areas of artificial intelligence, knowledge management, andcontent analysis, Mr. Jiang departed in the early 90’s from his Ph.D. candidacy and devoted himself to appliedtechnology development. Mr. Jiang is a pioneer developer in document imaging and management systems aswell as applied artificial intelligence systems. For over 20 years, he has set up proven track records of markedachievements and success in the area of information technology development and implementation.Mr. Jiang was the co-inventor of a satellite remote sensing imagery system called the “Maryland Image Visualizationand Analysis System (MIVAS)” and was the leader for research and development of CorpCast, an expert systemwith innovative self-learning capabilities. He has developed a neural network model for simulation of humanvisual perception and a machine learning model for natural handwriting recognition. Mr. Jiang is one of thetrail blazers in innovative technology development in the fields of document understanding, expert systems,content management, and document imaging. He holds over five patents and patents pending in the abovementionedareas. Mr. Jiang is also an expert in software life cycle development and programming. He developedEcompex’s first imaging and scanning system, VersaScan®, which has been sold to numerous Fortune 500companies and Government Agencies. For the past 13 years, Mr. Hubin Jiang, as a dedicated entrepreneur,has devoted himself to growing the business by leading the marketing and sales forces, developing state-of-arttechnologies, and providing value-added services to customers’ total satisfaction.Under his leadership Ecompex is constantly working to refine its quality system, thus promoting growth andprofitability for its customers and employees, as well as the company. Due to his great achievements, Mr.Jiang was awarded the “Fifty Influential Minorities in Business Award” in 2002. Ecompex, Inc. has thrived andhas been growing tremendously for the past 10 years, widely recognized by its federal government agencycustomers for its innovative technologies and quality services. The company is well on its way to joining themost successful businesses in the United States. Ecompex has been awarded in 2007 and 2008 the “Deloitte’sTech Fast 500” in Northern America, and “Inc. 5000” in the United States.21

Pless B. Jones, SrFounder, President & Chief Executive OfficerP & J Contracting Company, Inc.P& J Contracting was founded by Pless Jones, Sr, who is presently the President and Chief Executive Officer.He is also currently President of the Maryland Minority Contractors Association. In 2008, P&J Contractingwas recognized as a Top 100 Minority Business Enterprise and Minority Business Enterprise of the Year bySmall, Minority and Women Owned businesses.P&J Contracting Company is a Maryland corporation with a current workforce of more than (75) full-timeemployees and a surety bonding level in excess of over thirty million dollars ($30,000,000). P&J’s executiveoffice is located in Baltimore, Maryland and has regional offices in New Orleans, Louisiana and Raleigh,North Carolina.P&J Contracting Company has been providing construction, renovation and demolition services, in the publicand private sector for over 30 years. Our company has a solid reputation for offering specialized demolitionservices to industrial, government and commercial clients. With regional offices and affiliates in six states, P&JContracting Company qualified professionals ensure that their work is completed safely, on time and withinbudget. Using specialized equipment, we are able to execute the demolition and removal of waste, equipment,salvage and other hazardous and non-hazardous materials.P&J Contracting Company is proud to be a driving force in improving the reputation of the demolition industryby our investment in our on-site equipment and re-investment of our profit into the latest demolition andrecycling equipment. Our commitment to recycling using our own crushers and recycling yard means that weconstantly improve the facilities that we offer and are able to pass the savings on to our clients.Over the past thirty years, P&J Contracting demolition jobs has spanned a number of different states, includingMaryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Louisiana. The scope of these jobs have ranged fromthe demolition of row houses and various apartment buildings to the implosion of the Raleigh ConventionCenter building, which included extensive Asbestos Abatement at 50 feet heights. Other projects have includedan ongoing contract with Baltimore City for On Call Emergency Demolition and Planned Demolition ofCondemned houses, and Bio Tech Demolition for East Baltimore Development Incorporated, which was thelargest private demolition and excavating contract awarded to a Minority Contractor in the City of Baltimore.Most recently, P&J Contracting was awarded the contract to demolish West Baltimore’s Uplands Housingproject, a 100-acre, $300 million residential redevelopment project.Mr. Jones wants to pass on the spirit of entrepreneurship to his five children. He has also demonstratedan ongoing commitment to the community by hiring local workers and using minority subcontractors. Hiscommitment to minority business enterprises goes well beyond the construction site. As President of theMaryland Minority Contractors Association, Jones continuously advocates and mentors for small minoritybusinesses by providing them support for obtaining industry certifications and training necessary to succeedin the construction industry.22

Kimberly K. LoganPrincipal & PresidentSignature Management Group, Inc.Kimberly Logan is the Principal and President of Signature Management Group Inc (SMGI), a minority,women-owned small business with headquarters in Washington, DC providing management consulting andtraining solutions nationally to private industry and government clients. SMGI is a distinctive, comprehensiveconsulting firm offering strategic planning and program management services, professional development andtraining, staff augmentation services, peer advisory and business and executive coaching services.SMGI, established based on Ms. Logan’s passion to help people and organizations reach their maximumholistic potential and the desire to “put people back in business” propels her company forward on the path tosuccess. She is a strategic partner of 360 Solutions LLC, a Dallas-based firm providing her small business withglobal capacity with over 500 subject matter experts and consultants in the US and 17 internationally. SMGIcurrently provides strategic planning support services to the DOE Office of the Chief Information Officer(OCIO) as well as leadership development and training solutions across the country.Mrs. Logan is the former President, Chief Diversity Officer, and managing partner of 1 Source Consulting Inc.,one of the nation’s fastest growing private companies as recognized by Inc. Magazine. She is recognized as akey component for the accomplishment of the company’s award of a 7-year, $1 billion dollar Department ofEnergy (DOE) IT support contract, the largest mission services contract awarded to a small business in federalhistory to Energy Enterprise Solutions, LLC (EES), an SBA-approved small business joint venture betweenmajority owner 1 Source Consulting Inc and the former RS Information Systems, Inc. (RSIS). Some of themajor accomplishments during her Presidency include the acquisition and management of a $25 million Line ofCredit and the successful consolidation of five master contracts, phasing in 300+ incumbent staff, 80 tasks, and 13subcontractors to EES without missing a single payroll. This highly successful transition culminated in providingperformance-based services and solutions to more than 7,500 end-users in the Washington, DC area and morethan 12,000 nationwide. While at 1 Source Consulting, she also launched a diversity management program witha single mission - to create an inclusive work environment that is free from all forms of unlawful discriminationand harassment, and where people are valued for their diverse experiences, knowledge, and abilities.In addition to DOE, other federal government clients she has helped to serve span the Chief InformationOfficers of the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Commerce, Department of Justice,Department of Education, and the Department of Transportation.Mrs. Logan possesses 18 plus years of infrastructure and operations management experience. She holds a B.S.in Business Management and an M.A. in Administrative Management from Bowie State University.Mrs. Logan attributes her success to the values of faith, integrity, honesty and service excellence instilled in herby her entrepreneur father, Melvin L. Kelly.23

Dr. Ben MageeChairman & CEOInformation Systems Security Solutions, Inc.Dr. Magee is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Information Systems Security Solutions, Inc. (IS3) andpossesses an extensive Information Technology (IT) and Intelligence background. Dr. Magee has over nineteenyears of applied IT experience. As majority partner and co-founder of IS3, Dr. Magee shared a vision, withlong-time friend and business partner (Marc Richa), of creating an IT company that would provide clients withtotal “turn-key” solutions, while utilizing a client centric approach throughout the process. “Understandingthe client’s requirements and being able to deliver a quality product or service is one of the key aspects ofsuccess, the other being the employees as assets.”Dr. Magee is a talented and accomplished corporate executive officer and senior technology executive withproven record of success in establishing and directing companies, programs, and teams in the areas of informationtechnology and information security. Expertise in strategic IT planning for commercial, government, anddefense industries, development and delivery of advanced technology solutions, and creation of effectivecontinuity of operations plans (COOPs). Dr. Magee possesses a strong technical background in network andsystem engineering and design. He is able to liaison between technical and non-technical groups.Prior to co-founding IS3, Dr. Magee enjoyed successful tenures with some of the top fortune 500 IT andconsulting firms in the country; DynCorp/Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC),Booz/Allen/Hamilton,Science Application International Corporation (SAIC); holding positions as Senior IT Scientist, Chief DesignArchitect/Associate and Program Manager; respectively. While supporting the Office of the Secretary ofDefense’s Chief Information Office, working in the capacity as a Senior IT Scientist, Dr. Magee was responsiblefor developing several Continuity of Operation Plans (COOP); most notable was Dr. Magee’s dedication toservice during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the Pentagon. Dr. Magee played a significant role inrestoring connectivity to displaced tenants throughout the Pentagon. Additionally, Dr. Magee participated asChief Network Design Architect during the Pentagon Core Modernization design effort. His detailed designswere instrumental in developing the $320 million dollar Command Communications Survivability Program(CCSP). Dr. Magee’s remarkable vision, astounding intellect and leadership, have made IS3 one of the fastestgrowing IT companies in the Washington Metropolitan area. Dr. Magee also enjoyed an impressive UnitedStates Army military career that included tours of duty abroad and most notable Ft. Myer, VA and The WhiteHouse. Dr. Magee holds several patents and is a published author.Dr. Magee earned a Doctor of Philosophy Degree from Kennedy Western University and additional postgraduatestudies at The Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Magee’s graduate studies include dual Master of ScienceDegrees from The Johns Hopkins University and an MBA from Georgetown University. Dr. Magee receivedundergraduate education from Strayer University, Howard University and The University of Alabama. Dr. Mageeis a member of The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., IEEE, AFCEA, NVTC, NDIA and MENSA InternationalOrganization.Dr. Magee has been married to his beautiful wife Marie for more than 17 years and they have four beautifulchildren and reside in the northern Virginia battlefield area of Sudley Springs.24

Paula MendozaPresident & CEOPossible MissionsPossible Missions, established in 2001 by Paula Mendoza, provides project management solutions to corporateand public sector clients. Their service offerings include public/media/community relations, corporateplanning, and supplier diversity. Ms. Mendoza and her staff work with city, state, and national leaders andorganizations that promote minority and women owned disadvantaged business enterprise (M/W/DBE)programs into corporate America. Possible Missions is also dedicated to business advocacy programs createdto match M/W/DBE’s with corporate representatives for professional growth and development purposes.Prior to starting Possible Missions, Ms. Mendoza worked for a national staffing firm as national directorfor supplier diversity. Her observations were that many corporations were not willing or able to help smallbusinesses because they thought small businesses were too small to do business with a national organization.Ms. Mendoza decided she wanted to help small businesses develop, grow, and then market them to corporateAmerica. She took her time planning for six months. “I was lucky to have two mentors who helped meunderstand what it takes to run a business and grow the company,” recalls Mendoza. Possible Missions startedas a minority-woman owned business with five contracts and one employee - herself. “Your reputation isimportant when you have a service-based company and I made sure that I could handle the clients, projectsand service them successfully,” she added. Possible Missions currently employs five full time people and haveseveral contractors on retainer.No stranger to the SBA, Ms. Mendoza is versed in SBA’s programs referring clients who need financialassistance. Possible Missions is a certified firm participating in the SBA 8(a) program. The 8(a) programprovides business development assistance to eligible firms in a structured developmental process over anine-year program participation term. Possible Missions entered the program in October of 2008 and holdscertifications with the City of Houston, State of Texas, Metro, Port of Houston Authority, Houston MinorityBusiness Council, Central South Texas Minority Business Council, DFW Minority Business Council, and theTexas Unified Certification Program.Ms. Mendoza served as state-wide chairperson over the Texas Association Mexican American Chamber ofCommerce (TAMACC). Ms. Mendoza also volunteers with the Houston Minority Business Council. Shecurrently serves as a Commissioner for the Ethics Commission for the State of Texas for over two years, afterserving on the Certified Public Accounting board as a public member providing invaluable input as a smallbusiness owner. She is actively involved as a board member with the AMMA charter school that encourages atrisk students to finish high school and continue on to college. As she continues to expand her business, Ms.Mendoza hopes to be able to hire some of the college students and expose them to a small business.25

John V. Meyers,Founder, President, and CEONative American Industrial Distributors, Inc.As the founder and President/CEO of Native American Industrial Distributors, Inc. (NAID), John V. Meyersprovides to NAID a unique combination of leadership, management skills, energy, and experience. Mr. Meyersholds a Bachelor of Arts from Wofford College and also a Master of Science degree in National Security Strategyfrom the National War College in Washington, D.C. Furthermore, his distinguished military and Federal publicservice careers span over 30 years.Mr. Meyers is a member of the Cahuilla (ka-WEE-ah) Indian Tribe, a Federally Recognized Tribe, located onthe Santa Rosa Indian Reservation in Southern California. In 1966, citizen Meyers was drafted into the U.S.Army. Rising from Private to Colonel, he served with distinction during two combat tours in Vietnam and atour in Desert Storm, and is one of the country’s most highly decorated American Indians.Meyers completed a combined Active and Reserve Military career spanning some 31 years of service havingcommanded at every level; from Battery, to Battalion, to Brigade. He has also served in a variety of responsiblestaff positions at the highest levels of the Army, including Assistant Director for Legislative Liaison, U.S. SpecialOperations Command; and Assistant Director for the Plans, Programs & Policy Directorate, Office of theAssistant Secretary of the Army, Research, Development & Acquisition.After Mr. Meyers’ retirement from military service in June 1997, he was meritoriously appointed by the ChiefArmy Reserve, as the Army Reserve Ambassador to the State of Maryland. In February 2007 he was appointedArmy Reserve Ambassador Emeritus. He continues to serve today, holding the equivalent rank of Major General.In June 2004, Mr. Meyers was inducted into the Field Artillery Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame.26

Gregory “Steve” ProctorPresident/CEOG.S. Proctor & Associates, Inc.Mr. Proctor is the Founder, President, and CEO of G.S. Proctor & Associates, Inc., one of the most respectedgovernment and private sector advocacy organizations in Maryland. Since 1995, Mr. Proctor and his associateshave provided legislative and administrative lobbying representation to a broad spectrum of clients, rangingfrom institutions of higher learning and non-profit organizations, to local and regional businesses, and finallyto governments on the Federal, State, and Local levels. Clients include BGE/Constellation Energy, AAA Mid-Atlantic, Pepco Holdings, Inc., Foulger-Pratt, Clark Construction, Veolia Transportation, and Gaylord NationalResort & Convention Center, among others. Through partnerships with these and other clients, G.S. Proctor& Associates, Inc. has become the largest minority owned and operated firm in Maryland. Consistently rankedamong the top 10 earning lobbyists in the state, the firm represents excellence not only in the Minority BusinessCommunity, but in the Business Community at large.Recent legislative accomplishments include securing $5 million in state funding for the National Children’sMuseum at National Harbor, support for funding the Maryland Tourism Department and other Tourism andTransportation related legislation, and successfully lobbying to enhance workers’ compensation rights forPrince George’s County Correctional Officers Association. These accomplishments are only a few of the manysuccesses the firm has enjoyed in recent years.In recognition of his leadership abilities, community service involvement, and business-related achievements,Mr. Proctor has received numerous honors, awards, and commendations on the state and local levels. Mostrecently, he was honored to receive the Washington Business Journal Minority Business Leader Award, 2008;The Collective Banking Group, Business of the Year, 2008; Rawlings Fellow, 2007; and the Maryland Top 100Minority Business Entrepreneur, 2007.Since starting G.S. Proctor & Associates, Inc. in 1995, Mr. Proctor’s mission has been not only to provide thehighest level of effective legislative and administrative counsel for clients, but also to use the firm’s relationshipsand resources to contribute to the community. Through its philanthropic efforts, G.S. Proctor & Associates, Inc.has reached and helped an estimated 30,000 people in the area. For the past 12 years, the firm has conducted aTurkey Drive to provide food baskets to over 2,000 families during the holiday season. One of Mr. Proctor’s greatestcommunity accomplishments is the creation of The Proctor Foundation, an organization that provides financialassistance and guidance to students’ continuing education. Giving to education has always been important to Mr.Proctor, starting with the Mary Pearl Proctor Scholarship in 2001, in memory of his grandmother. Most recently,The Proctor Foundation partnered with the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) to establish the “PromiseProgram,” an initiative that fully sponsors college education at CSM for a group of current sixth-graders at Gale-Bailey Elementary School. The Promise Program provides not only incentive, but the needed financial supportfor students who may otherwise not have the opportunity to attend college.An outstanding legislative and administrative advocate, with extraordinary vision and intellect, Mr. Proctorhas established a strong rapport with clients locally, nationally, and internationally. As a result, he continues toreach out to and successfully serve those who need his professional consulting expertise and services.Mr. Proctor majored in Political Science at The George Washington University where he received his BAdegree in 1986.27

Ileana QuintasPresident & CEOIQ Solutions, Inc.Ileana Quintas founded IQ Solutions in August 1993 to fulfill her dream of providing effective healtheducation programming to improve quality of life and well-being for all people. A certified health educatorand established health communications and special populations expert, she has worked in the health andhuman services arena for more than 20 years.As president and CEO of IQ Solutions, Ms. Quintas is responsible for the growth and operation of a knowledgecompany dedicated to making a difference in people’s lives. The company’s strategic and business planning,corporate marketing, and conduct of special projects draw on her technical skills, experience, and knowledge.Ms. Quintas has a proven track record. Her integrity, strategic vision, and commitment to her dream haveenabled her to grow her company successfully from 1 employee in 1993 to approximately 300 employees, 50active contracts, and approximately $45 million in revenues.28

Desma Reid-ColemanPresident & CEOQuality Professional ServicesDesma Reid-Coleman is a highly successful Detroit Businesswoman who has owned and operated as manyas seven businesses simultaneously, since first hanging out her shingle as an entrepreneur on July 1, 1994;she currently owns and operates four primary ones which include: Fashion $en$e Upscale Resale featuringapparel and accessories for the entire family, with specialization in the St. John knit line of clothing; Lady ValetConcierge and Valet Parking Services for business events; Quality Professional Services, a human resourcesconsulting, mediation and business development firm, and QPS/BagPort LLC, a luggage cart concessionbusiness originating in Germany and ensuing from her prior ownership of the luggage cart concession atDetroit Metropolitan Airport from 1999-2004. She is the only minority partner to own such a concession at anymajor airport in the United States.Long active in the Detroit business community, she initiated a monthly networking luncheon (The SisterhoodCollaborative) for four years, that connected women together professionally across a wide spectrum, andshe is active with her alma mater, the University of Michigan, as an Emeritus member of the Center for theEducation of Women (CEW) Leadership Advisory Council, and former Vice Chair of the Alumnae Council(2005-2007); she is the recipient of numerous community, civic and institutional awards, i.e., the 2000 DTEEnergy Entrepreneurs Award, University of Michigan Distinguished Alumna in 1997, Small Business Awardof Distinction by the Michigan Business and Professional Association, and etc., with several pages reflectinghundreds of entries on Google and MSN search engines.She is a past chair of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) PAC, and also served onthe NAWBO NATIONAL board of directors from 2003-2007, concluding with her role as the chair of the 2007annual Women’s Business Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, having served with distinction as president of thelocal, Greater Detroit Chapter of NAWBO from 2001-2002. In addition, she has served on over fifty boards,i.e. the Skyline Club Board of Governors/a Clubcorp facility, The National Black MBA Association DetroitChapter, The National Political Congress of Black Women, Spaulding for Children Adoption and Foster CareAgency, and etc., over the past fifteen years.Essence magazine featured Desma in the September 2007 issue: the article is entitled “How I Got Rich” in aBlack Women’s Guide to Accumulating Wealth, and she is featured in a chapter of the June, 2007 book ‘TheMillionaire Zone’ by Jennifer Openshaw detailing the ‘life net’ concept of business success.She holds a master’s degree in business management from Central Michigan University, is an avid golfer, andis most proud of her role as the mother of four accomplished and wonderful adult children, two sons and twodaughters, ages 25-33.29

Boggarm S. SettyP.E., PresidentSetty & Associates, Ltd.Educational Record:BS Mechanical Engineering 1963MS Heat Power Engineering 1967VA Energy Audit Certificate 1979Professional Registrations:Professional Engineer: VA, MD, DC, CO, CA,SD, NY and WVNCEESAwards Organization YearASHRAE Fellow ASHRAE 2002Engineering Excellence Honors Award CEC/MW 2000U.S. AID Office Building, Lima, PeruTechnical Assistance Quality Award VA Dept. of Mines, Minerals & Energy 1994UVA Darden Graduate School of BusinessENCOMP Award ENCOMP 1986Intelsat(National Capital Area Energy Conservation Competition)ENCOMP Energy Conservation Award ENCOMP 1985Montgomery County Upcounty Office BuildingWMATA Award WMATA 1985Bethesda Metro StationOwens Corning Energy Award Owens Corning 1984California State Office Building.Professional AssociationsASHRAETC 1.4 Control Theory & Applications MemberTC 3.5 Desiccant and Sorption Technology Correspondence MemberTC 9.1 Large Building Air Conditioning MemberTC 9.4 Applied Heat Pump/Heat Recovery Correspondence MemberTC 9.8 Large Building Air Conditioning MemberTC 9.8 Large Building Air Conditioning Sub-Committee ChairTC SP-180 Operation & Maintenance Standard Sub-Committee MemberUSGBCFormer Director, NCR Green Building CouncilMemberships in other Societies or Trade AssociationsNAIOP, Member 2000 AIA, Affiliate Member 1996NCEES, Member 2000Association of Energy Engineering, SeniorU.S. Green Building Council, Member 2000Member 1994, Fundamentals ofDCBIA, Member 2000Energy ManagementSMPS, Member 1999 Com. for Dulles Corridor Corp. Member 1989IFMA, Prof. Member 1998American Consultant Engineering Council, Member 198430

Bhupesh WadhawanChairman & Chief Executive OfficerLink Solutions, IncMr. Wadhawan has held the role of Chairman and CEO since January 2006 and since that time has played a keyrole in building LSi from a single person enterprise to a its current position as a successful quality InformationTechnology and Management Consulting Firm. Through his hard work and dedication, Link Solutions, Inc(LSi) today performs on multi-year, multi-million dollar Prime programs for various Federal Government andCommercial clients.Mr. Wadhawan has full responsibility for LSi’s company performance encompassing all business development,infrastructure and in the development and implementation of long-range plans to achieve overall corporategoals. LSi’s growth speaks for itself - Over the last 2 years, Total staff has increased by 50 and revenue growthby 450%!Mr. Wadhawan’s “Mission-First…Customer-Always” attitude ensures efficient and effective corporateinfrastructure, strong corporate capabilities, and growth across the company.Mr. Wadhawan previously served as a Operational Director of Business Operations for STG, Inc ($200mgovernment contractor) and prior to that served in various leadership positions in large and small enterprisesfocused on Federal government contracting. Over his 15-year career, Mr. Wadhawan has developed an extensivebackground in all aspects of business development, finance and accounting, and operations management. Hisskills and knowledge base span the breadth of technical and business functions, providing effective leadershipand results-based performance management.Mr. Wadhawan is a strong advocate of the small business community and works diligently to help provideyounger small and emerging firms become successful. He’s an active member of the Virginia Chamber ofCommerce, Small Business Committee, AFCEA Small Business Committee, and SECAF.Mr. Wadhawan holds a BS in Accounting and Management Information Systems from The George MasonUniversity and is a Certified Public Accountant.31

Rose WangPresident and CEOBinary Group, Inc.Ms. Wang co-founded Binary Group (then Binary Consulting) in 1996. Binary’s initial focus was a “Rent-A-CTO” practice – providing highly technical enterprise infrastructure and business strategy consulting servicesprimarily to the telecommunications and Internet DotCom industries. Then, with the turn of events of 9/11,Ms. Wang decided to re-focus Binary’s primary markets to the National Defense industry, translating thecommercial best practices and hard earned technical skills to serve the Federal Government.Today, Binary Group is a management & technology advisory firm dedicated to the Federal Governmentmarket and proudly serves its mission-driven leaders with enterprise-level responsibility in IT by providing bestvalue, strategic IT program support services – connecting the dots for customers through their SAGE model:Strategy, Architecture, Governance, and Engineering. Binary acts as strategic advisors, thinkers and doers tomove customers along the IT business transformation path to get them from Point A to Point B.Under Ms. Wang’s leadership, Binary has grown at a 100+ percent average in revenue since 2004. Binary’sphenomenal growth has garnered Ms. Wang significant industry recognition. Ms. Wang was named as the#1 Fastest-Growing Asian American Businesses in the nation for 2008 ranked by the US Pan Asian AmericanChamber of Commerce Education Foundation (USPAACC-EF). Washington Business Journal recognized heras one of the top 50 2008 Minority Business Leaders for the Washington Metropolitan Area. Ms. Wang wasselected by SmartCEO and TiE-DC to receive the Bravo! Women Business Achievement Award where she wasranked as one of the top 25 business leaders in the Greater Baltimore-Washington metro. Ms. Wang wasnamed a winner of the 2008 Enterprising Women of the Year Award. Ms. Wang is recognized as Women inTechnology’s (WIT) Entrepreneur of the Year for 2007. In October 2007, Binary ranked #5 as the WashingtonBusiness Journal’s Top 50 Fastest Growing Companies in the Washington DC Metropolitan area. Binary is thefour-time recipient of the Washington Technology (WT) Fast 50 award since 2005. Binary has also been rankedas part of the Inc 500 for two consecutive years.As a strategic thought leader in the Enterprise Architecture field and an astute business leader withentrepreneurial success, Ms. Wang is a sought after speaker and visionary when it comes to mentoring andsharing her business success story as a business leader.Ms. Wang has the sincere desire to make a difference during each and every engagement for her customers andwithin her community. She led the charge to adopt an Army Brigade in Iraq. Since 2005, Ms. Wang has beenproud to support 4,000 soldiers through prayers, letters and care packages. Ms. Wang’s dedication extends beyondthe business community. She fosters “connection” from her team in the local community to those that are inneed. Binary is an annual sponsor of the Race for the Cure. Binary supports a wide variety of charities andhumanitarian causes including: March of Dimes, the Capital Area Food Bank, Hurricane Katrina victims, Habitatfor Humanity, the Bethesda Volunteer Fire Department and “When the Miracle Never Comes” organizations.Through other informal venues, Ms. Wang constantly reaches out and encourages students and youngprofessionals who are starting their professional journey. She shares optimism, boundless opportunities,lessons, challenges and risks she has encountered along her own entrepreneurial path.Ms. Wang holds a post-graduate degree in computer science from the University of Houston, Texas.32

Carol H. WilliamsPresident, CEO & Chief Creative OfficerCarol H. Williams AdvertisingMs. Williams founded Carol H. Williams Advertising (CHWA) in 1986 after recognizing the need for advertisingthat speaks to the sophisticated and influential African American and urban markets in a respectful way.Started in Ms. Williams’ living room, CHWA now has corporate offices in Oakland, Calif., and Chicago—and satellite offices in Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit and New York. A highly diverse and skilled staff of more than155 employees produces award-winning advertising and marketing campaigns for Fortune 500 companies—including The Coca-Cola Company, General Motors, Pfizer, Procter & Gamble, the U.S. ARMY, and The WaltDisney Company, among others. Carol continued her winning legacy recently by producing a TV ad for TheWalt Disney Company that was the No. 1 rated commercial of the year by all general consumers, according toIAG Research, and published in Advertising Age on Jan. 4, 2008.Ms. Williams grew up a native of the South Side of Chicago. Even though her father had a third grade educationand her mother graduated from high school, Carol graduated from high school a year early and attendedcollege. Carol attended the prestigious Northwestern University at a time when only a handful of AfricanAmericans were admitted to the school.Ms. Williams chose to enter college as a premed student, but let her creative talents begin to grow by writingstudent plays. An advertising executive recognized her talent after viewing a production Ms. Williams hadwritten, and convinced her to enroll in an advertising internship. Upon the completion of her internship, topadvertising executives recognized her creative spirit and competed to hire her before she finished school.Ms. Williams started her career at Leo Burnett Company in Chicago, while finishing college at night school. Shequickly earned a position as the first female and first African American Creative Director and Vice-President.After 13 years at Leo Burnett, she served two years as Senior Vice President, Creative Director at Foote, Cone &Belding in San Francisco. During her career, Carol created some of the most memorable campaigns in history,including the timeless Secret Antiperspirant campaign “Strong Enough for a Man, But Made for a Woman”and the highly successful campaign that brought new life to the Pillsbury Dough Boy.After moving to the Bay Area, Ms. Williams decided to marry Tipkins Hood Sr., a prominent orthopedic surgeonand politically active community member, and raise their two children, Tipkins Jr. and Carol Jr. Ms. Williamsthought she was moving into retirement and motherhood, but former corporate clients began knocking onher door to seek her counsel on how to advertise to African American audiences.Carol is also passionate about community service. She has used her talents and resources to help dozens ofphilanthropic endeavors over the years, including the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, the Congressional BlackCaucus, the NAACP, the Oakland Bay Area Links, US Dream Academy, the National Newspaper PublishersAssociation and several Oakland and Chicago community organizations.33