On Tuesday, the Tysons Corner Ritz Carlton served as ground zero for the intersection of politics and technology, drawing hundreds of the area’s leading political and technology leaders. Through the hotel’s wood and glass doors and up to the 5th floor ballrooms streamed, among others, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, Jim Moran (D-VA), and congressional hopeful Gerry Connolly. They were joined by area technology executives and innovators such as Mark Ein and CES head Gary Shapiro.

With the Presidential Election just days away, the undercurrent of politics was certainly palpable, but the Potomac Officer’s Club (POC) lunch event panel discussion featuring Gov. Kaine, Rock Creek Partners Managing Director (and member of Obama’s high tech brain trust) Julius Genachowski and Virginia Secretary of Technology Aneesh Chopra, really focused on recognizing and honoring Northern Virginia’s emergence as one of the nation’s true business and technology success stories.

Read the rest of this entry »

Jim Moran(D) Congressman for Virginia’s 8th District and serving his 9th term in office has shared with ExecutiveBiz his perspective on the upcoming elections and why he endorses Gerry Connolly(D) to sit beside him in Congress. The 8th district is a significant employer of government contracting jobs and Jim Moran has worked with employers and in congress to ensure the strength of the federal contracting market, particularly in Northern Virginia. 

 As he explains in his interview with ExecutiveBiz, his support of Gerry Connolly is aligned with his ongoing support of the business and government contracting sphere of Northern Virginia.  Click here to read more. 

Click here to read our interview with Gerry Connolly.
 

Gov. Tim Kaine Talks Technology on Oct 28th

Last Chance to Register for the Potomac Officers Club upcoming (members only) event about the technology that is impacting the presidential campaign. Governor Kaine will be joined by Julius Genachowski and Virginia Secretary of Technology Aneesh Chopra.

George Pedersen, Chairman of the Board and Co-Founder of ManTech International Headlines ExecutiveBiz Event 

On October 15, 2008, ExecutiveBiz welcomed George Pedersen of ManTech International as our “Been There Done That” luncheon speaker.  Mr. Pedersen co-founded ManTech International and has watched the company grow from two people to $1.45 billion in top line revenue.  He spoke to a full house of executives on relevant topics, from acquisitions to regional growth.  Click here to read more. 

Do you know Rick Attilio of Apptis?

ExecutiveBiz recently had the opportunity to sit down with Apptis’ CFO, Rick Attilio, and hear his thoughts on what it takes to be a successful CFO in today’s challenging business environment.  Rick believes that a key ingredient in today’s CFO is the ability to be “more than just your textbook accountant and financial person.”  In the last 2 1/2 years, Rick has defined the strategic vision of Apptis.  Click here to read more.

For years, Tom Davis (R-VA-11th District) was known as a voice for the government contracting community in Northern Virginia. Now Gerry Connolly, Democratic nominee for US Representative from Virginia’s 11th Congressional District, is looking to fill those shoes. “He [Tom Davis] has been a voice for the industry, an advocate for what we do here in the 11th Congressional District and I would expect to play a similar role, both in protecting the federal workers who live in this district and in making sure that federal contractors get a fair shake and a fair hearing and that there is a balanced approach in the Congress as it approaches federal contracting,” says Connolly. Connolly recently shared these and other thoughts with us on what he’d bring to the table as a member of Congress.

What background would you bring to bear in protecting local government contracting jobs in Northern Virginia?

Gerry Connolly: I’ve spent 20 years in the federal contracting technology sector — first as the head of SRI International’s Washington office and now working for SAIC.  I have direct experience advocating for the government contracting community by working with the Northern Virginia Technology Council, working with Information Technology Association of America and trying to make sure that we protect this industry and the critical services it provides to the federal government.

Having interacted with the federal contracting world for the better part of 20 years gives me a huge leg up in the next Congress.  Also understanding the congressional process. I worked for 10 years in the United States Senate.  I understand the legislative process.  I’ve written a lot of legislation.  I’ve organized a lot of oversight hearings. I can hit the ground running in those scores to make sure that the interests of the 11th Congressional District are protected.

Read the rest of this entry »

Keith Fimian and Gerry Connolly — two contenders vying for the same congressional seat. This past week, we got Tom Davis’s take on why he supports Keith Fimian to lead Virginia’s 11th Congressional District. Now Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA, 8th District), lets ExecutiveBiz readers in on why he’s backing Gerry Connolly, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

You’ve been a friend, in certain respects, to the government contracting community.  Can you provide any insight as to why you believe Gerry Connolly would be a strong supporter?

Jim Moran: Gerry Connolly works for a government contractor, SAIC.  He understands how important government contracting is to Northern Virginia and to the country.  He has not taken any of these “no new taxes,” “no new government spending” and “no earmark” pledges because those are not helpful in terms of sustaining the federal commitment to government contracting.  The most important thing is that he knows the business, he used to be on the staff of the foreign affairs committee in the Senate and he’s done a good job as chairman of the county’s legislative committee.

How do you perceive Connolly’s business background at SAIC in particular as being an asset in Congress, especially these days?

Jim Moran: There are a lot of aspects of the contracting business that many members are not familiar with.  Tom Davis was familiar with them because Tom had worked for a government contractor.  I’ve been familiar with them because I have worked with them closely as well, but I think it is important to understand the role that outsourcing plays, that A76 plays, and the fact that we need war procurement specialists in the government.  We need to accelerate the pace of funding government contracts.  The world of government contracting is an alien world to too many members of Congress and Gerry, having worked for government contractors, presents a unique asset that we have very few of within Congress today.
Read the rest of this entry »