West Point Grad News

Bauer '83 Joins Valiant as SVP & COO

Valiant Integrated Services has appointed Chris Bauer as Senior Vice President and Divisional Chief Operating Officer of the Company's National Security & Mission Support Division. In this role, Mr. Bauer will lead Valiant's National Security & Mission Support business line, which includes: Knowledge-based services. Including language services, intelligence analysis, open source data analysis and linguistics services. Cyber and threat protection services including training and operational support, risk assessment and operations resiliency. Specialized training including manned and unmanned aviation, marine and naval operations, simulations, coarse development, physical security, equipment and defense tactics.

"We are extremely pleased and excited to add someone with Chris's unique experience and expertise to the Valiant team. We are confident that Chris will enable us to continue growing our business while providing unparalleled service and support to our existing customers who rely on us to help them successfully execute critical missions across the globe," said Valiant Chief Executive James Jaska. Mr. Bauer has more than 25 years of experience leveraging strategic relationships to rapidly win, close and execute technology and mission critical solutions that support the Intelligence Community, Department of Defense, and other Federal Government clients. Mr. Bauer was named by Executive Mosaic to the Wash100 list of the most influential leaders in government contracting for his contributions delivering innovative IT services in 2016. Read More

College '78 Promoted to Executive VP & CFO at CALIBRE

Craig College '78Dr. Craig E. College has been promoted to Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at CALIBRE Systems, Inc. As CFO, Dr. College is responsible for overseeing financial and accounting operations, strategic financial planning, capital structure, treasury management, the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), 401(k) management, contracts and procurement, and strategic communications and graphic design. Additionally, he retains strategic growth responsibilities in support of current corporate business areas and mergers and acquisitions.

Dr. College joined CALIBRE in October 2012 after 34 years of government service as a military officer and civil servant. Prior to joining CALIBRE, he was the Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management, Department of the Army. Dr. College began his service as a Senior Executive in the Office of the Secretary of Defense where he served as Director, Economic Analysis and Resource Planning Division and Director, Force and Infrastructure Cost Analysis Division.

"Craig's experience in cost and economics, along with his operations and data analysis experience, makes him an excellent choice for this role," said Joe Martore, President & CEO. "During Craig's six years with CALIBRE, he has made many significant contributions to the company and played a pivotal role in developing and utilizing data analytics to manage our company. With his deep understanding of CALIBRE's business and needs, Craig is well suited to lead our finance team." A recipient of the Presidential Rank Awards of Distinguished Executive (2001 and 2007) and Meritorious Executive (1998). Read More

Reid '98 in Top 50 Most Influential People in Security & Fire

Malcolm Reid '98Malcolm Reid has been recognized by IFSEC Global as being one of the Top 50 Most Influential People in Security and Fire. In the Security Thought Leadership category, he is listed as the 10th most influential global thought leader. It was a very rigorous judging process comprising assessments from 30 judges who are themselves industry leaders from around the world. IFSEC Global defines influence in the following ways: Someone who has played a key role in driving technological innovation; Someone who has been a driving force in changing regulation, standards/guidance or best practice; Someone whose insights/opinions are widely respected and which are influential in shaping debate around industry issues; Someone who has been instrumental in the success of the organization or business they lead or are employed by; Someone who has helped to raise the industry's profile or been an influential voice in the national media. Read More

Offel '96 Named CASA of Oklahoma

Offel '96 Named CASA of OklahomaThe Honorable Dr. Mark T. Esper, Secretary of the Army, selected Kevin D. Offel as the Army’s newest Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army (CASA) to represent Oklahoma (North).

"It is an incredible honor to serve Secretary Esper and our Army as a Civilian Aide for the great state of Oklahoma," said Offel. "As a 4th generation Armed Forces Veteran and former Army officer, I personally understand what our soldiers and their families sacrifice every day. My family and I look forward to working with Secretary Esper, his team, and our steadfast leaders in Oklahoma to assist in the growth, combat readiness, and well-being of our brave warfighters, their families and my fellow Veterans."

CASAs are a vital part of the Army. Their duties and responsibilities include keeping the public informed about why a strong and robust Army is vital to our national security; partnering with the Soldier for Life Program to support our transitioning Soldiers and families; connecting prospective Soldiers with recruiters and commissioning sources; promoting good relations between the Army, Congress, and the public; and advising the Secretary on regional issues.

Offel served five years as an Army aviation officer and Blackhawk helicopter pilot with 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Hood, Texas. He served in uniform simultaneously alongside his father and older brother, who served in the Air Force; and his younger brother who served in the Navy.

McGinn '90 Named Executive Director of George Mason

John McGinn '90The George Mason School of Business has announced that John McGinn, PhD, has been named executive director of the George Mason Government Contracting Initiative. As executive director, McGinn will be responsible for developing and expanding the GovCon initiative to create the first research, teaching and collaboration center in the United States where students and faculty work with key government and industry stakeholders to address issues facing the government contracting community.

To achieve this vision, McGinn will undertake fundraising in support of research, scholarships, operations and outreach. He will also work with faculty across the university to develop GovCon offerings for undergraduate and graduate programs, certificate programs and executive development. Among other goals, the GovCon initiative aims to develop a venue for the academic development of key competencies in the government contracting space and to raise awareness of thought leadership in the field.

Most recently, McGinn served in the Defense Department’s Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics as principal deputy director of the Office of Manufacturing and Industrial Base Policy. In that role, he was the senior career official responsible for analyzing the capabilities, overall health and policies concerning the industrial base on which the department relies for current and future war-fighting capabilities. Prior to his time in industry, McGinn served in DOD, where he focused on post-conflict stabilization, reconstruction and defense transformation and was a political scientist at the RAND Corporation. Read More

Curtis '90 Retires from the FBI After an Exceptional Career

Scott Curtis '90As a teenager, Scott Curtis developed his drive and focus training at the Parkettes gymnastics center in Allentown, PA. After his military service, Curtis became an FBI agent. His work eventually led him back to Allentown. "I was told there were allegations of potential corruption," Curtis said. "I identified where to focus the investigation to start gathering evidence of potential political corruption here." Agents eventually zeroed in on the top office at City Hall: the office of former Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski. After spending hours working at the federal building, several nights a week Curtis would return to the very gym that led him to a career of public service volunteer coaching young gymnasts. The five-year investigation included hours and hours of covert recordings, which proved to be the secret weapon of the federal government's prosecution of Pawlowski. Pawlowski was found guilty of 47 of 54 pay-to-play charges, ending a several month trial. After 22 years, Curtis resigned from the bureau. He accepted a position investigating white-collar crime for a firm in NY, unfortunately he will not be able to continue volunteering at the gym. Curtis summed up his time in Allentown as a mission to root out any and all corruption in the city, adding "I think I accomplished that for the most part." Read More

Haning '09 Receives MacArthur Leadership Award

Haning '09 Receives MacArthur Leadership AwardIn a packed ceremony at The Pentagon auditorium, the Chief of Staff of the Army presented the MacArthur Leadership Award to Garrison Haning, president of the West Point Society of Eastern Oklahoma. The award is given annually to 5 of the highest performing captains in the Army Reserve, 13 captains on Active Duty, and 5 in the National Guard The recipients had a meeting with the CSA, and each received a personalized 15 lb. bronze bust of General Douglas MacArthur as well as a two-year membership to AUSA.

Nicholson ’61 Appointed to West Point Board of Visitors

James Nicholson '61R. James “Jim” Nicholson ’61 has been appointed by President Trump to the West Point Board of Visitors (BOV). The mission of the BOV is to inquire and advise the President as to the morale, discipline, academic standing, and general state of excellence of USMA and the Corps of Cadets. Nicholson, himself a Distinguished Graduate of West Point and a retired Army colonel, said, "Going to West Point and serving in the Army changed my life. I am very grateful to play a role in the development of our future generations of military leaders by serving on the Board of Visitors of my beloved Alma Mater."