Andy Reed
“[Chenega] subject matter experts must think in terms of today, but also tomorrow…we future-proof solutions to the greatest extent possible.”
EM: What services does Chenega provide, and what federal agencies do you work with?
Timothy Lamb: Chenega corporation provides a wide-variety of professional and technical services across the entirety of the federal government. Based in Chantilly, VA our “Security Strategic Business Unit†focuses on providing clients with premier law enforcement and security services, fire fighters and emergency medical technicians, canine officers, special weapons teams, nationally certified training academies, electronic security systems planning and integration, and security product sales.We’re trusted partners with many agencies and every day, across the globe, our professionals protect vital systems and facilities supporting the most critical national missions. Our employees secure overseas radar and communications sites on two continents; we protect the nation’s premier space launch facilities for NASA at the Kennedy and Johnson Space Centers; we assist the Centers for Disease Control with defending against bioterrorism and disease by protecting biosecurity laboratories and facilities at 10 CDC and NIOSH campuses across the U.S.; we protect the U.S. Secret Service’s Rowley Training Center; we’ve been the company of choice protecting the DHS Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers since 2007 and our officers secure Critical National Infrastructure in the many dams we secure for the Bureau of Reclamation.In security integration, we’ve updated and installed state-of-the-art security systems for Health and Human Services and the Defense Health Agency campuses. Our technicians are working nationwide in Department of State and Food and Drug Administration facilities and we’ve been providing integration services for the Department of State and U.S. Air Force for years.An area we’re very excited about is our recent selection by the Department of State as a primary supplier for the World Wide Protective Services program (WPS II). The WPS program recognizes our expertise across all security disciplines and our bona fides providing specially trained officers and agents performing high-risk protective services overseas. It’s an honor to be entrusted to serve and protect the deployed staff and interests of our nation.
EM: How has your background and experiences prepared you for your current role?
Timothy Lamb:Â After spending 25 years in the U.S. Army as a Military Police Officer, I joined Chenega in early 2004 when we were just starting up the security services business line. Drawing on my prior military and law enforcement experience has been instrumental in developing a comprehensive approach to professional contract security services which we have been successful in marketing to multiple federal agencies with contracts based both in the CONUS and overseas.
EM: What are some of the challenges you’ve found in growing new security services providers?
Timothy Lamb:Â We must continually deliver timely, creative solutions that are competitively priced. Our customers tend to have similar needs in a single, competent, provider addressing their requirements while reducing program risk. We deliver services through an approach that scales from site to enterprise, tested and mature processes, continually engaged leaders and the full backing of Chenega Corporation.
EM: What are some of the major changes you’ve seen impact the security services world?
Timothy Lamb: The threats agencies experience have markedly grown as technology and the social nature of our culture has changed.  Security services used to rely upon an officer as a visible deterrent, which is a one-dimensional response inadequate in today’s environment. Agencies still have the traditional external threats in criminal, terrorist and natural disasters, but you also have insider threats and unending cyber and phishing attacks. Prepared agencies consider the entirety of the spectrum and respond with integrated solutions.As a security services provider, we assist our customers by understanding the client environment and how quickly risks evolve. Our subject matter experts (SMEs) must think in terms of today, but also tomorrow so we future-proof solutions to the greatest extent possible. We translate risk awareness to policies and training, apply continual improvement through best practices while remaining engaged with the client and workforce.
EM: What are some of the ways the federal government could better respond to these changes?
Timothy Lamb: Based on time lags in the procurement process, it’s always a challenge to respond in a timely fashion to emerging threats. Contractors can quickly fill the gaps using our capabilities and SMEs in cases where the process is expedited.Along that line, there’s been a move towards Low Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) procurement(s) for security services that may not be in the best interest of an agency. LPTA tends to mitigate a company’s technical abilities by driving a multi- faceted, dynamic, professional service to the simplistic common denominator as if it was a “widget.†We have found our Government customers have always appreciated companies with stable leadership backed by proven processes, ones that are Agile in approach to any threat, immediately Responsive to their clients and their security services needs and Committed to providing forward-thinking, compliant, proactive solutions.
