Government Technology & Services Coalition Celebrates First Year with Former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff & Releases Inaugural Annual Report

Washington, DC, July 26, 2012 --(PR.com)-- The Government Technology & Services Coalition (GTSC), the premier organization for small and mid-sized companies in homeland and national security today released its Inaugural Annual Report. The group celebrated their meteoric rise to over 90 member companies at their anniversary celebration with special guest former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff. GTSC was founded by CEOs from small and mid-sized companies who wanted an organization focused on their needs in Federal homeland and national security market.

“The concept of the Coalition is different – I was immediately drawn to its mission to develop a community of small and mid-sized companies that serve these missions. We must fight to assure that the innovation and creativity of small and mid-sized entrepreneurs is not lost because of careless Federal or Congressional action,” said Co-Chair of the Coalition’s Steering Committee Chris Gorman, managing director of The Efiia Group, “and we must assure that the missions of these agencies do not suffer because of the budget cuts.” Since its inception in June of 2012, the Coalition has grown to over ninety founding members and seven founding mentor companies.

“When first approached to start GTSC I saw an un-served community – one that adds tremendous value to the mission, execution and thought leadership for agencies with a homeland or national security role, yet no organization represented their unique contributions,” said founder and CEO Kristina Tanasichuk. “I think our growth in the last year indicates that many agree and want to change that.”

The group released its Inaugural Annual Report chronicling over 35 meetings and events designed to increase information exchange between the public sector and small business and to prepare member CEOs for the unique challenges in government contracting faced by those working in homeland and national security. “It has been a privilege to have had the opportunity over the past year to work with such a dynamic group of innovative professionals whose primary mission is to provide support to, and management solutions for, our Nation's security. I am especially honored to have the opportunity to represent the GTSC as a strategic advisor. The GTSC provides one-of-a-kind service to its members and it most certainly has lived up to, in fact exceeded, its pledge to do whatever it takes to support its members interests in the federal security market through advocacy, capacity building, partnership opportunities, and marketing," said Richard Skinner, CEO of Richard Skinner Consulting and former Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

GTSC also identified seven founding mentors – large integrators committed to bringing the innovation, ideas and agility of small business to the experience, infrastructure and resources of large companies. The Battelle Memorial Institute, Engility, Harris, L3 Security & Detection Systems, L3 STRATIS, SAIC and TASC were all founding mentors to the Coalition.

“Harris is very committed to the small business community and was eager to support the GTSC’s mission to ‘mentor’ small and mid-sized firms, find new and innovative teaming partners and address challenges in the prime/subcontractor relationship in a positive environment,” said Anne Petera, DHS Client Executive for Harris’ homeland security business, and former DHS Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs, “I think I speak on behalf of all the mentors to GTSC when I say that we recognize that the best security solutions for the challenges posed by terrorism, natural disasters and criminal activity are derived from our market’s ability to collaborate, and that GTSC makes this possible by promoting team work among all of its members.”

GTSC works with on behalf of its members with the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security, Defense, State, Justice and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. For more information on the Government Technology & Services Coalition or to view their Inaugural Annual report, please visit www.GTSCoalition.com.

The Government Technology & Services Coalition is a non-profit, non-partisan association of innovative, agile small and mid-sized company CEOs that create, develop and implement solutions and products in the Federal national and homeland security market. Our mission is to provide exceptional advocacy, capacity building, partnership opportunities and marketing in the Federal homeland and national security markets.