Meet our Keynote Speaker

Danny Murawinski

Danny is a dynamic entrepreneur and digital marketing strategist, renowned for his innovative approach to helping businesses grow their organic digital audiences. As the Founder and CEO of Exit Built, and the host/producer of the “Just Be Humans” podcast, Danny has been instrumental in developing unique marketing strategies that align with each client’s individual message and goals.

➡️ What will Danny be talking about? Purpose. It is one of the many human virtues that connects everyone in the government contracting industry, especially in the capture/proposal space. This virtue is found in the countless, mission-critical, contracts for both our companies and the government in which they serve. Hard work, Passion, and Purpose is no stranger to this industry. Yet, the “watercooler” is still the top recruitment platform and industry tradeshows are still the best place for lead generation.

By the end of this talk, you will know how to simplify the process of generating content at scale (spoiler alert: your current day-to-day is the process), have a framework for scaling relationships, and will have a clear understanding as to how platforms distribute your content.

Meet this Year’s MAC Speakers!

Sarah Shaffer

Sara is a 16-year industry veteran that has worked in small (single person) proposal teams and large proposal teams. In 2020, she was recognized as an APMP 40 under 40 awardee, and is APMP Proposal Practitioner and Capture Practitioner Certified. Currently, She is the Executive Director of the Intelligence Sector Proposal Operations organization at ManTech where her team focuses on proposal mechanics, communication, setting expectations, and maximizing the effectiveness of their proposal teams through maximizing the available time and still having evenings and weekends. When Sarah is not working, she can be found in her backyard, sipping tequila with her husband, and watching her 7-year-old play.

➡️ What will Sarah be talking about? Maximize Your Schedule – Pre and Post RFP Release: Learn actionable tactics to avoid scheduling pitfalls, and learn strategies to maximize your schedule before and after RFP release. 😃 Connect with Sarah!

Erin Green

As a seasoned proposal management professional and member of the APMP International Board of Directors, Erin Green brings a wealth of experience and insights to the table. With proven track records of successfully navigating the complex world of bidding, proposal management, and capture management, she has developed a unique perspective on career development and work-life balance. Drawing from her own journey, which has been filled with both linear and nonlinear paths, she is passionate about sharing strategies and lessons learned to help others achieve their professional and personal goals.

➡️What will Erin be talking about? There and Back Again – A Bidder’s Tale: Get inspired and take home the actional insights, tools and strategies you need to succeed in the high-stakes game of bidding and proposal management. 😃 Connect with Erin!

Steve Skeldon

Steve has been working in capture and proposals since 2010, and has seen opportunities through all stages of the business development lifecycle. As a capture director, he has a unique position to bridge the gap between BD and Proposal organizations, and understand how to best position leads to be great opportunities for proposal and bid.

➡️What will Steve be talking about? Should We Be Chasing This? Enabling Bid/No Bid Decisions through Intentional Analysis: The marketplace is massive, and opportunities abound. You’ll learn an adaptable analysis framework and strategies to discuss during qualification as well as elsewhere in the BD lifecycle. 😃 Connect with Steve!

Angela Marsh

Angela Marsh, CF-APMP + SHRM-SCP, is the Senior Vice President of Culture & Organizational Development and is the driving force behind an award-winning workplace at Hinz Consulting. With nearly 20 years of experience in the proposal industry and corporate development, her innovative approach to team engagement and unwavering commitment creates a positive and inclusive work environment that defines the company’s culture. She also holds the Senior Certified Professional (SCP) designation from the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM). Angela has owned two small businesses, specializes in professional development workshops, and is an expert events planner.

➡️What will Angela be talking about? “Servant Leadership Secrets: Elevating Proposal Teams in Government Contracting”: Actionable strategies to implement servant leadership principles, ultimately leading to more cohesive, motivated, and successful proposal teams. Join us to uncover how servant leadership can be the key to unlocking your team’s full potential! 😃 Connect with Angela!

Len Miller

Len Miller brings over 40 years of experience in Federal/DOD and commercial business development, capture management, proposal management, product support, systems/software engineering, quality assurance, and program management – while working at Siemens, CACI, EYT, DynCorp IE&T, SIMTEC, and Delex Systems. He has helped win over $45B since 1990 and has supported 17 $B+ proposals and multiple projects worth $100M+. Today Len is the Global Head of Training at Hinz Consulting and a member of the APMP NCA board. .

➡️ What will Len be talking about? Remember, You Chose This Career: Find out how you can leverage your career from wherever you are now into the many paths that are available. Learn how to apply a series of planning tools to help guide your future career path choices. 😃 Connect with Len!

Rebecca Link

Rebecca is a proposal-veteran and AI explorer who has committed over a decade to industry growth and improvement. She has held the titles of Proposal Writer, Manager, Director, and Orals Coach, and has deep connections in the proposal and generative AI industries which allows her to guide her clients to choosing the best tools and relationships to meet their needs. She is APMP Practitioner certified and holds a master’s in public administration. In her spare time, she can be found in the garden or with her nose in a book.

➡️ What will Rebecca be talking about? DEATH TO THE DEBRIEF! Re-thinking Proposal Post-Mortems: Let’s reimagine this proposal activity and put things in place to improve quality and ensure ACTIONABLE outcomes! 😃 Connect with Rebecca!

Jennifer Cassaday

Jennifer is the Proposal Team Lead for The Building People. She holds Foundation level certification from APMP along with the Bid and Proposal Writing Micro-Certification. Jennifer holds a Masters degree in Organizational Leadership and Bachelors degree in Business Administration from Medaille College. She has more than 20 years of proposal experience with nearly 15 of those in proposal management. She has held a variety of positions throughout her career, which include being a proposal department of 1 and her current role where she leads a team of proposal managers. Many of those years she worked with architects, engineers, and contractors who did work with federal, state, and local governments, as well as commercial clients.

➡️ What will Jennifer be talking about? So, You want to be a Proposal Manager… Practical insights and actionable advice to help you embark on or enhance your journey as proposal manager. 😃 Connect with Jennifer!

Sara Levene

Sara is a proposal manager at DMI (Digital Management, LLC), where she currently manages multiple strategic bids. Sara is very passionate about mentorship and professional growth, she brings this enthusiasm for supporting others on their professional journeys to her role as the Mentor-Protege Program Chair for the APMP-National Capital Area (NCA) Chapter. She holds a Master of Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. When she’s not heads down on a proposal, you can find her spending time with friends, family, and her beloved dog Gurgi, making the most of life’s little moments.
 
➡️ What will Sara be talking about? Cultivating Growth: Five Lessons Learned from Working at a Company that Prioritizes Learning – actionable insights to foster a dynamic, growth-centric culture with the tools to implement these strategies effectively for success in today’s competitive landscape. 😃 Connect with Sara!
Laurie Walther
Laurie is a CF Certified Proposal Coordinator at CACI currently transitioning to Proposal Management. Before becoming a Proposal Coordinator four years ago, she was a High School Biology teacher. She still considers herself new to proposals, but she has a LOT (20+ years) of experience at starting over every 3-4 years thanks to being a military spouse. “Starting over doesn’t get easier, but it does teach you how to take all the random knowledge you have learned along the way and use it to help you be successful in whatever the next set of circumstances brings.”
➡️ What will Laurie be talking about? Fail is not a 4 Letter Word- Growth Mindset for Proposal Professionals: how using a growth mindset in the proposal industry, from seasoned capture managers to brand new writers, can create a supportive environment that is less stressful for those already working in the industry and more attractive for those interested in joining the industry. 😃 Connect with Laurie!

Beth Strum 

Beth has over 25 years of experience as a Business Developer, Capture Manager, Proposal Manager, Systems Engineer, and SETA Contractor. Beth is currently the Director of Business Development for Compass, Inc, a small business located in VA that provides Advisory and Assistance Services (A&AS), and System Engineering and Integration (SE&I) to our government and business partner customers. Ms. Strum has previously presented at the APMP NCA MAC Conference and testified in front of the House Small Business Committee on Category Management. Beth holds a BS and an MS in Electrical Engineering and an MBA. In addition she is an APMP practitioner.

➡️ What will Beth be talking about? Protest Basics for Federal Contractors from a Business Development Point of View: By the end of the presentation, you will be able to define the types of protests, where to protest, and how to react when an award you have won is protested and what steps you need to take to protect their win. 😃 Connect with Beth!

Ezinne Amaonwu

Ezinne is a creative and adaptable proposal professional with 15+ years of progressive experience developing and managing multimillion dollar proposals, winning multiple IT Services contracts with Federal and State customers. She works directly with C-Suite executives to integrate proposal strategy with company goals and targets. She effectively manages proposal teams of diverse levels of seniority and experience, collaborating with subject matter experts to develop clear, coherent, compelling, and compliant content. She is a certified APMP® Bid and Proposal Management Practitioner and a certified Project Management Professional.

➡️ What will Ezinne be talking about? Connecting with your SMEs: In an ideal world, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) are always willing and available to support proposal development and they know exactly what to do. The reality is very different, and this presentation offers different strategies for connecting with your SMEs to get good proposal support every time you ask. Connect with Ezinne!

More Speakers coming soon! Including Lisa Shea-Mundt and Fellows Eric Gregory, Bob Lohfeld, Brenda Crist, Jessica Morgenstern, Betsy Blakney!

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➡️ Sponsors, please contact Morgan at morgan@apmpnca.org.

➡️ Group discounts, please contact Allie Murray at allie@apmpnca.org.

➡️ General questions, please contact Kevin Switaj at kevin@apmpnca.org.

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