Next Thursday, May 2nd 2013, SECAF is holding its 5th Annual Government Contractor Awards Gala at the McLean Hilton in Tysons Corner. Finalists for the event include companies such as MicroPact, ASM Research, InCadence Strategic Solutions, immixGroup, and Octo Consulting. Find the full list of finalists and categories here.
Mark Moore, this year’s SECAF Awards Co-Chair and Executive Vice President & Chief Lending Officer at John Marshall Bank, sat down with WashingtonExec to briefly discuss what we should expect from this year’s gala as well as how the organization has evolved over the last five years. Moore, a Pittsburgh native, also talked about criteria for this year’s nominations and what he recommends to small businesses looking to thrive in this current federal budgetary climate.
WashingtonExec: For people who don’t know SECAF, how would you describe the organization? How have you seen it change since it was first created?
Mark Moore: SECAF is the most impactful organization for the small business government contractor I know of. SECAF is the place where young govcons can gain access to government agencies and other industry resources while enjoying powerful networking event and other growth-oriented member benefits. It now has national relevance and reach and is a destination point for outreach by Federal agencies.
WashingtonExec: How can SECAF assist small businesses in standing out and growing in a competitive marketplace?
Mark Moore: Examples include SECAF’s Contractor Advisory Forum (CAF) whose mission it is to engage the contracting community by delivering expert advice and solutions for commonly sought questions, the Legislative & Regulatory Committee that raises member awareness of the impact of pending or recently-signed legislation and regulations, and the continuous member-only educational events that cover a wide range of topics and content areas throughout the year.
WashingtonExec: How do you recommend small businesses in the government contracting community stay afloat in these unstable economic times?
Mark Moore: Michael Focus on core earnings performance and prudent balance sheet management as the industry navigates through the tenuous low-bid, Federal budget imbalances, sequestration environment we are in today. When the clouds break, those in ready position to exploit market opportunities will make up for lost ground and then some.
WashingtonExec: What are the criteria for a small government contracting business to become a finalist in Government Contractor Awards?
Mark Moore: Each category has its own published criteria, one of which is being owned and operated in the Greater Washington, DC Metropolitan area for the small business categories.
WashingtonExec: What can a small business expect when becoming a member of SECAF? What are the benefits of being a member?
Mark Moore: A small business can expect to gain access to powerful industry information and resources, join in solidarity with the collective voice of the small and emerging government contractor, to enjoy the company of their peers – all for a modest investment due to the tremendous support of the sponsors. The benefits are vast, some of which we’ve touched on in this interview and many others that are shared very succinctly on the SECAF website.
WashingtonExec: What is your favorite sports team?
Mark Moore: Well, as a native Pittsburgh guy – I’m all about the Steelers.
WashingtonExec: What was the last good book you’ve read?
Mark Moore: Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose.
WashingtonExec: Favorite part about the SECAF event?
Mark Moore: The networking event in the beginning, the video presentations about the Finalists, and the buzz in the ballroom are truly awesome, but the very best part of it for me as an emcee is looking out over the ballroom and seeing so many special people having such a great time together in celebration of the small and emerging government contractor industry.
