At GTSC’s holiday awards celebration, we thanked and honored some of the heroes of 2012.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — The Government Technology & Services Coalition (GTSC), the premier organization for small and mid-sized companies in the Federal homeland and national security market, honored Under Secretary Rafael Borras and Dr. Nick Nayak, Chief Procurement Officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, with the Federal Small Business Champions of the Year award. They were awarded yesterday for their work to assure that the innovation, creativity and effectiveness of small businesses is brought to the homeland security mission.

“We believe that Under Secretary Borras and Dr. Nayak have clearly demonstrated their commitment to assuring that the innovation of small companies is constantly applied to the homeland security mission,” said CEO of the GTSC, Kristina Tanasichuk. “We believe that the leadership of DHS has recognized that we must have a mechanism to infuse our current system with new ideas, cutting edge technologies and actual solutions — and small businesses are the source of that.”
The award of Federal Small Business Champion of the Year is awarded annually to the Federal official(s) who show a distinct commitment and tangible results toward improving the environment and success for small businesses in the Federal market. “We are proud of what DHS has collaboratively accomplished with small businesses and are committed to continuing our support to the small companies that are so vital to our nation’s economy and our department’s missions,” said Rafael Borras, Under Secretary for Management at the Department of Homeland Security.

The GTSC also awarded its Member of the Year Award to Hassett Willis and Company. “After working at the Department of Homeland Security and forming my own woman-owned small business to continue to affect positive change at DHS, Hassett Willis and Company is committed to improving the small business market environment,” said Managing Partner Julie Hassett. “It is critical that leading small businesses work on behalf of our community to improve the contracting process, encourage and nurture small companies and assure the homeland security market’s success.” The award is presented annually to the GTSC Member that exemplifies exceptional quality and ethics for the Federal government, a commitment to GTSC’s small business members and advocacy on behalf of our community.
L3 STRATIS won the award for Mentor of the Year. “We recognized immediately the value of GTSC as a place where big, mid- and small-sized companies collaborate to solve challenges and move the market forward,” said Les Rose, president of L-3 National Security Solutions, of which STRATIS is a part. “We are all committed to the mission of homeland and national security and want to continue to mentor and contribute to an environment that brings the best of the market to DHS and our other Federal partners.” Mentor of the Year is awarded annually to the GTSC Mentor who has worked to increase members’ understanding of the homeland and national security market, increased business opportunities for small companies through formal and informal mentoring and engages with GTSC to promote an innovative, robust, fair market for all.
The four were honored at the GTSC’s annual holiday award reception at the U.S. Navy League in Arlington, VA. For more information on these awardees and the Government & Technology Coalition, please visit www.GTSCoalition.com.