8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Continental Breakfast and Registration

9:00 AM Opening Keynote
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What macro trends and key indicators should help shape your organization’s strategy and priorities?  
Luis Avila, Sr. Analyst, RSM
Join RSM’s government contracting senior analyst, Luis Avila, for a discussion about the state of the government contracting ecosystem. Luis will discuss current and key themes in defense technology, space and government services gleaned from current events, industry executives, executive orders, recent legislation, and macroeconomic trends. Topics will range from innovative technologies to labor, inflation and cost of capital, international demand, M&A, and everything in between.

10:00 AM Session 2
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Whistleblower Allegations under FCA, and impact on the GovCon industry.
Tom Reynolds, Partner, HKA
Avani Rao, Manager, HKA
2023 saw some of the largest False Claims Act (FCA) fines, settlements, and judgments on record. This presentation will delve into the critical elements of the FCA and why there is so much buzz around it. We’ll address key questions many contractors are pondering, such as: How should I address an employee allegation of potential wrongdoing? How should I document steps taken to address FCA allegations? How are FCA penalties are enforced? How bad can it get?  What lessons can be learned, and how do you protect your organization from being subject to significant fines, penalties, and settlements? Lastly, we’ll discuss recent FCA decisions involving government contractors, including practices for allocating costs between commercial and business segments. 

11:00 Break 
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11:15 AM Session 3
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Automating Compliance through back-end solutions.
Jeffery White, CEO and Founder, J.A. White & Associates
Randy Shelby, VP of Customer Success, J.A. White & Associates  
Kim Koster, VP Industry Marketing, Unanet
Industry is all about efficiency and reducing repetition from the workflow. Work smarter, reduce mistakes and respond quicker is what it takes to successfully manage through back-end systems.  The panel will talk about how new automation provides efficiency without sacrificing quality and still improve results.

12:15 PM Networking Lunch and Keynote
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Cloud Security, DFARS 7012 & CMMC…Oh My
Michael Greenman, Sr. Manager, Cloud Solutions, Deltek
In an era dominated by cloud computing, federal government contractors face unprecedented challenges in securing unclassified information and adhering to regulatory frameworks such as the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) and the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS). This presentation aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the evolving cybersecurity landscape, with a focus on strategies to fortify cloud environments and meet the stringent requirements imposed by CMMC and DFARS.

Key Topics:

• Cloud Security Best Practices
• FAR & DFARS Requirements and Implementation
• CMMC Compliance Essentials
• Working With External Cloud Service Providers (CSPs)
• Building a Culture of Cybersecurity

2:00 PM Session 5
Cybersecurity for Government Contractors:  Where we are at, where we are heading with compliance challenges facing the industry.
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Michael Greenman, Sr. Manager, Cloud Solutions, Deltek
Perry Keating, President, Protiviti
Bill Wootton, Chief Revenue Officer, C3 Integrated Solutions, Inc.
Since the birth of the world-wide-web, nefarious bad actors, curiosity seekers and scam artists have attempted to break into organizations’ databases to explore, exploit, steal and create havoc. The federal government being their top target. Industry can be a backdoor for these bad actors. The federal government continues to battle back by closing loopholes, closing security holes and holding the industry accountable.  More recently, compliance is now in focus with the newly published CMMC requirements. It is more than just ‘checking a box’ as federal government starts to enforce compliance. Listen to what experts say and ask questions about cyber compliance.    

3:00 PM Session 6 
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Organizational Risk Strategies for GovCon
Jose Soto, Director, MorganFranklin Consulting
Government contractors face additional organizational risk factors when compared to commercial organizations, due to the specificity in industry regulations. In this session, we will discuss the trending risks and effective mitigation strategies based on examples from our practice. Example risks include compliance (including audit), contractual obligations, financial and conflicts of interest.

4:15 PM Break
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4:30 PM Session 7
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DCAA Updates & Audit Trends
Katelyn Rigle, DCAA Financial Liaison Advisor, DCAA
David Palos, DCAA Technical Specialist, (CAS & Business Systems), DCAA
Giacomo Apadula, Principal, National Leader Government Contract Consulting, RSM
Luis Avila, Sr. Analyst, RSM
Kim Koster, VP Industry Marketing, Unanet
This session will be a free-flowing dialogue among industry and DCAA. 

• DCAA upcoming initiatives and focus areas 
• Update on Business systems & CAS
• Audience Q&A