Blaine Worthington has spent his career in the U.S. Air Force and in government contracting, but regardless of which side of the sector he stood, he’s always been dedicated to ensuring the defense, intelligence and efficiency of the nation.
Worthington currently serves as chief operating officer of Altamira Technologies Corp., but his knack for acquisitions, business and intelligence stem from his time in the Air Force.
The Salt Lake City, Utah, native grew interested in joining the Air Force after participating in and serving with a 2-year church service mission. Worthington enlisted in 1989 and remained so as he attended South Dakota State University. Once he completed his undergraduate degree in electronic engineering technology in 1993, he accepted the commission from the Air Force to attend Officer Training School at the Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.
After his commission and as a lieutenant in the Air Force, Worthington pursued his master’s degree in computer resources and information management at Webster University while in Colorado Springs stationed at Schriever Air Force Base. He graduated right before leaving for Los Angeles Air Force Base in 1997.
Serving at the 4th Space Operations Squadron in at the Schriever Air Force Base “was a great introductory assignment as a newly commissioned lieutenant,” Worthington said.
Worthington later pursued a second master’s degree when selected by the Air Force chief of staff for the professional military education at the Air Force Institute of Technology, which is comparable to a business degree. He graduated from that program in 2006.
In all, Worthington spent 21 years in the Air Force before retiring in 2010.
“I absolutely loved serving in the Air Force,” he said.
Worthington later parlayed that experience into acquisitions at the Space and Missile Systems Center in L.A. Air Force Base, acquiring parts for automated planning systems for the Military Satellite Communications Systems program office. That then led to a unique opportunity to serve at the National Reconnaissance Office in Chantilly, Virginia, for five years acquiring large intel systems.
After his NRO assignment, Worthington attended the Air Force Institute of Technology, afterward accepting a job to serve at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center, or NASIC, as the director of operations for the Ballistic Missile Squadron. Later, Worthington also served as the director for operations for the Space Analysis Squadron.
Serving from Industry
Worthington’s family had become accustomed to the instability of military life. He had met his wife, Kathy, in Utah prior to enlisting, and of their three children, one was entering high school, another was in high school and one was graduating high school when the Air Force assigned Worthington to go back to the Pentagon.
But after moving nine times in 21 years, Worthington decided it was time to provide the stability his children needed to complete their high school experience. So, he retired and remained in Ohio, and all three of his children graduated from the same school in Beavercreek.
With his kids all set, Worthington entered the government contracting world. He joined Booz Allen Hamilton in 2010 after being offered a great opportunity as a senior associate responsible for the NASIC account.
“It is a great company that gave me the corporate side of the experience that I didn’t have, having had come from government,” Worthington said. “They gave me the industry point of view and the skills I needed.”
With those skills in procurement and delivery lifecycle of contracts and deliverables, he got an opportunity to join Altamira in 2013 as the company was opening a new office in Dayton, Ohio.
Worthington was approached by Peter Kane, senior vice president at Altamira.
“He said he needed a new director in Altamira, and he wanted me to stay in the office and help him grow and advance the company agenda,” Worthington said. Part of that meant winning a contract called the Advanced Technical Exploitation Program II.
“Today, in Dayton, we’re over 210 employees,” Worthington said.
Worthington started with Altamira as a director, and within 6.5 years, has been promoted to a vice president, senior vice president and as of September 2019, COO.
“I came up through the ranks at Altamira, and that’s been a great experience because I got to see, if you will, from the ground up here in Dayton, the company grow and expand,” Worthington said.
Perspective and Commitment
Having spent half his career in the Air Force and the other half in industry, Worthington understands the importance of mentorship, collaboration and that when working with government customers, innovation can mean pushing outside a comfort zone.
The Air Force showed Worthington that of the many different personalities, lifestyles, people and ways of approaching problems, everybody has something to contribute.
He had senior officers who took time to show him how to do better, grow and consider other points of views, especially when collaborating.
“Letting everybody’s voice be heard is important,” Worthington said.
And when it comes to customers, Worthington can speak their language.
It’s all about showing customers there are innovative, creative ways of doing things faster and more efficiently so they can better serve national defense missions, he said.
What Worthington loves most about government contracting is the customer.
“I love this country, and Altamira is focused on the intel sector, and I spent 20 years serving the country in the Air Force,” he said. “Even though I’m not in the Air Force, I am very loyal to the United States and strive to protect our interests and the citizens of America.”
That’s also what drew Worthington to GovCon.
“I’m in love with the idea of protecting freedom and our national interests and the citizens of the United States,” he said.
Worthington is committed to continuing that mission by helping Altamira reach new heights. After the company was acquired by ClearSky in 2019, it plans to expand and reach double-digit growth, organically and through mergers and acquisitions.
“We are interested in organic growth and inorganic expansion as a company,” Worthington said. “We’re a mid-sized company that wants to triple its size in the next five years.”
Work Hard, Play Harder
Ultimately, Worthington is motivated by his family and faith. He follows a “work hard, play hard” motto, and sticks to it.
“I always take time for the work, and I take time out to play and enjoy my family,” he said.
Playing for Worthington means woodworking in his backyard woodshop, boating, waterskiing, hiking, biking and downhill skiing.
He also takes time to give back. In 2019, Worthington served as the chairman for the Dayton American Heart Association Heart Walk, helping the organization exceed all its financial goals for the first time in five years — a very rewarding experience for him.
But at work, it’s that drive to succeed and serve the country that pushes him most.
“I have a motivation to be successful,” Worthington said. “That drives me in the industry, and I want Altamira to benefit from that drive and find success as well, and want to help others in the company find that success as we win new work and serve our customers.”