The Center for Veterans Enterprise Web Portal
Mr. Foreman was selected as the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) Executive Director for Small & Veteran Business Programs. He is responsible for setting the overall small business policies, objectives and strategies designed to enhance small & veteran business prime and subcontracting opportunities within the DVA.
Prior to his appointment at the DVA, Mr. Foreman was the Navy's Director for Small Business Programs. In that capacity, Mr. Foreman reported directly to the Secretary of the Navy. Additionally Mr. Foreman has extensive experience in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Office of Small Business Programs, to include leading many Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and Defense FAR Supplement (DFARS) cases to implement statutory and regulatory change to small business prime and subcontracting programs. He also acted as the office lead for legislative initiatives, GAO and DoD IG cases involving various small business issues.
Mr. Foreman is a past President of the Washington DC Chapter of the National Contract Management Association (NCMA). NCMA is a professional organization designed to bring together government contracting and contractor personnel to discuss current and proposed legislative and regulatory issues. NCMA provides a forum for government and contractors to openly discuss how legislative and regulatory issuances affect each party.
Mr. Foreman is a recipient of the “ 2004 Patriot Administrator Award” by the Association of Service Disabled Veterans on April 7, 2005 in a Capitol Hill Ceremony. He is a graduate of the Brookings Institution's LEGIS FELLOW PROGRAM” program, the Federal Executive Institute (FEI) “Leadership for a Democratic Society Program” and the prestigious “Senior Officials National Security (SONS)” program from Harvard University. Mr. Foreman has worked for the Senate Committee on Small Business as the Committee's Senior Procurement Advisor. He worked closely with Committee members and their staffs to develop small business procurement issues. Specially, Mr. Foremen drafted the Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) and the Anti-Bundling legislation which can be found in Public Law 105-135.
Mr. Foreman served as a senior price analyst in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He also served on the Defense Acquisition Regulation Contract Cost Principles Committee. His responsibilities included policy development in the cost principles area, as well as special studies and other accounting issues.
Mr. Foreman holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Masters in Business Administration degree from the University of Dayton and a Masters of Accounting degree from American University in Washington, DC. He also successfully completed the “Contemporary Executive Development” program, George Washington University.
Ms. Wegner co-founded Center for Veterans Enterprise in November 2000. She is responsible for planning; legislative, regulatory and policy development; financial management; statutory compliance; risk management; quality initiatives and customer relations. Ms. Wegner also supervises the staff. She is one of several principal speakers within the organization, with a special emphasis on Federal procurement. She has more the 20 years of experience in Federal acquisition and logistics, including positions as supervisory contracting officer with senior level unlimited warrant for VA's Senior Procurement Executive; Chief of VA's Acquisition Workforce Development Office and Senior Procurement Analyst on the audit team. Ms. Wegner has also served more than 10 years in Federal Small Business Programs. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management as well as a Master of Science degree in Health Services Administration. Ms. Wegner is a Certified NxLeveL Instructor with the NxLeveL Education Foundation. In June 2007, she received her certificate in Small Business Management from George Mason's Office of Continuing Professional Education. To remain current on all procurement issues, she maintains her membership in the National Contract Management Association.
As the Chief Operating Officer, Ms. Pollard focuses on maximizing efficiency and effectiveness of operations and providing support to the staff. Often serving as the acting deputy in Ms. Wegner's absence, Ms. Pollard ensures that CVE stays on schedule and that its employees receive the resources and training necessary to better serve Veterans. Additionally, Ms. Pollard also provides Outreach and Liaison Support to other agencies, serving as a principal member on the Interagency Executive Order 13360 Work Group which organizes the National Veterans' Business Conference. Her other primary function is managing CVE's Recognition Program, a principal component of which is the annual Champions of Veterans Enterprise Awards Program. Ms. Pollard began her Federal career 15 years ago at USAID in Human Resources before coming to CVE in 2002. She has an Associates Degree in Business Management and is pursuing a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration. Additionally, Ms. Pollard is currently enrolled in the George Washington University 's Event Management Program. She is a Certified NxLeveL Instructor with the NxLeveL Education Foundation. In June 2007, Ms. Pollard received her certificate in Small Business Management from George Mason's Office of Continuing Professional Education. To remain current on all procurement issues, she maintains her membership in the National Contract Management Association.
Mr. St. John has more than 30 years of engineering and management experience, which includes the startup and turn around of early-stage and emerging companies as well as equity capital financing. He has extensive corporate experience through his former positions with Halliburton, TRW, Arco Chemical Company, Corning Glass Works, and Exxon Research and Engineering. He was also the Chief Operating Officer of INTECH Research. He is one of the principal public speakers for the organization. Mr. St. John holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. Mr. St. John is a veteran of the United States Army. He was an Honor Graduate of the U. S. Army Command and General Staff College. In addition, he also graduated from the National Defense University. Mr. St. John is a Certified NxLeveL Instructor with the NxLeveL Education Foundation. In June 2007, Mr. St. John received his certificate in Small Business Management from George Mason’s Office of Continuing Professional Education. To remain current on all procurement issues, he maintains his membership in the National Contract Management Association.
Mr. Southern's primary role is to promote contracting opportunities for Veteran-owned small businesses within the corporate business community. He is one of the principal public speakers for the organization. He manages the very successful VetFran Program with the International Franchise Association and several formal corporate partnership agreements. Mr. Southern's Federal Civil Service career started as the Information Management Specialist for Air Force Reserve programs. He later joined VA in the Office of Human Resources/Financial Management services and moved to CVE in 2002. He served 10 years on active duty in the U.S. Air Force, and then enlisted in the Air Force Reserves where he retired in 2005 with 23 years of service. Mr. Southern has a Bachelors Degree in Business Management. He has completed numerous job specific courses and is a Contractor Officer Technical Representative for the organization. In June 2007, Mr. Southern received his certificate in Small Business Management from George Mason's Office of Continuing Professional Education.
Mr. Lassiter is one of the original staff members in the CVE, reporting for duty in November 2000. He is one of the principal public speakers for the organization and is in great demand. Mr. Lassiter serves as Executive Order 13360 Compliance Officer. Previously, he worked as a Senior Small Business Specialist in VA’s Office of Small Business Programs. Mr. Lassiter knows VA well, having served in several facilities and organizations in his 23 years with the Department. His experience includes more than 13 years as a Procurement Analyst and Senior Contracting Officer with the Office of Acquisition and Logistics; and assignments in the Veterans Benefits Administration and the Veterans Canteen Service. In June 2007, Mr. Lassiter received his certificate in Small Business Management from George Mason’s Office of Continuing Professional Education. To remain current on all procurement issues, he maintains his membership in the National Contract Management Association.
Ms. Zhussanbay joined CVE in 2005 as a program specialist. Her previous employment includes working as a consultant for a large government contractor and service in the U.S. Army. While on active duty, Ms. Zhussanbay served in a variety of leadership positions and has worked both in the U.S. and overseas as a medical logistics officer prior to retiring in 2003. Ms. Zhussanbay has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from Kean College ; a Master of Arts in Health Services Management from Webster University , San Antonio , Texas ; and a Master of Science in Information Resource Management from the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton , OH . In June 2007, Ms. Zhussanbay received her certificate in Small Business Management from George Mason's Office of Continuing Professional Education. In May, 2009, Ms. Zhussanbay graduated from The Newfield Network, Inc.'s Certified Coach Training Program.
Ms. Torres performs quantitative, qualitative and legislative analysis for the organization. She develops data measurements for the CVE, the program in general and agency or corporate utilization of Veteran-owned small businesses. Ms. Torres coordinates CVE's efforts in developing State programs for Veterans in business. She is also Content Manager for the VetBiz.gov web portal. Additionally, Ms. Torres is the project lead for the VetBiz Initiative for National Sustainment, an interagency partnership to promote manufacturing and the Federal Contractor Certification program, a joint training program developed with and delivered by APTAC. She joined CVE in 2005 following a diverse career as a professional musician, corporate buyer and program manager. Ms. Torres is Veteran of the U.S. Army, serving nine years on active duty. She continues to serve as a Sergeant First Class in the 42nd Infantry Division Band of the New York Army National Guard. Ms. Torres has earned a Bachelor's degree in Horn Performance from Butler University ; a Master's degree in Music History, also from Butler ; and a Master's degree in Business Administration, with concentrations in Finance and the Management of Global Information Technology, from American University . In June 2007, Ms. Torres received her certificate in Small Business Management from George Mason's Office of Continuing Professional Education. To remain current on all procurement issues, she maintains her membership in the National Contract Management Association.
Ms. McCane is a Certified Administrative Manager with the Performance Institute. She has over 10 years experience in office management, including 8 years Federal service. She joined CVE in 2003. She initially managed CVE’s conference schedule and has since volunteered to assist with the corporate outreach program. Currently, Mrs. McCane is the Records Manager for CVE. She prepares routine correspondence and protects documents in adherence to Privacy Act guidelines and procedures. Further, she is the archivist and historian for the organization. Mrs. McCane is one of the primary business coaches for the Call Center. Prior to joining CVE, she served as a Technical Specialist (ISCO Certified) in the Messaging Technical Services call center at MCI WorldCom. Mrs. McCane is a Certified NxLeveL Instructor with the NxLeveL Education Foundation. She has earned an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Business Management from Prince George’s Community College, and is currently pursuing a Bachelors Degree in Organizational Management. In June 2007, Ms. McCane received her certificate in Small Business Management from George Mason’s Office of Continuing Professional Education. She is an entrepreneur who owns and operates a home-based beauty salon.
Kelsey J. Mortimer II serves as the Technology Officer and Corporate Affairs Specialist for VA’s Center for Veterans Enterprise. In this capacity, Mr. Mortimer provides the CVE with business needs analysis and developing IT systems to better support the Veterans and business model. The Center processes an average of 3,000 calls monthly. In addition to providing technical support and business coaching services, Mr. Mortimer also volunteered to serve as the Center’s Continuity of Operations Program Manager. A veteran of the US Navy, Mr. Mortimer was awarded a Letter of Commendation for outstanding communication support in the Persian Gulf during Operation Southern Watch in 2001. He received an honorable discharge as a Petty Officer 2nd Class in 2002. Mr. Mortimer has a Bachelors Degree in Networking and Communications Management from DeVry University. In June 2007, he received his certification in Small Business Management from George Mason's Office of Continuing Professional Education. Subsequently, he completed the USDA Graduate School Executive Leadership Program.
Mr. Morel is the principal analyst managing application traffic with the Program Manager and the Database Administrator. He works daily on sanitizing information in the database to ensure that electronic addresses are current for the businesses registered in the Vendor Information Pages database. Mr. Morel is also a principal business coach in the Call Center. He is the liaison to VA’s Office of Diversity Management, responsible for coordinating CVE’s support of the Community Prosperity Partnership programs. Additionally, he assists the Outreach team as an exhibitor and logistics specialist. Prior to joining the CVE staff in 2005, Mr. Morel served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps, which included a combat tour in Ramadi, Iraq during 2004. Mr. Morel is a Certified NxLeveL Instructor with the NxLeveL Education Foundation. In June 2007, he received his certificate in Small Business Management from George Mason’s Office of Continuing Professional Education. Mr. Morel speaks fluent Spanish and is developing CVE’s Export Services Support function.
Mr. Wilson serves as the Program Risk Manager for the Verification Program. He reviews all final Verification applications, provides the appropriate risk levels, and is proficient with Public Law 109-461. Mr. Wilson is a Richmond , Virginia native. He served with the 175 th Infantry Maryland Army National Guard while attending college. His pursuit of a degree was interrupted twice when he answered his country's call to service. Scott was activated for duty tours of 18 and 13 months in support of Operation Iraq Freedom. He graduated from University of Maryland with a Bachelor's degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice in December 2008.
Ms. Vine serves as the Application Verifier for the Verification Program. She verifies the Veteran status of the applicants, examines applications and aides in the Call Center . Sephora Vine is a native of Kansas City , Missouri . She is a Veteran of the US Army as a Nuclear Biological Chemical Specialist. Sephora was stationed in Germany and served a 15-month tour in Iraq with the 561 st Medical Co (DS). She continues to serve in the US Army Reserves in the Intelligence field. Ms. Vine has a degree in Psychology from Xavier University in New Orleans , and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology at Bowie State University .
Mr. Berrios is the Customer Relations Specialist at CVE. He helps maintain the VIP website and performs help-desk support for the site. He is also the information technology specialist for the Verification Program and is an application verifier. Mr. Berrios served four years with the United States Marine Corps as an infantryman and is a Veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He resides in Maryland and is currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science from the University of Maryland .
Ms. Ortiz came to CVE in November 2008 as a student intern. Among her responsibilities, she performs examinations for the Verification Program and is the budget officer for CVE. Prior to joining CVE, she worked as Project Director at a market research company. She also taught Business Administration courses at various universities. Ms. Ortiz has a Bachelors Degree in Business Communications, with a minor in Advertising from the Sacred Heart University . She holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Puerto Rico and is currently working on her Ph.D. in Entrepreneurial Development at the Inter American University of Puerto Rico .
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