The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Healthcare Leadership Talent Institute has awarded a three-year contract to Aptive to support the Virtual Aspiring Supervisors Program (vASP). vASP is a department-wide leadership development program established to enhance the leadership skills of highly motivated VA employees and prepare them for leadership roles within VA. vASP is an all-virtual, competency-driven leadership development program targeting high-performing, high-potential employees.
Aptive will support vASP by providing faculty members and support staff who schedule, develop, host and facilitate exercises and weekly discussions with 400 to 600 participants annually. Our team will also provide logistics and communications support to include all aspects of pre-course management, 12 weeks of coursework and post-course management.
“This is one of VA’s premier leadership training programs that supports lifelong learners in achieving their educational and professional aspirations,” said Dennis Eger, Aptive’s Director of Human Capital and Training, and a Veteran of the U.S. Army. “We’re excited to support VA employees as they expand their leadership skills and qualities to continue serving the Department.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of high-quality and accessible virtual learning. The virtual nature of vASP allows employees at sites across the country to participate in the leadership development program regardless of location.
Susan Hayashi, Ph.D., is a strategic leader with a proven track record in advancing complex health initiatives within the Civilian Health account at Aptive. With over 25 years of experience, she excels in health integration, program evaluation and implementation to tackle pressing health care challenges. Dr. Hayashi articulates a compelling vision for Aptive’s services, fostering collaboration with health-focused agencies to enhance public health outcomes. Her data-driven approach not only informs decision-making for federal and state agencies but also empowers health professionals to deliver impactful results that improve lives. Skilled in account management and growth, Dr. Hayashi has successfully developed go-to-market strategies and enhanced multi-million-dollar pipelines, significantly boosting her company’s annual revenue.
In previous roles, Dr. Hayashi has supported federal entities such as the Administration for Children and Families, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, National Institutes of Health and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. She has directed projects in research and evaluation, medical education, health communication, behavioral health/primary care integration, maternal and child health, health equity and chronic health conditions.
Megan Grobert is a strategic leader with extensive experience in business development and service delivery within the federal health sector. Megan manages Aptive’s portfolio of work in the Civilian Health account, driving new business growth, leading partnering strategy and engagement and ensuring projects meet client needs and expectations.
Megan has proven experience in improving client programs and strengthening client relationships. Before joining Aptive, she served as Vice President at Ipsos Public Affairs, where she managed a $70M public sector patient experience contract and led a $50M health portfolio, driving business development initiatives and managing a cross-functional team of over 100 professionals. Her previous experience also includes executing a quality assurance and patient experience program for a large dialysis and chronic kidney disease organization, designing patient-centric quality improvement plans and co-leading telehealth service implementation in response to COVID-19.
Megan is committed to supporting her colleagues, mentoring delivery staff and contributing to fostering a learning culture across the company. She is passionate about patient experience and has spoken at numerous conferences on improving health care outcomes. Megan has also contributed to various publications regarding patient care and patient experience.
Tine Reese is a mission-driven leader with over 20 years of experience in design, research and technology. She leads Aptive’s customer experience and user experience (CX/UX) strategy development and execution to help government organizations deliver seamless, effective services that improve the lives of the people they serve. She collaborates with cross-functional teams to drive innovation, optimize service delivery and meet customers’ needs through human-centered design.
Tine has many years of proven experience coaching and mentoring, cultivating high-impact teams and fostering professional development within organizations. She is a trusted CX/UX leader who has supported efforts at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as numerous private-sector clients in health care, utilities, universities and nonprofits. Tine most recently worked as a managing principal researcher and strategist at Ad Hoc where she led a portfolio research team for VA’s Veteran Experience Services.
Tine has facilitated numerous workshops and trainings throughout her career, sharing her expertise in user experience research, product and service design and strategic consulting. A life-long learner, she is committed to her professional development and actively pursues certifications and training in leadership, management and human-centered design.
Certificate in Professional Coaching, New York University, expected completion, 2025
Google Project Management
Coaching Skills for Managers Specialization, University of California – Davis
Design Thinking and Rapid Experimentation for Practical Innovation, Stanford University
Leading for Creativity, IDEO
HmntyCntrd Masterclass
B.A., Communication Arts and Design, Virginia Commonwealth University
Sarah drives the full lifecycle of business development activities for Aptive’s Department of Veterans Affairs account, leading growth activities while cultivating new client and partner relationships. With over 20 years of experience in health care consulting, performance optimization and portfolio management, her expertise in agency acquisition practices and the competitive landscape are instrumental in driving business across the federal health domain. Sarah is passionate about supporting her client’s missions and works collaboratively across the organization, empowering her team to reach their full potential.
Sarah joins Aptive from the global market research company, Ipsos, where she served as the Federal Services Practice Lead for the last seven years. In this role, she revitalized a public sector portfolio, boosting profitability and leading double-digit growth year over year. Sarah has also held past positions with Atlas Research and Booz Allen, supporting the Veterans Health Administration and Defense Health Agency as well as private sector health care systems using her expertise in operations, change management, strategic communications, business intelligence and program evaluation.
Karen is a distinguished leader with a strategic mindset who brings a wealth of expertise from her years in the events industry. She plays a pivotal role in establishing and enhancing Aptive’s events capability through training, knowledge management, adaptation of new technologies and refining best practices. Karen takes a collaborative approach to cultivating efficient and effective teamwork. Her commitment to fostering trusted partnerships extends beyond her dedication to client service, driving her curiosity for innovation and new ideas.
Prior to Aptive, Karen oversaw the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s flagship public-facing events, leading cross-functional teams and managing event budgets exceeding $1 million. She spearheaded the Chamber’s transition from in-person to virtual events during the pandemic, producing a range of revenue-driving digital experiences, from the first episodic series attracting 18,000 registrants a week after the shutdown to regular broadcast productions to the Chamber’s first immersive digital event experience. Karen managed a diverse portfolio of over 600 annual events for the Council on Foreign Relations, including high-profile gatherings hosting distinguished speakers, including Hillary Clinton, George W. Bush, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and David Petraeus. Karen remains actively engaged as a Professional Convention Management Association and Society of Government Meeting Professionals member.
Kelly Smith is an action-oriented leader with over 16 years of experience managing, organizing and executing project and program requirements within various industries, focusing on organic growth, data quality and governance and risk management. At Aptive, Kelly will oversee a portfolio of programs with the aim of enhancing customer relationships and expanding the responsibilities of her teams through innovative opportunities. She will use her insight and knowledge to assist in capture requirements to solicit and bid on new opportunities for Aptive. As a trusted advisor, she fosters trusting and transparent relationships with her team and potential clients, using keen interpersonal skills to understand priorities and pain points that inform and shape business development efforts.
Kelly has supported several large and small-scale information technology projects, providing oversight and guidance to interdependent teams to enhance performance and achieve desired outcomes. She has worked with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for many years and most recently served as a program director for Tria Federal, where she supported the VA Product Line Director in the Office of Information and Technology. In previous roles, Kelly was responsible for organic growth, cost management, knowledge sharing and adhering to the full systems development life cycle, often drawing on agile and lean practices to improve organizational effectiveness and quickly adapt to evolving client needs.
Meredith Singh is a change management consultant with over 16 years of experience providing program oversight, educational product development and health care quality data reporting and analysis to federal and non-profit clients. She leads a team of high-performing professionals to support the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Office of Healthcare Transformation to develop and sustain VHA’s High Reliability Organization enterprise-wide implementation plan. Meredith also leads Aptive’s efforts to support the VA Caregiver Support Program, which offers clinical services to caregivers of eligible and covered Veterans enrolled in the VA health care system.
Meredith has served several federal and non-profit clients, including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Her knowledge of VHA culture and organizational structures enables her to accelerate cultural adoption across targeted stakeholder groups.
She delivers high-quality, timely work products and services within budgets ranging from $25K to $75M and is proficient in managing resources and staff. Meredith has led large numbers of staff across four different modernization efforts, including four partner companies to manage VHA’s Journey to High Reliability, VA Survey of Healthcare Experiences of Patients and Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs.
MBA, George Mason University
B.A., St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Certified Professional, Patient Safety
Certified Change Management Practitioner, Prosci (CCMP)
Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
Certified Project Management Professional
Ashley Graham brings over 16 years of comprehensive experience to her role, from business development and strategic planning to communications and public policy. In her current role at Aptive, Ashley manages and oversees a diverse portfolio of projects, ensuring seamless client delivery.
Ashley has a strong program and project management background and most recently served as a program/senior manager, administering the organization’s blanket purchase agreement with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. She takes a client-focused approach, working with each to define requirements and successfully deliver products that exceed expectations. Ashley has spearheaded numerous pivotal initiatives across various industry sectors, demonstrating her commitment to excellence by producing tangible results.
Ashley has a history of research analysis, strategic planning, training and cross-cultural business relations with a hyper-focus on project management. She has supported several federal clients, including, U.S. Forest Service, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Agriculture and Department of Interior.
Meghan Dunn brings a strategic mindset and a passion for driving results through innovative media campaigns. With over 14 years of experience, she possesses a deep understanding of the ever-evolving media landscape, from traditional channels to the latest digital platforms including digital programmatic, paid search, paid social, digital video/audio and connected TV. Part artist and part scientist, her expertise lies in leveraging research and data to build and execute campaigns, consistently exceeding client goals and maximizing ROI.
Meghan has supported paid media efforts across various federal agencies including, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Transportation, Library of Congress, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Education and Small Business Administration. Prior to working with federal agencies, Meghan worked in corporate marketing, leading digital marketing campaigns, social media and content marketing efforts. She also worked for Comcast SportsNet Bay Area (now NBC Sports Bay Area), where she developed experiential social media campaigns to give out Oakland A’s tickets.
Corey Smith is a Pharmacy Program expert with over fifteen years of experience planning, developing, overseeing, strategizing, implementing and sustaining enterprise-wide pharmacy programs.
As a skilled relationship-builder, Corey works closely with diverse stakeholders to assess needs, identify challenges, and successfully deliver on organizational missions and objectives by developing unique programs, utilizing theories in education and facilitating significant professional development to impact learning and achievement.
Corey’s expertise includes developing and implementing change management strategies that communicate impacts, mitigate risks and spearhead integration, transformation and automation initiatives within financial, vendor management, procurement and pharmacy in retail and hospitals.
Michelle Hungerford has over 15 years of experience partnering with front-line staff and physician leaders, executives and various departments across health care systems to manage and drive improvements in patient safety, quality of care and experience. Her proven analytic, evaluative and problem-solving abilities, with her interpersonal, communication and leadership skills, enable her to interact effectively, effect change and ensure a collaborative environment to successfully address opportunities for improvement. As a Specialist at Aptive, Michelle applies her skills to support Aptive’s Veteran Health clients, focusing on improving systems, outcomes and access to care.
As an accomplished healthcare quality and project management professional, Michelle brings a wealth of knowledge in patient safety, quality, High Reliability Organization principles, survey readiness, performance measurement, quality reporting and process improvement. She has supported several electronic health record implementations and upgrades, using her background as a data analyst and quality reporting subject matter expert. In previous roles, Michelle supported efforts with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and The Joint Commission. She now uses her expertise to help the Veterans Health Administration tackle challenges such as employee burnout, improving a culture of safety and becoming a high-reliability organization.
Brian is a dedicated manager with over 20 years of experience leading health care projects in commercial, Federal and international enterprise environments. He is a critical thinker skilled in developing and managing multi-sector/multi-disciplinary collaboration while driving successful outcomes. At Aptive, he heads the Council Management Team within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) program. Brian’s primary focus is to lead and strengthen the incredible analyst team that drives Aptive’s successful project delivery and to foster a positive and productive relationship with clients.
Brian has a background in hospital pharmacy operations, medical device installation, IT security and revenue cycle management. He has led dozens of multi-million-dollar projects for civilian hospital systems across the U.S., including HCA Health Care, Trinity Health, Kaiser Permanente and Johns Hopkins. His federal experience includes implementing a Federal Project Management Office for Becton Dickinson, helming successful global projects for the U.S. Air Force and driving IT security upgrades for VA, Indian Health Service and Department of Prisons. He has been on the EHRM project since 2019 and is committed to helping his fellow Veterans discover a more uniform, integrated and effective VA.
Tammy Czarnecki is a registered nurse and former Veterans Health Administration (VHA) executive with over 30 years of experience working for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). At Aptive, Tammy leads and develops the organization’s health-related capability areas and fosters innovation across programs. She also spearheads initiatives that advance Aptive’s mission as a leader in health solutions for federal agencies.
Tammy started at VA as a bedside nurse in the Pittsburgh Medical Center and spent the last seven years of her career as Deputy Assistant Under Secretary for Field Operations before retiring in 2023. In this role, Tammy served as the principal advisor to the Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Operations, directing the day-to-day operations of all 18 Veterans Integrated Service Networks, Member Services, VHA Police, Office of Diversity and Civic Engagement and the Office of Emergency Management.
As the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Administrative Operations, Tammy managed 10 national program offices, including Occupational Safety and Health, Procurement and Logistics, Emergency Management, Healthcare Technology and Member Services.
Tammy also worked in Clinical Operations, leading the integration and execution of clinical services throughout VHA, and served as the Director of Performance Management for the Office of Quality and Performance, developing national performance measures for VA’s health care system.
M.S., Organizational Leadership, Geneva College
M.S., Nursing Administration, University of Pittsburgh
B.S., Nursing, University of Pittsburgh
Diploma, Nursing, West Penn School of Nursing
Registered Nurse
Member, American College of Healthcare Executives
2022 Presidential Distinguished Rank Award recipient
Taylor Wood is an experienced communication and change management strategist dedicated to building and leading proactive teams that go above and beyond for her clients. She oversees a portfolio of communication and marketing teams across several government agencies, including the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Office of Personnel Management. In this role, Taylor focuses on growing and expanding Human Experience’s event management capability and enhancing Aptive’s recruitment marketing services through the implementation of technical solutions.
Throughout her career, she has focused on learning various leadership styles and techniques to help others achieve success. Taylor is passionate about training others to lead with empathy and foster positive working relationships, enabling teams to provide exceptional service to clients. In previous roles, Taylor has led numerous communication teams and enterprise-wide transformation initiatives for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Department of the Navy, VA, United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Energy.
Secret Security Clearance
Certified Project Management Professional (PMP)
Certified Change Management Practitioner, Prosci
M.A., Strategic Communications, American University
B.A., Communication Studies, West Virginia University
Emily is an experienced leader in contingent workforce solutions with robust skills in management, operations and leadership. She leads a nationwide staffing initiative for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) where she oversees a program management office and is responsible for organizing, directing and managing all aspects of contract operations. She also designs and implements innovative approaches to manage the 40+ partners, staffing agencies, clinical associations, credential verification organizations and universities that support the VHA initiative.
With a wealth of expertise spanning more than a decade, she has honed her abilities across several sectors. She has overseen portfolios of strategic workforce solutions clients for national hospitals and health systems made up of 150 hospital facilities. She leads cross-functional teams of client-facing individuals to provide exceptional service delivery to clients and collaborates across service lines to provide optimized workforce solutions.
In prior roles, Emily led Managed Service Programs for major health systems with close to 75 facilities across several states. She has secured hundreds of millions of dollars in contract renewals and grown revenue portfolios by 40% and business portfolios by over 350%. Emily specializes in building strong relationships and fostering long-term partnerships, actively participating in fundamental people and process strategy improvement initiatives.
B.A., International Business, Minor, Spanish, University of Central Florida
Founding Board Member, One Hope United
Rahman Dewani, Former Aptive Intern | LinkedIn
Start Date: September 2023-December 2023
Rahman is a dual-degree graduate student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, pursuing a Master of Science in Health Administration and Master of Business Administration. During his time at Aptive, Rahman worked on internal communications for the EHRM team supporting the Veterans Health Administration.
“This internship has provided an environment for me to gain crucial experience and has helped me grow tremendously. I have not only grown in developing myself professionally, but also as a person.”
In his role, Rahman worked on developing standard operating procedures along with leading key meetings focused on the advancement of the project goal. He also led efforts to support all staff that needed to travel by developing various communication materials.
“This opportunity allowed me to gain further experience on the life of a consultant by having a variety of different exposure points. The culture at Aptive promoted a continuous learning environment which has allowed me to build my network.”
Aja Curry, Former Aptive Intern | LinkedIn
Start Date: January 2023-January 2024
“Throughout my internship, I gained valuable experience in the professional working environment, where I not only learned accounting, but also gained appreciation for Aptive’s company culture and its emphasis on learning and performance. This experience was particularly exceptional because it allowed me to expand my knowledge beyond the gates of college major, transforming me into a versatile student. I am delighted that Aptive has expanded my knowledge beyond the classroom and further encourage my growth as a student.”
Dr. Tara Fannon is a human-centered design researcher and educator with 13 years of experience developing and leading high-impact projects in the U.S. and abroad. Her work in education, non-profit, government and corporate sectors has led to actionable changes in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion; disability accessibility; mental health care access; workplace equity; and environmental sustainability. Throughout her career, Dr. Fannon has published widely and earned grants, fellowships and awards for her research and writing capabilities, including Excellence in Leadership as a market research team leader. Her love of teaching and learning is complemented by a love for mentorship and seeing team members flourish. At Aptive, Dr. Fannon leverages these passions along with intellectual curiosity and creativity, and an ability to build relationships to lead and support the research team and serve clients. Her skills, passions and exposure to different markets enable her to work collaboratively across diverse needs and interests to deliver teams and clients compelling data-driven insights and recommendations.
PhD, Sociology, National University Ireland, Galway
M.A., Sociology of Health and Medicine, University College Dublin, Ireland
B.A. Honors, Sociology, University College Dublin, Ireland
Anusha Sivendra, MHA, Current Aptive Employee and Former Resident | LinkedIn
Resident Start Date: October 2022-September 2023
Anusha is currently pursuing her master’s in health administration from George Washington University. She started interning for Aptive in October of 2022, gaining a vast knowledge of the industry and experience working with government clients.
Throughout her undergraduate and graduate degree studies, Anusha has worked in roles centered around public health and health care administration, enhancing her skills in data analytics, project management and working with teams.
“During my time at Aptive, I worked on the HRO Contract as part of the communications, HABIT, and Maturity Matrix team. I am now transitioning into a role as a Resident for the summer where I hope to continue work on these projects and pursue projects with the Aptive DEI team.”
Anjali Mulloor, MHA, Former Aptive Intern | LinkedIn
Start Date: March 2022-May 2022
Anjali graduated with her master’s in health administration from George Washington University in 2023. During her time with Aptive, Anjali mainly supported the communications team within the broader, National Standards of Practice team in supporting the Veterans Health Administration’s Office of Regulations, Appeals and Policy.
In her role, Anjali worked on planning and leading retrospective meetings focused on team reflection and goal setting to drafting documents such as various communication materials and standard operating procedures.
“This internship exposed me to the federal consulting space and has helped me cultivate valuable teamwork and communication skills that I will carry with me to future roles.”
Zoe Corcoran, Aptive Intern | LinkedIn
Start Date: June 2023
Zoe is a graduate student at the University of Florida pursuing a Master of Science in information systems and operations management. Currently, her role’s largest responsibility is helping to manage SharePoint sites, including building document libraries, managing permissions and increasing usability.
“Interning at Aptive has been a wonderful and enriching experience. I am surrounded by intelligent, hardworking and supportive peers who have created a comfortable space for me to grow professionally. Coming into headquarters has added to my internship experience and is something I look forward to every day. One of the highlights of this internship has been my opportunity to collaborate and work with people I truly admire. I’ve learned so much about the VA, healthcare, and life as a consultant (especially the need to adapt, as projects frequently change direction). I look forward to the rest of my internship and my time here at the company!”
Her role has given her “the freedom and opportunity to take on a diverse array of responsibilities, working on projects from communications, IT and tooling, process improvement and more.” Zoe enjoyed the learning and development courses Aptive offered, such as Consulting Foundations, but also gained valuable experience working on real projects. “My supervisor has done an incredible job by allowing me to shadow others and has given me opportunities to expand my skills beyond the classroom and use them in a professional setting.”
Zoe chose to pursue a career in consulting because she enjoys its fast pace and the dynamic environment of constantly solving new challenges. “With every project, I get the opportunity to expand my network, work alongside incredible people, accumulate skills and expand my professional portfolio.” She was drawn to consulting because there is a lot of variety in the work available, which is extremely important to Zoe’s career. Post-graduation, she hopes to continue in a consulting role and become a full-time Aptivator!
Brian LoVecchio is a business strategist and operations leader with over 20 years of experience leading large-scale transformation programs with federal government clients and global Fortune 500 companies. At Aptive, he oversees the Health Care Technology portfolio with a focus on digital health opportunities and electronic health record modernization. Brian’s focus is on ensuring successful project delivery, maintaining contractual compliance and promoting growth within his team. Drawing on his extensive consulting background, Brian leads business development activities that expand Aptive’s portfolio with new clients.
Brian’s experience spans a range of areas, including digital product development and management, merger integration, strategy development and implementation and business process redesign. His expertise in management, business strategy, financial advisory and data governance models has contributed to national digital product launches for large commercial companies, provided operations and restructuring guidance for multiple large federal agencies and program offices, and managed the implementation of large-scale technology platforms for both large federal agencies and financial services companies.
Cora Markert, Former Aptive Intern | LinkedIn
Start Date: April 2022-October 2022
Cora is currently pursuing an MHA degree at The George Washington University. She hopes to one day serve as a health care leader, with a particular interest in supply chain operations. Cora holds a bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management from the University of Kansas School of Business. During her undergraduate studies, Cora completed two internships with Netsmart Technologies which provided her with great insight into the inner workings of electronic health record (EHR) technology. At that time, Cora also earned her Yellow Belt Lean Six Sigma certification.
During her time with Aptive, Cora also worked on the Veterans Health Administration Specialty Care Program Office project, developing and reviewing business plans for specialty telehealth care services for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Her primary responsibility was to act as a fresh set of eyes to capture the perspective of a non-expert, reading high-level documents to ensure language was clear, effective and understandable to the specified target audience.
“My internship experience here at Aptive has been fantastic,” said Cora. “The environment of the company culture is inclusive, enthusiastic and caring. Upon joining my team, I was welcomed with open arms and countless opportunities to learn.”
Anusha Thota, Former Aptive Intern | LinkedIn
Start Date: April 2022
Anusha Thota is a second-year Master of Health Administration (MHA) student at The George Washington University. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology with a minor in Biomedical Anthropology at the University of South Florida. After graduation, she worked as a medical scribe at an orthopedic clinic in Clearwater, FL. Working as a scribe amid COVID-19 pandemic exposed Anusha to the challenges health care facilities endure without efficient administration and management in place, as well as the disparities and gaps surrounding delivery, quality and access to care. Anusha wanted to positively affect and learn more about the administrative field of health care, so she began to pursue her MHA degree. Upon gaining exposure and knowledge, she was drawn to the opportunities within health care consulting as the field allows her to be a problem-solver while making a positive impact within the health care sector.
During her time with Aptive, Anusha has supported the Veterans Health Administration Specialty Care Program Office project that focuses on the expansion of telehealth services for specialty care programs, the identification of sustainable funding models and the development of business plans to help expand telehealth services.
“As an intern at Aptive, I found myself surrounded by mentors who were dedicated to helping me gain a variety of skill sets to succeed in the workforce,” said Anusha. “This internship has given me the opportunity to learn more about consulting within health care than I would have gained in a classroom-only setting.”
Amelia Poling serves as the Director of People Operations at Aptive. She is responsible for leading Aptive’s overall Human Resources (HR) strategy, leadership development, cultural development, compensation and benefits, HR operations, employee relations and security. She works with corporate leaders to build and manage a people-first HR organization that reflects and supports their dynamic needs.
Amelia contributes to efforts that have resulted in: more effective and streamlined companywide talent acquisition and onboarding practices that better utilize technology; expanded hiring of Veterans; an initiative to harmonize compensation and benefit programs across the Company to promote efficient internal movement of talent; and more thoughtful, comprehensive talent development programs. One of her major contributions has been opening an important dialogue between Aptive and its employees through a comprehensive survey that engages employees at all levels and serves as the foundation for future change and progress related to people operations.
Amelia has worked with organizations such as the Department of Defense, Small Business Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs. She has 12 years of experience building close, collaborative teams through transparent communication and individual empowerment. In prior roles, Amelia oversaw the delivery of risk communications instruction to identify and address concerns, communicate sensitive issues in a public forum and help identify the best formats to share information.
Amelia works to ensure that each department embodies a culture of respect, psychological safety, accountability and engagement across Aptive teams.
U.S. Army Veteran
Certified Human Resources Professional (SHRM-CP)
Change Management Practitioner, Prosci
Josh Askarinam is a financial expert with 13 years of experience in investor relations, corporate financial strategy, accounting management, financial reporting, modeling and analysis, budgeting, business planning and process improvement.
Josh oversees Aptive’s financial strategy and serves as a financial advisor to the executive leadership team. He enhances the availability of financial data to help executives make better-informed decisions and works to ensure the company remains compliant with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, the Defense Contract Audit Agency and other accounting, auditing and financial regulations. Josh helps establish and implement financial policies, including performing risk assessments and preparing annual budgets and forecasts.
Josh helps preserve Aptive’s financial health by overseeing accounting operations, budgeting, improving financial processes and maintaining investor relations.
Licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
B.S., Accounting, University of Maryland
An agile business strategist, Dr. Opsahl leads marketing and corporate communications at Aptive. She has 18 years of experience helping federal, commercial and nonprofit organizations achieve objectives through program management, strategic communications and research services.
She is a mission-driven professional known for improving access to and quality of services, designing people-centered initiatives and developing evidence-based, creative solutions. Much of her work focuses on assisting federal health agencies with communicating important information to key stakeholders to effect change. She’s led initiatives addressing homelessness, rural health, public health, PTSD, patient safety, health systems and Veteran services.
2024 SurveyMonkey Curiosity Award Finalist
2024 GAIN Awards Finalist, GovExec
2024 IGNITE Awardee, GOVTECH CONNECTS
AcademyHealth Translation and Dissemination Institute Committee Member
2013 Presidential Awardee, American Association of Public Health Physicians
Ph.D., Educational Leadership, University of North Dakota
M.A., Communication, University of North Dakota
B.A., Communication, University of North Dakota
Kathryn (Kat) Dame oversees human resources, talent acquisition, learning and development, employee experience, internal resource management, quality and compliance to design and implement strategies that enhance the 500+ employee workforce’s capabilities, skills and performance. Kat has over 20 years of experience designing and implementing strategies to enhance employee’s experiences, capabilities, skills and performance. She is the executive sponsor to the Aptive Cares program, which focuses on employee volunteers to support community engagement and service activities that align with our corporate values.
Society for Human Resource Management, Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP)
Organizational Culture Certificate, Cornell University
MarCom Platinum Award Winner, “Print Media | Print Creativity”
The Holmes Report, Gold SABRE Award Winner, “Marketing to Youth”
B.A., Communications, Spanish, James Madison University
Ben Barker is an experienced industry leader with over 16 years of success across the federal government contracting landscape. As Chief Strategy Officer, Ben helps guide Aptive’s corporate strategy and leads Aptive’s Growth Team, providing oversight, guidance and technical direction for Client Development Leads, Capture and Proposal Managers, Solution Architects and Writers. Ben assists Aptive in expanding its footprint in the federal government while focusing on innovative customer solutions.
Ben is an accomplished executive with expertise in technical program management, solutions engineering, leadership and corporate strategy. Within these focus areas, he has led and managed initiatives for companies like GovCIO, Leidos and ManTech. Most recently, Ben was Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President of Growth & Solutions for GovCIO, resulting in private equity sale to Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe.
Certified Scrum Master
Associate Certificate in Contract Management, The George Washington University
Certified Project Management Professional (PMP)
2024 FORUM IT100 Award Winner
Seth Niman leads Aptive’s media team, delivering marketing solutions and strategies to our federal and commercial clients. Seth and his team have extensive expertise in planning, negotiating and optimizing advertising campaigns designed to achieve their customers’ goals with specific, measurable results.
Seth applies a holistic approach to planning and buying across the media landscape, including digital programmatic, paid search, paid social, digital video/audio, connected television, out of home, print, television and radio. He utilizes a research-oriented process to develop the ideal media and advertising strategy, selecting the channels that align with the client’s overarching strategy and advancing their marketing objectives.
With more than 20 years of experience as an advertising, media and marketing professional, Seth has supported the branding, recruitment and product marketing efforts for Fannie Mae, McDonald’s, Cava, the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Homeland Security.
B.A., English, University of Virginia
Kaveh is a creative visual storyteller with extensive video production experience, both in studios and on location. His role is to direct, manage and oversee video production and visual storytelling strategy at Aptive and to help enhance and elevate visual direction for creative campaigns nationwide. Over the past 15 years, Kaveh has been a part of teams and organizations that tell effective stories, conceptualizing creative ideas while thinking outside the box to showcase the most innovative stories, brands and campaigns. At Voice of America, he co-created the ‘People in America’ series, which became one of the most popular and widely watched visual series for TV and online platforms. At USA TODAY, Kaveh helped build and create the foundation for digital video franchise storytelling. At Moko Social Media, he helped build the video department from the ground up and created visual franchise series for all of its verticals.
Kaveh’s core passion is to create a safe, collaborative space for storytellers and creatives that helps foster vision, inspiration and creativity. “As creatives, we do our best work when we come together and that’s exactly what we’re building at Aptive and what sets us apart.”
Award Winner, Platinum and Gold Hermes Creative Awards
Award Winner, Platinum and Gold MarCom Awards
Expertise in Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, 508 Compliance
M.A., Film and Video, American University
B.S., Finance, George Mason University
Taylor Grant is a creative leader and experienced designer who applies human-centered design to produce innovative and impactful visual communication materials. Through strategic oversight, she ensures the creative team develops engaging brands and campaigns that achieve client goals while informing, inspiring and encouraging action. She creates thoughtful brand identities, paid media, social, events, out-of-home advertising, websites and outside-the-box creative executions that connect with target audiences and leave a lasting impression.
Taylor has more than 12 years of experience in visual communications and her eye for design and prior work with federal agencies provides Taylor with the ability to lead, support and serve Aptive’s creative team.
Telly Award Winner for Art Direction in Social Impact
M.S., Communications Design, Pratt Institute
B.A., Psychology, Dartmouth College
Emily Howell is a research-driven communications strategist and business development specialist with a decade of experience leading multimillion-dollar campaigns for federal clients. Emily uses her background in service delivery for agencies such as the Departments of Transportation and Veterans Affairs, National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to identify client pain points and develop high-quality, innovative solutions. She has overseen the capture, bid and execution of hundreds of millions of dollars of communications and marketing projects throughout the federal government. She excels at building relationships with partners and clients and developing teams that drive results.
Certified Project Management Professional (PMP)
George Washington University’s Milken Institute of Public Health 950 Award Winner
MPH, George Washington University
B.A., University of Michigan
Chris Hysick is a proven digital and information technology (IT) expert with over 30 years of experience in the industry. Chris leads a comprehensive IT team in delivering innovative, secure solutions to Aptive and its project teams, in addition to maintaining corporate certifications to remain compliant and certified to work. One of his specialties is collaborating with executive leadership and communicating their IT business concerns and objectives throughout all levels of the organization, delivering accurate and suitable information for every employee.
Chris leads the efforts for Aptive to become certified and maintain certifications in CMMC 2.0, ISO/IEC 2000-1:2018 and ISO/IEC 27001:2013. He is largely focused on assisting Aptive’s Digital Transformation services area, working closely with leaders to reduce overhead and help pinpoint valuable areas in a path forward.
Prior to working for Aptive, Chris worked in an IT support role at a company where 15 years later he became a part owner. He then moved to a role that involved overseeing a team of up to 13 people, managing technology infrastructure and operating co-located data center operations. Chris joined Aptive in 2020 and led an effort using gap analysis to understand the company’s IT deficiencies. As a result, he implemented one of the company’s first major project improvement software systems, which Aptive still uses today.
Rachele Cooper founded Aptive with a goal of leveraging technology and communications to improve organizational performance and support our nation’s Veterans.
With this mission in mind and using skills acquired over an eclectic career — serving in the military, working as an engineer at the Naval Research Lab and leading national marketing and communications campaigns — Rachele and her team offer Aptive’s clients fresh perspectives, unique insights and committed partnership.
She’s led complex, high-profile engagements spanning health promotion and disease prevention, strategic communications, technology transformations and organizational change management. Since forming Aptive her work has impacted health care modernization, the opioid epidemic, Veteran homelessness, suicide prevention, access to care, health technology and national defense. Rachele is a member of the Elev8 Advisory Council.
U.S. Navy Veteran
2024 CEO of the Year (Mid-size Business), Washington Exec
2023 Entrepreneur of the Year, Mid-Atlantic Region, Ernst & Young
2023 CEO of the Year (Small Business), Washington Exec
2022 FedHealthIT 100 Awardee
2020 Leading for Impact, Women in Leadership honoree
2020 Dream Big Veteran-Owned Business Achievement Award – U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Change Management Practitioner, Prosci
M.A., New York University
B.S., Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan
Finding and telling the remarkable stories of Veterans and their caregivers. Bringing them to life through their work as writers, photographers and videographers. Meet the team whose purpose is to share the journeys of those who served.
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