Mike Horton
Vice President of National Security, ASRC Federal
Mike Horton leads ASRC Federal’s national security business supporting civilian agencies, including those in the departments of Homeland Security, Justice and State.
Before ASRC Federal, Horton spent nearly 20 years in various DHS roles. He applies this experience across ASRC Federal’s services in data analytics, software development, cybersecurity, program management and operations and maintenance.
Since joining ASRC Federal, Horton and his team have expanded into new areas, including a recent contract with the U.S. Coast Guard to support aircraft logistics in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The work helps the Coast Guard repurpose, repair and refit aircraft using graphics, design and photography technology while managing a parts database tracking millions of mission-critical items.
Horton said his guiding principle is “mission first, people always.”
“At DHS and now at ASRC Federal, I continue to care deeply about empowering and enabling people in support of the government’s mission,” he said.
Why Watch
In addition to his focus on taking ASRC Federal’s broad portfolio of offerings to an expanded array of national security programs, Horton sees an opportunity to promote enterprisewide solutions across the component agencies within the departments he serves.
Horton cited the example of data analytics and AI/machine learning, for which ASRC Federal has built a center of excellence and deploys its tools to assist customers with everything from financial management to rocket launch testing.
“We’re trying to help bureaus and components utilize and benefit from enterprise-wide solutions that have been traditionally driven out from the headquarters,” he said. “But we’re also finding there’s a lot of innovation and good work happening at the component level and bureau level, and our goal has been to find those successful programs and then help build them out throughout the components.”
Fun fact: Horton served in the Army for 10 years, disarming bombs. “I consider myself pretty laid back, so people are often surprised that I served in the Army, especially in the bomb squad,” he said. “But it is a unique mission, one I was passionate about.”