Deep Water Point & Associates’ executive leadership team brings decades of government and industry experience to support your critical initiatives. Our leadership has served across all service sectors and markets, with a focus on client growth, collaborative problem solving, and innovative thinking.
Executive Leadership
Naval Aggarwal
Chief Executive Officer
Naval Aggarwal is the Chief Executive Officer of Deep Water Point and Associates, bringing more than 30 years of experience leading strategic transformation, operational performance, and business growth in the consulting and professional services industry. As CEO, Naval oversees the firm’s strategic direction, growth initiatives, and client service delivery, building on his proven track record of aligning organizational goals with measurable outcomes and scalable solutions. Known for his hands-on leadership and disciplined execution, Naval has spent his career advising companies through periods of growth, change, and integration, and he continues to drive value through cross-functional collaboration and performance improvement.
Prior to his current role, Naval served as Advisory Chief of Staff at Cherry Bekaert, where he worked closely with executive leadership to refine the firm’s strategic priorities, assess and integrate merger and acquisition targets, and implement firm-wide initiatives focused on improving margin performance, offshoring delivery, optimizing pricing strategies, and rationalizing service portfolios. He also led efforts to revamp internal operations, including talent acquisition processes, remote staffing models, and the firm’s career development framework. Earlier in his career, Naval was a Partner at Guidehouse (via acquisition) and at Grant Thornton LLP, where he held a variety of leadership roles over more than a decade. At Grant Thornton, he led the Federal Civilian Strategic Business Unit and the Transportation & Infrastructure Mission Group, overseeing large-scale consulting portfolios across government clients in air, transit, rail, and highway sectors. His leadership helped drive top-line growth, margin expansion, and increased market penetration through whitespace and cross-service line collaboration.
Naval also held Partner roles at Unisys in both the U.S. and U.K., and began his consulting career at Arthur Andersen LLP, where he rose to the position of Senior Manager. Throughout his career, he has also worked as an independent strategy and operations consultant, advising leadership teams on growth strategies, organizational design, go-to-market realignment, M&A evaluation, and client delivery enhancement. He brings deep expertise in setting and communicating margin expectations, developing pricing guardrails, improving rate realization, and maximizing profitability across pursuit and delivery portfolios.
In addition to leading revenue generation efforts, Naval has played a key role in building strong partner ecosystems and vendor relationships, aligning pursuit strategies, securing MSAs, and increasing the firm’s competitiveness in federal and commercial markets. He has served as an executive point of contact for clients, managed complex advisory engagements, and overseen voice-of-the-client efforts to ensure satisfaction and identify new opportunity areas. Naval is also a committed talent strategist, forecasting leadership and staff needs, leading workforce reskilling efforts, and establishing consistent promotion criteria and performance scorecards.
Naval’s approach to leadership is grounded in a strategic mindset, operational discipline, and a relentless focus on delivering value. He is passionate about fostering innovation, anticipating client needs, and positioning teams and organizations for long-term success. His reputation as a collaborative, insightful, and forward-thinking executive continues to make him a sought-after leader in the professional services sector.
Chief Executive Officer
Ami Retamoza
Executive VP, Operations
Ami Retamoza serves as the Executive VP of Operations leading client delivery, project management, and all service lines of business for DWPA. Previously she performed as Managing Director of the Wolf Den & Associates strategy and managing consulting service area focused on providing clients with strategy development, organizational assessment, market assessment, new market entry, and opportunity capture. She is an experienced business process improvement and team optimization expert — in particular, in business capture and development. She brings a unique practitioner perspective as a former COO who built internal systems and processes, and developed business development (BD) professionals to triple the size of her previous company.
Before becoming COO, she worked her way up the ranks of several government consulting firms largely focused in the areas of energy efficiency, public safety, emergency management, and emergency communications in DHS, HHS, DOE, Commerce, and state & local governments. She provided project management, strategy development, facilitation, meeting design, program measurement, stakeholder engagement, nationwide tools development, and grants management support. Ms. Retamoza also worked with state and local communities to effectively implement federal grant funds and directives.
Among her main achievements was the elimination of 10-codes on emergency radio systems in the Commonwealth of Virginia, implementing mandatory emergency communications planning nationwide, and measuring the effectiveness of emergency communications planning nationwide post-9/11.
Ms. Retamoza received a BA in biology from Hollins University and an MA in policy from The George Washington University.
Executive VP, Operations
Mike Mullen
Senior VP, Small and Transitional Business
Mr. Mike Mullen is a senior level industry executive with over 25 years’ experience in business strategy leadership management. His strong track record of enabling federal decision makers to achieve their goals through the acquisition of strategic IT and professional services make him an asset to all Deep Water Point & Associates clients.
Mr. Mullen is Deep Water Point & Associates’ small and mid-size business growth expert, focused on building efficient and effective growth engines across the business development life cycle. He has a strong track record growing start-up and transitioning (small to large) companies within the federal market.
Mr. Mullen has personally assisted 30 plus companies in accelerating their growth and/or navigating the transition to large business by reinvigorating their business develop engines and strategic plans and by focusing on adding “needle moving” revenue events through enhanced business development processes, significant captures, and M&A activities.
Prior to joining Deep Water Point (now Deep Water Point & Associates), Mr. Mullen served as senior vice president and chief business development officer at Project Performance Corporation (PPC). In this role, he oversaw and managed the firm’s strategic direction, business development, and marketing and proposal development. He successfully led them through a post-acquisition integration period by focusing on strategic account planning leading to improved pipeline and proposal productivity.
Mr. Mullen established himself as a successful leader and business grower in the federal market at INDUS Corporation. During his 16-year tenure at INDUS, he led the company’s growth from a start-up venture to a $100+ million enterprise across the federal marketplace. This achievement earned the company recognition among the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America, and four consecutive years on the Washington Technology Fast 50 list. Mr. Mullen was responsible for leading and overseeing the company’s entire business development life-cycle during this record setting growth and won significant game-changing contracts such as: GSA’s $50 billion Alliant program; Commerce’s $8 billion COMMITS program; Transportation’s $275 million FITSS program; FBI’s $125 million IT Support Procurement; NASA’s $150 million Business Applications and Sustaining Engineering program; and Health and Human Services $60 million ITSC program.
Mr. Mullen recently completed a 4-year board tenure serving as vice chair at-large for the Industry Advisory Council (IAC) Executive Committee. In his executive committee role, Mr. Mullen supported the development of ACT-IAC’s Education & Training initiatives focused on driving greater value to both government and industry members. Mr. Mullen’s efforts have earned him recognition as IAC’s Individual Contributor of the Year (2008) and ACT-IAC’s Fellow of the Year (2009).
Senior VP, Small and Transitional Business
Eric Heffernan
Senior VP, Enterprise
Eric Heffernan is a senior executive with more than 25 years of experience advising government agencies and contractors on transformation, innovation, and mission execution. He currently serves as Senior Vice President of the Enterprise Business Segment at Deep Water Point & Associates, where he works with some of the largest firms in the federal contracting industry to strengthen their market positioning, accelerate growth strategies, and align solutions with the evolving needs of federal clients. In this role, Eric leverages a unique combination of advisory and technology expertise to help clients navigate an increasingly complex landscape, deliver value to their government partners, and achieve long-term business objectives. His work is distinguished by a pragmatic, results-oriented approach, deep industry relationships, and a consistent track record of driving measurable outcomes.
Eric’s career has been defined by leadership roles at some of the most recognized professional services firms in the public sector. At Guidehouse, he served as a Partner and market lead for the federal civilian economic development portfolio, where he oversaw advisory and technology engagements for clients such as the Department of Commerce, USDA, GSA, OPM, the Department of Labor, and the Universal Services Administrative Company. In this capacity, Eric directed large multidisciplinary teams to deliver solutions in organizational transformation, workforce strategy, federal acquisitions, and shared services. He was instrumental in aligning capabilities across diverse business units, nurturing industry partnerships, and positioning Guidehouse as a trusted advisor to federal leaders. His leadership generated substantial organic growth, strengthened client relationships, and established the firm as a market leader in federal civilian advisory services.
Prior to Guidehouse, Eric spent two decades at Grant Thornton Public Sector, where he rose to the level of Partner and built one of the firm’s most successful practices in Operations Transformation. Over the course of his tenure, he guided high-profile engagements and long-term client relationships with the Department of Defense, Department of the Navy, Department of the Air Force, U.S. Coast Guard, Department of State, Department of the Interior, IRS, and other major agencies. Eric played a pivotal role in shaping the firm’s federal consulting portfolio, spearheading initiatives in organizational restructuring, supply chain management, category management, workforce optimization, and strategic communications. His leadership style emphasized collaboration, innovation, and talent development, and under his guidance, the practice grew significantly, expanded its service offerings, and was recognized for developing forward-leaning solutions to the government’s most complex challenges.
Eric began his career at Arthur Andersen Public Sector, where he served Department of Defense clients on federal outsourcing and strategic sourcing initiatives. This early experience gave him a strong foundation in analyzing large-scale organizational structures, managing risk, and creating efficiencies, and set the stage for his career-long focus on helping federal organizations operate more effectively and achieve mission success.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Eric is deeply committed to advancing the consulting profession and developing the next generation of leaders. He serves on the Virginia Tech Pamplin College of Business Management Advisory Board, where he provides guidance on curriculum design, leadership development, and industry engagement. A strong believer in mentorship and talent development, he has spent much of his career cultivating future leaders and fostering inclusive, high-performing teams that prioritize collaboration and growth.
Eric holds a B.A. in Political Science and an M.B.A. in Global Finance & Leadership, both from Virginia Tech. He is widely recognized for his strategic vision, integrity, and ability to bring together diverse stakeholders to deliver solutions that drive meaningful change. His leadership philosophy is rooted in the belief that growth is achieved not only by expanding markets and solutions but also by empowering people, building trust with clients, and fostering innovation across organizations. Over the course of his career, Eric has consistently demonstrated an ability to balance strategic priorities with mission-driven outcomes, establishing himself as a trusted advisor to senior leaders across the federal government and the contracting industry.
Senior VP, Enterprise
Rob Brunngraber
Senior VP, Intelligence
Mr. Robert Brunngraber is a senior IT leader with more than 40 years of experience in the federal Intelligence Community (IC). He has an extensive background in the full life-cycle development and procurement of integrated satellite ground systems, research and technology, concept development, marketing, budgeting, requirement and specification development, procurement and negotiation strategies, contracts, product acquisition, test and integration, and operations. Deep Water Point clients benefit immeasurably from Mr. Brunngraber’s program management acumen and his IT application skills.
Mr. Brunngraber comes to Deep Water Point from a career spanning federal agencies and steadily increasing in responsibility and technical expertise. His most recent position was as assistant deputy director of National Intelligence for Acquisition within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), where he advised the DNI and principal deputy DNI on high-profile acquisition issues and managed Congressional reports and oversight for all IC MSAs. He delivered critical analysis directly to the PDDNI that was utilized to develop IC agencies’ program priorities.
Mr. Brunngraber previously served in the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA), the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the National Security Agency (NSA), and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Responsibilities included infrastructure acquisitions, architecture and engineering, contract restructures, multi-billion-dollar annual budget oversight, and personnel management. Areas included NGA worldwide IT systems, Imagery Intelligence (IMINT), NRO spacecraft and ground processing assets, and intel integration.
Mr. Brunngraber earned his BS in computer science from the Rochester Institute of Technology and his MS in computer science and mathematics from George Washington University. He is a recipient of the Intelligence Commendation Medal and the National Reconnaissance Office’s Medal for Superior Service. He has been awarded numerous exceptional, annual, and team performance awards as well as the ODNI Award for Acquisition Excellence. Mr. Brunngraber holds Top Secret/SCI clearance with current BI and full life-cycle polygraph.
Senior VP, Intelligence
Kathleen Cowles
Executive VP, Engagement
Ms. Kathleen is a senior executive with over 40 years of national and international experience in strategic planning, marketing, and public relations, working with global business and government organizations. As the executive responsible for DWPA corporate engagements and the product and technology segment, she is a highly motivated, results-driven leader with deep expertise in the information technology community. Her ability to identify and capitalize on business opportunities, lead high-performing teams, and drive measurable results makes her an invaluable resource for clients.
Ms. Cowles leads initiatives that foster collaboration between industry innovators and U.S. government (USG) stakeholders. Future USG investment requires a deep understanding of the technology landscape, the translation of innovation needs, and the ability to identify business opportunities. She works with clients who are leaders and key contributors in cutting-edge technologies, platforms, and solutions, helping them establish or expand their innovation presence within the USG.
Ms. Cowles also spent 10 years abroad in Kenya, Egypt, and Hungary, working with the U.S. State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development to advance U.S. business interests.
She is a graduate of the University of Maryland and remains actively involved in the University’s alumni and mentoring programs.
With a deep commitment to volunteerism, Ms. Cowles is a Past President of AFCEA Bethesda and a longtime AFCEA International board member, where she has served in various committee and leadership roles. She is a recipient of the AFCEA 2021 and 2023 Medal of Merit and the AFCEA 2016 Chairman’s Award. She also led the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) AI Subcommittee under the Communications and Technology Committee. Additionally, she is a former Board Member of the Industry Advisory Council (IAC) and a graduate of the Partners Program, having held leadership roles in the Executive Leadership Conference and ELC Technology Innovation programs.
Ms. Kathleen is a two-time Federal 100 Winner. She founded Junior Achievement International in Hungary (serving as Founder and President), played a key role in establishing the American International School of Budapest (as Board Chairman and Founding Member), and was honored with the U.S. State Department Volunteer of the Year Award.
Executive VP, Engagement
Sector Leadership
Department of War
COL Mollie Pearson, USA, Ret.
Sector Lead, U.S. Army and Department of War (Enterprise-Wide)
Colonel Mollie A. Pearson, U.S. Army (Ret.), is a former IT Acquisition Officer with over 29 years of expertise leading high-impact initiatives. She holds a Top Secret/SCI Clearance and is recognized for her leadership in driving business development, capture management, strategic growth, and successful orals coaching. She’s helped clients secure over $2.1 billion in high-value IT and professional services contracts, ELAs, and OTAs. She also serves on multiple industry advisory boards.
She concluded her Army career in ASA(ALT) with the Program Executive Office–Enterprise (formerly PEO EIS), where she led Joint Information Environment initiatives supporting Army CIO/G6, NETCOM and DoD Combatant Commanders in consolidating data centers and modernizing infrastructure, data, voice, and networks in support of the YRP/LPP in Korea, European realignment activities, and Operation Enduring Freedom. She also spearheaded modernization of SAP-based ERP systems, including but not limited to GCSS-A and LMP.
Earlier in her career, she led software development teams in TRADOC and ATEC; and served in 3rd Signal Brigade, the 62nd Engineer Battalion (Hurricane Mitch relief), the 911th, and 2nd ID’s Engineer Brigade.
She graduated as a Distinguished Military Graduate from Penn State’s Army ROTC Program and holds two master’s degrees: one in Human Resource Management and Organizational Leadership from George Washington University, and another in Computer Resources and Information Management from Webster University. She is a certified Leadership Coach and holds DAU Level III Acquisition certification.
Her professional honors include the “Fed 100” IT Award, recognition as a Top 25 Army Acquisition Leader, the Bronze Order of Mercury, the Honorable Order of Saint Martin, and multiple AFCEA International awards: Meritorious Service (2022), Women’s Appreciation (2023), and the Medal of Merit (2024).
Ms. Pearson is an active volunteer leader, serving on AFCEA International’s EXCOM, is EVP of AFCEA Fort Belvoir, and is an Executive Board Member of AUSA, GWC.
U.S. Army and DoW (Enterprise-Wide)
Robert “Scott” Jack II
Sector Lead, U.S. Air Force
Mr. Robert “Scott” Jack, SES, USMC, USAF (Ret.), serves as the Sector Lead for the Air Force, Space Force, and Marine Corps at Deep Water Point & Associates. A recognized technology and cybersecurity leader with more than 40 years of experience, Mr. Jack brings a unique blend of military discipline, strategic insight, and business acumen to support clients navigating today’s most complex defense and federal challenges. His deep expertise spans cybersecurity, information technology (IT) modernization, program management, federal budgeting, human capital development, and enterprise-wide transformation.
Over the course of his distinguished dual-service military career, Mr. Jack held senior executive roles across the U.S. Department of Defense, where he led large-scale modernization and cybersecurity initiatives at the highest levels of leadership. Most recently, he served as the Deputy Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Headquarters U.S. Marine Corps (HQMC), where he was the principal executive for cybersecurity policy, strategy, and resource advocacy across the Marine Corps’ Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Cyber (C4) operations. In that capacity, he spearheaded initiatives to improve organizational performance, drive transparency, and promote innovation across the IT and cyber enterprise.
Previously, Mr. Jack was the Director of Communications and Chief Information Officer for Headquarters Air Force Global Strike Command, where he oversaw enterprise-wide process improvements, steered the transformation of strategic nuclear command and control infrastructure, and implemented risk-based cybersecurity governance across the command. His leadership in aligning complex technical systems with national security priorities has had lasting impacts on operational resilience and mission assurance.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Jack served as Director of the Department of Defense (DOD) Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) Program under the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information Integration. In this role, he led the development and integration of identity protection and authentication solutions supporting secure operations across the DOD, managing a $500M+ enterprise program. He was also selected to co-chair the DOD’s Identity Protection Management efforts and served on both the DOD Identity Protection and Management Senior Coordinating Group and the DOD Biometrics Executive Committee—solidifying his status as a leading expert in federal cybersecurity and identity management.
Notably, Mr. Jack was selected as the first-ever Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for the U.S. Air Force. In that groundbreaking role, he was charged with developing and enforcing cybersecurity strategies across all USAF subordinate organizations, supporting air, space, and cyberspace domains. His efforts directly shaped the Air Force’s enterprise approach to protecting critical infrastructure and integrating cybersecurity into next-generation weapon systems.
Beyond his federal service, Mr. Jack has provided advisory support to companies across the defense and commercial sectors, specializing in cybersecurity strategy, emerging technologies, CIO governance, federal sales, and broadband infrastructure. As an adjunct research staff member for the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), he provided strategic analysis and technical insights to senior government leaders, helping translate complex operational requirements into actionable plans.
Mr. Jack holds a Master of Science in Logistics Management from the Air Force Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Management Science from Park University. He also earned associate degrees in Avionics Systems Technology and Business Administration. His leadership legacy is grounded in fostering collaboration, enabling innovation, and securing the systems and infrastructure critical to national defense.
SES Ret USMC, OSD, USAF USAF/USSF/USMC
CAPT Alan Oshirak, USN, Ret.
Sector Lead, U. S. Navy and Marine Corps
CAPT Alan Oshirak, USN, Ret., is a senior security strategy leader with more than 45 years of global experience in geopolitical and maritime affairs. A former Navy SEAL, he has led and supported major operations for multiple entities throughout the world, developing training programs, negotiating agreements, and managing personnel and logistics. Deep Water Point & Associates clients benefit immeasurably from CAPT Oshirak’s U.S. government defense experience and his expertise in cybersecurity, defense, energy, and technology.
Previously, CAPT Oshirak served as Senior Defense Official, defense, and naval attaché in Singapore, where he provided key management insight to a $9B annual portfolio of direct commercial sales and security assistance efforts such as the F-15SG, HIMARS, Joint Strike Fighter, S-70B helicopter, and Apache and Chinook training programs. He negotiated framework agreements for Littoral Combat Ship rotational deployments, basing for a Special Operations Logistic Support facility and related platforms, and multi-year Singaporean contributions to Operations IRAQI and ENDURING, totaling over 2,000 personnel. He was instrumental in the planning and execution of U.S. participation in the Changi C2 Center, four Shangri-La Dialogues, and other key events.
In 2016 CAPT Oshirak co-founded and co-managed a shipbuilding company, offering procurement, supply chain management, build design, and cost-effective solutions in business development, and
special project assistance for maritime development. Areas of focus include commercial fishing, dry and wet bulk cargo carriers and barges, ferries and transport ships, and refitting, maintenance, and repair work. Divesting his interests in 2022, his company was aligned with over a dozen shipyards based primarily in Southeast Asia and Europe and supported a global list of clients, with contracts exceeding 225 million USD.
His work in Southeast Asia continued in 2017 while serving as Special Envoy to the Philippines and advising the governments of Singapore and Vietnam on regional defense and maritime security issues in the South China Sea.
Earlier, CAPT Oshirak served operationally on three SEAL teams, deploying both afloat and ashore to more than half the world’s nations in the Pacific, European, Southern, Northern, and Central theaters in
support of contingency and named operations. He served overseas in two U.S. Navy special warfare units; commanded a SEAL team; and trained over 3500 US Coast Guard personnel on port and harbor security, maritime domain awareness and advanced interdiction. His staff assignments included duty as Special Operations Command Europe, Special Operations Command Central, a Special Boat Unit, Second Fleet/Joint Task Force 120/Striking Fleet Atlantic, and aide to U.S. Atlantic Fleet Commanderin-Chief Admiral William J. Flanagan. Working at Headquarters Marine Corps in the Pentagon, CAPT Oshirak became the first SEAL to serve as the Navy aide to the 32nd Commandant of the Marine Corps.
CAPT Oshirak earned his BS in biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his MA in political science/military art and science at U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. He is graduate of United States Army Airborne and Ranger Schools. CAPT Oshirak is the recipient of 30 awards, including three Defense Superior Service medals.
U. S. Navy and Marine Corps
COL Mike Faunda, USAF, Ret.
Sector Lead, Space
Col Mike Faunda, USAF, Ret., is a senior executive and strategic thinker with a vast operational knowledge and more than 20 years of strategic and operational leadership, knowledge, and experience. His skills include strategic consulting, vision, and direction; operational management; resource allocation and management; building and leading effective and efficient teams; cultural transformation; leading change; program integration; security assistance; personnel management; budgeting; procurement; and conflict resolution. He also specializes in military strategy; air and space power employment; space and missile systems operations; intelligence; counterspace intelligence analysis; acquisition and contracts; interagency relationships; and planning, programming, budgeting, and execution. Deep Water Point & Associates clients benefit from Col Faunda’s experience with space acquisition, space mission planning and operations, space situational/domain awareness, strategic and operational campaign planning, and program management. He has worked with the National Reconnaissance Office, National Geospatial- Intelligence Agency, U.S. Space Force, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Command, and U.S. Strategic Command.
Prior to joining Deep Water Point (now Deep Water Point & Associates), Col Faunda served as a senior manager of advanced systems at Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation. In that position, he led enterprise test, integration, delivery, and sustainment for a billion-dollar national program. He established and customized long-term, post-delivery support for multiple national programs.
Earlier he was deputy director for the National Space Defense Center at the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). He was personally selected by the NRO director as lead representative to the NSDC. He co-led a 250-member interagency team responsible for monitoring threats to space assets, providing indications and warning to mission operations, and synchronizing effects to protect and defend U.S. space assets and capabilities. Previously at the NRO, Col Faunda was commander of the Aerospace Data Facility — Southwest, where he led 600+ personnel operating multi-billion-dollar national satellite systems and was solely responsible for all aspects of operations, security, facilities, logistics, and support of the $200M+ facility.
Col Faunda was one of 52 board-selected Air Force officers chosen for the prestigious National Defense Fellowship at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Prior to that, he served as deputy chief, strategy plans division at the 614th Air Operations Command, Joint Space Operations Center, where he led multi-national/service teams in crisis action and support planning efforts in support of USSTRATCOM objectives and tasks. In his role as commander of the Counterspace Analysis Squadron at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center, he was responsible for planning, programming, budgeting, and execution of $12M+ in programs, intelligence and special projects.
Col Faunda has a BS in accounting from the University of Alabama, an MS in administration from Central Michigan University, an MS in operational military art and science from the Air Command Staff College and an MS in airpower art and science from the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies. He holds a TS/SCI – SSBI security clearance.
Space
Civilian Agencies
Howard Steinman
Sector Lead, Federal Civilian Agencies
Howard Steinman is a dynamic and results-driven executive with a proven track record of identifying and capitalizing on new business opportunities, driving strategic growth, and leading high-impact teams. He specializes in business development, strategic capture, and crafting compelling go-to-market (GTM) strategies that enable organizations to scale and secure significant opportunities. Known for his ability to transform underperforming businesses into success stories, Howard excels in complex deal-making, innovative problem-solving, and fostering high-growth environments.
Throughout his career, Howard has played a pivotal role in revitalizing and expanding businesses across top-tier firms, including AWS, Deloitte, A.T. Kearney, and PwC. His leadership has fueled substantial revenue growth, enhanced operational efficiencies, and delivered transformative digital solutions in both the public and private sectors. He has spearheaded large-scale initiatives, such as revamping AWS’s professional services practice, designing Deloitte’s Federal Civilian Strategy practice, and establishing A.T. Kearney’s U.S. federal consulting division.
With deep expertise in AI, ML, cloud transformation, and cybersecurity, Howard has guided organizations in navigating emerging technologies and optimizing their strategic positioning. A published author and industry thought leader, he has shaped digital transformation strategies, developed pioneering cybersecurity frameworks, and led initiatives that improved customer experiences and operational resilience.
Howard holds a Juris Doctorate from Western New England College School of Law and a Bachelor’s in World Politics from Hamilton College. He maintains a TS/SCI security clearance and holds certifications in cloud technology. As a sought-after advisor and executive leader, he continues to drive innovation and sustainable growth across dynamic industries.
Federal Civilian Agencies
Beth Wade
Sector Lead, Department of Homeland Security
Elizabeth (Beth) Wade is a seasoned senior executive with over 45 years of experience in federal IT systems, business development, strategic planning, program management, and sales. She brings deep expertise in disaster recovery, data center consolidation, modernization initiatives, performance management, and capacity planning. Beth’s in-depth knowledge of federal agency missions, operations, and structures—paired with her extensive network of government relationships—makes her an invaluable asset to DWPA clients.
Beth joined Deep Water Point & Associates in 2014, after a distinguished career at IBM, where she served as a key liaison to numerous federal agencies. Over the past 11 years, she has operated as a subject matter expert and client executive supporting a wide range of federal clients—particularly within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—across both services and product domains. She now serves as Sector Lead, managing the firm’s DHS-aligned SMEs and guiding strategic initiatives within the sector.
Prior to joining Deep Water Point, Beth was IBM’s Client Executive for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In this role, she led all marketing and relationship management activities across DHS agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Under her leadership, IBM secured a $120 million, two-year IBM software contract with CBP in 2014.
Earlier in her IBM tenure, Beth served as Client Executive to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, where she directed all marketing and business development efforts for the U.S. Customs Service (USCS). Her efforts helped grow the account to $350 million annually and led to IBM’s first major federal prime contract, a $3.2 billion win.
Beth’s earlier roles at IBM included:
- Systems Engineer at the Department of the Treasury
- Executive Assistant to the CIO, Federal Systems Division
- Performance Analyst and Systems Engineer, Federal Systems Division
Education
- S. in Mathematics (Real Analysis & Operations Research) – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Teaching Assistant – Calculus - A. in Mathematics, Summa Cum Laude – Sweet Briar College
Beth continues to bring her passion for mission-driven service and strategic innovation to the federal IT space.
Department of Homeland Security
Health Agencies
Melissa Fannin
Sector Lead, Health Sector
Melissa Fannin, RN, MS, MBA, MHI is a nationally recognized healthcare executive, award-winning strategist, and transformation leader with more than two decades of experience delivering multibillion-dollar growth, operational excellence, and innovative care solutions across public and private healthcare sectors. With clinical roots as a registered nurse and advanced expertise in health informatics, policy, and law, she is known for aligning people, data, and technology to elevate outcomes, drive value, and expand impact.
As Chief Growth Officer at Elevance Health, Melissa led strategy and execution for a $13B federal health portfolio and built a $50B pipeline from the ground up. She transformed the growth organization by launching integrated market strategies, streamlining proposal operations, and aligning commercial capabilities to federal outcome metrics. Her leadership increased win rates by 30%, improved HR satisfaction by 40%, and accelerated growth across HHS, VA, and DoD markets — earning her recognition as #1 Most Notable Healthcare Executive to Watch by WashingtonExec and induction into the Federal Health IT Hall of Fame.
Previously, as Chief Strategy Officer at AM LLC, Melissa scaled operations from $20M to $100M during the COVID-19 pandemic, launching integrated pandemic response services across multiple states. She has also held senior executive roles at CNSI, Optum, and Maxim Healthcare, leading enterprise initiatives in healthcare technology, clinical operations, value-based care, quality improvement, and strategic M&A. Earlier in her career, she served with CMS, FDA, and KPMG, deepening her expertise in regulatory policy, compliance, interoperability, fraud prevention, and program integrity.
Melissa’s career reflects a unique ability to combine clinical insight with data-driven strategy to lead enterprise transformations, secure major federal and state contracts, develop high-performing teams, and forge strategic partnerships that redefine the healthcare landscape.
She holds a BSN in Nursing, an MS in Applied Healthcare Informatics from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, an MS in Health Policy and Law, and an MBA, and recently completed a Global Healthcare Executive Program at Harvard Medical School and a certification in Mergers and Acquisitions from the Wharton School of Business. Her honors include the Fed Health 100 Hall of Fame Award, the Altus Award, and multiple CMS Director’s Awards.
As an independent consultant and consultant with Hermes Consulting, Melissa now advises emerging health tech and services companies on market entry, strategic growth, and partnerships within the federal, commercial and state health ecosystems.
Health Sector
Services Leadership
Marty Brennan
Senior VP, Transaction Advisory Services
Marty leads our Transaction Advisory Services team. He has more than 20 years of experience in the management and technology consulting space developing and implementing business, operational, and IT strategies for both public and private sector clients and has supported deals ranging in size from multi-billion-dollar combinations to tuck-ins. He has earned a reputation as a hands-on executive working closely with industry executives and private equity firms to deliver results while reducing risk.
Prior to joining Deep Water Point & Associates, Marty served as a managing director leading the transaction advisory services line of business for Wolf Den Associates which included sourcing, due diligence, and post-merger integration offerings. He brings a practitioner perspective, having led consulting business units serving federal and commercial customers. With this experience, he developed and executed local market strategies, drove financial performance (P&L), managed client and internal-facing personnel, implemented business development and capture strategies, and oversaw human resources, recruiting, staffing, facilities, and contract management functions.
Before joining Wolf Den, Marty established and led the Merger Integration practice at Celerity. Previously he was market lead for North Highland’s Washington DC office, held dual roles as president of Washington Consulting, Inc. and vice president and operations manager at Alion Science & Technology, and had roles of increasing responsibility at KPMG Consulting / Bearing Point, Arthur Andersen Business Consulting, and Dealy Strategy Group.
Marty has a BA in mathematics from Yale University and an MBA from Georgetown University McDonough School of Business.
Senior VP, Transaction Advisory Services
Ryan Felts
Managing Director, Strategy & Market Intelligence
Mr. Ryan Felts serves as the Vice President of Strategy and Market Intelligence focused on providing clients with growth strategy development and implementation, market assessments, new market entry, competitive intelligence, and pipeline development. Mr. Felts is a results-driven professional with nearly 20 years of experience in consistently demonstrating a keen ability to lead high-performing teams, build strategic partnerships, and deliver critical business development initiatives. His expertise in stakeholder engagement, customer service, and strategy development has enabled him to resolve complex challenges while securing and expanding contracts. With a proven track record of asking the right questions at the right time, he is well-equipped to drive innovation and spur growth in organizations seeking to expand their market presence. Deep Water Point & Associates clients benefit from Mr. Felts’s experience with program and project management, stakeholder engagement, facilitation, outreach and communications, broadband technology, grants management, and public safety communications.
Prior to joining Deep Water Point & Associates, Mr. Felts was division director for Corner Alliance where he played a pivotal role in company growth and project oversight and delivery. He planned, designed, and facilitated hundreds of stakeholder and client engagements. He led dozens of business development, capture, and proposal efforts, and developed numerous strategic relationships with other consulting firms in pursuit of contract awards. He managed division-wide business development, strategic partner identification and development, client satisfaction, account/project management, and financial and resource management. During his time at Corner Alliance as well as his time as a senior consultant at Touchstone Consulting Group (SRA International), Mr. Felts supported clients across the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Mr. Felts has a BA in Communication from Virginia Tech. He is a certified Project Management Professional. He has held a top secret clearance.
Managing Director, Strategy & Market Intelligence
Douglas Black
Managing Director, Capture and Proposals
Mr. Douglas Black leads the Capture and Proposal Line of Business at Deep Water Point & Associates.
Mr. Black has 22 years of experience in capture strategy development and execution and proposal management, including Best-in Class GWACs, agency-specific multi-award IDIQs, FEDSIM procurements, and single award contracts, with a focus on Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) procurements. He is an experienced orals coach who has spent 20 years guiding clients through winning orals efforts, including: in-person, hybrid, virtual, FEDSIM, scenario-based, interview style, and recorded demonstrations. Mr. Black has 25 years of professional services delivery experience focused on VA and HHS. As a Certified Professional Facilitator, he uses his collaborative leadership approach to organize and motivate individuals and teams under tight timeframes in high-stress environments.
Prior to joining Deep Water Point & Associates, Mr. Black was a vice president at Wolf Den Associates in Wolf Den’s Capture and Proposal Line of Business. Previously, he was the president of Consilium, a consulting firm focused on orals coaching, capture strategy development, proposal management, organizational transformation, stakeholder engagement, small business growth strategies, and strategic planning in the federal civilian market.
He was also a partner at Cyber Capital Partners, a firm that grew, evolved, and matured small cyber security, cloud, and technology companies. He augmented client executive teams, created growth and exit strategies, readied these companies for entrance into the federal market, built their capture and proposal operations, and prepared clients for mergers and acquisitions.
Mr. Black previously held roles increasing responsibility at the Ambit Group (a SDVOSB), SRA International, and the Marasco Newton Group. He holds an MA from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service and a BA in history and political science from Trinity University.
Managing Director, Capture and Proposals