CEOs You Should Know - Washington DC

Caitlin Ruiz is a talent acquisition, recruiting, and human capital expert within the Government Contracting (GovCon) industry. She began her career on the corporate side as a Recruiting Assistant, working her way up to the Director of Talent Acquisition for a large GovCon in the DMV area before striking out on her own. Ultimately building out her own specialty recruiting firm, she brings a great sense of humor and level of authentic truth-telling to the table that can’t be found anywhere else. Having obtained her Master of Science in Conflict Analysis and Resolution, she frequently leans on her academic background to ensure creative solutions are leveraged to address some of our nation’s toughest to fill positions (think intel roles!). As the Founder of Human Design Consulting you can find her and her team providing recruiting strategy consulting services and fractional recruiting solutions to growing businesses nationwide.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tara Carcillo is the CEO of The Clearing, a people-centered management consulting firm in Washington, D.C. She’s passionate about the design of organizational development practices and their implementation into the operating and management environments in which today’s leaders must survive and thrive.

To that end, Tara has supported leaders across the Department of Defense (DoD), General Services Administration (GSA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), American Red Cross, Small Business Administration, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Administrative Office of the Courts, and various global financial institutions.

She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Washington College and holds a Master of Arts in Whole Systems Design and Organizational Systems Renewal from Antioch University.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marion Vanzie
Agile Care Enterprises, LLC is founded and led by 29 -year decorated United States Naval Officer Lieutenant Commander Marion Vanzie (Ret). Marion is as a leading healthcare information technology organization design, development and expansion expert with over 29 years of leadership experience serving the United States Navy. He has been instrumental in transforming Department of Defense enterprises that serve as models for our nation and the world.

During his tenure, he served as a Chief Information Officer, Senior Cyber Security Officer, and Director of Information Technology Enterprise Operations. Marion recently served as the Deputy of the Market Technology Integration Office (MTIO) and Lead Cyber Security Officer for the MTIO. He is known as an influential strategist, an innovative enterprise developer and a transformational leader. Marion’s professional expertise has been instrumental in ensuring the MHS enterprise network security is aligned with the DoD Cyber Security operational mission, while leveraging industry best practices.

As the Lead Cyber Security Officer and Market Enterprise Information System Security Manager (ISSM), Marion and his team used an agile approach to address the complex cyber security issues inherent in integrating multiple organizations, cultures, and processes. His leadership led to a streamlined, cost-effective security solution for all MHS systems and enclaves.

Today, Marion offers his expertise and depth of knowledge to government, commercial, and nonprofit organizations committed to ensuring our nation provides secure, world-class innovations that support, sustain, and protect the health of our citizens. Marion is an alumn of Marymount University.






Tasha Sharif Vanzie

Tasha is known as the CEO’s advisor. She provides guidance, counsel, and organizational and cultural infrastructure design expertise to C-suite leadership seeking to transform their organizations. Over her 22-year career as a business and organizational development expert in the education, healthcare, IT, and aerospace sectors, she has led small to medium-scale organizations. Tasha has been most effective in helping her executives ready their organizations to scale as they stabilize and position themselves for sustainable growth.

Notably, Tasha has a passion for education-focused enterprise development and management. In 2011 she was selected for the prestigious Open Society Foundation Fellowship for her innovative work as a social entrepreneur who developed workforce development and career development programs for aspiring STEAM field youth in the Baltimore/DC Metropolitan area. The organization continues to grow today with scholars and their families connecting around the country as WorldSchool Mosaic.

Tasha’s experience with these adjacent sectors, enables her to match her client’s organizational mission with emerging talent and resources.​Tasha will lead Agile Care's startup organizational design, stabilization, and scaling as it breaks new ground at a rapid pace in the industry. Tasha is an alumna of Howard University.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Arcfield, Kevin Kelly oversees the development and implementation of the company's strategy while ensuring the company delivers technology-differentiated solutions to missions that are critical in protecting the United States and its allies. As CEO, Kevin is responsible for establishing a corporate culture, building and managing an expert leadership team, launching an innovation incubator that will ensure the company is developing solutions ahead of mission needs, and the overall growth of the company.

Kevin has been an active leader in the defense and intelligence industry for more than 30 years with proven success leading and managing companies through growth activities. He is passionate about innovation and ensuring that a company leverages its people, processes and technologies to its maximum potential to deliver for its customers.

Prior to Arcfield, Kevin was the CEO of LGS Innovations, a privately held independent technology company that was eventually acquired by CACI International in March of 2019. After its acquisition, Kevin oversaw the company’s integration into CACI through the company’s creation of a new high-tech sector (National Security and Innovation Solutions Sector), where Kevin would ultimately serve as president. In this role, Kevin oversaw the operations of a $2B business consisting of the technology and products portions of several key acquisitions; namely LGS Innovations, SIX3 Systems, TICOM Geomatics, and L3 NSS.

Prior to his appointment as CEO at LGS Innovations, Kevin served as the company’s chief operating officer and senior vice president of strategy. Earlier in his career, he held senior positions within General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin.

Kevin holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Penn State University and a master’s degree in engineering management from George Washington University (GWU). He has held board and advisory positions with the LGS Innovations board of directors, Innovative Technologies Council of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA), Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the National Advisory Council for the GW School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), and several other firms. Kevin is also a proud member of the Engineering Hall of Fame at GWU SEAS.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sean Elias is a Tony Award-nominated, internationally award-winning educator, actor, and director. With a background in both performance and theatre for community development, Sean is committed to holding space for the stories of underprivileged communities to be heard, seen, and ultimately — felt. Sean Elias currently serves as Executive Director of the DC Arts Center and as Artistic Director for Iron Crow Theatre, Baltimore's award-winning professional queer theatre. He is also the Founding Chair of the internationally award-winning Performing Arts Department at the Jemicy School - Upper School. The Jemicy School is a private school in Owings Mills, Maryland serving students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences.

In 2021 Sean was named Voyage Baltimore's Rising Star. In January of 2022, Sean was elected Executive Director of the District of Columbia Arts Center following the departure of the previous director, who served for nearly 28 years. Sean Elias also serves as Iron Crow Theatre's Artistic Director. Under his leadership, Iron Crow Theatre has experienced its most extensive phase of growth in history, breaking every record the theatre previously held. Sean has transformed Iron Crow Theatre from a small theatre company to a rapidly growing theatrical organization increasing the annual operating budget by 600% in just under five years. Today, Iron Crow Theatre features a level of diversity never before seen on its stage, contracts more than 75 local and professional artists each season, consistently offers Equity contracts for the first time ever, continues to donate thousands of dollars to local charities in an homage to the organizations founding, and has earned 79 awards and nominations. In 2018, Baltimore Magazine honored Sean Elias as one of Baltimore's 30 Visionaries for his work with Iron Crow Theatre and its impact on the greater Baltimore region. In 2017, Iron Crow Theatre was named Best Breakout Theatre by Baltimore Magazine, and in 2016, it was named Best Professional Theatre by MD Theatre Guide. For Iron Crow Theatre, Sean has directed 8 award-winning, record-breaking, and/or critically acclaimed productions including Bare, The Rocky Horror Show, Edith Can Shoot Things & Hit Them, The Cradle Will Rock, A New Brain, and The Wild Party.

In the classroom, Sean emphasizes project-based, experiential, and interdisciplinary learning, expanding the learner's capacity to think critically and solve problems creatively. With a background in theatre education for community development, Sean's lessons promote an understanding of both craft and socio-political context in hopes of increasing the learner's civic engagement. A passionate advocate for the differentiated learner, Sean believes strongly that the art of educational drama encourages students to discover, analyze, and express themselves in ways never before thought possible. Sean's students have been the recipients of both state-wide and national championships and have been offered tens of thousands of dollars in talent-based scholarships to some of the nation's most prestigious performing arts programs. Most recently, Sean's production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time was one of only eight productions from across the United States, and Canada invited to perform on the Main Stage at the 2022 International Thespian Festival. This is the third time one of Sean's productions have received international recognition. Previously his production of The Laramie Project was chosen as the Maryland State Chapter Select and went on to perform at the 2020 Virtual International Thespian Festival and his production of Peter and the Starcatcher also for the Jemicy School was one of only eleven productions from across the United States, and Canada invited to perform on the Main Stage at the 2019 International Thespian Festival. Additionally, Sean has served as a Resident Teaching Artist and/or faculty member...

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sharon M. McGowan, a partner at Katz Banks Kumin, joined the firm in September 2022. Her portfolio includes discrimination, harassment, and whistleblower cases, as well as other civil rights matters.

Ms. McGowan has led a long and distinguished career as one of the nation’s leading civil rights attorneys. Prior to joining KBK, she was the Chief Strategy Officer and Legal Director for Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, the nation’s oldest and largest LGBTQ+ legal organization. During her five years with Lambda Legal, she developed and implemented the organization’s strategic priorities, led its litigation and policy advocacy teams, and built partnerships with national civil rights groups on intersecting issues.

Previously, Ms. McGowan held several senior positions within the Obama administration. Most recently, she was Principal Deputy Chief of the Appellate Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, where she supervised attorneys and advised the U.S. Solicitor General and federal agencies on a broad range of civil rights issues related to the enforcement of federal laws prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing, education, credit, voting, and policing in the U.S. Supreme Court and lower federal courts. Under President Obama, Ms. McGowan also served as Acting General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel for Policy at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, where she led the implementation of key administration priorities including nationwide marriage equality and the Affordable Care Act.

Earlier in her career, Ms. McGowan was a Staff Attorney with the LGBT & AIDS Project of the American Civil Liberties Union, where she served as lead attorney in a landmark Title VII case, Schroer v. Billington, which established new protections for transgender individuals against employment discrimination based on their gender identity and gender transition.

Ms. McGowan clerked for the Honorable Norman H. Stahl on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston and for the Honorable Helen G. Berrigan on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana in New Orleans. She earned her J.D. with honors from Harvard Law School in 2000 and her B.A. with honors from the University of Virginia in 1995. She is licensed to practice in the District of Columbia, Maryland, New York, and Massachusetts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Robert E. Lohfeld Jr. is the founder and CEO of Sev1Tech, LLC headquartered in Woodbridge, Va. He is an industry leader with over 25 years of experience in IT facilities design and integration, IT strategy, and large-scale performance-based program management.

Mr. Lohfeld is responsible for developing and executing long-term strategies, managing company operations, and serves as the primary representative for investors and stakeholders. For over a decade, the organization has provided information technology, cloud, cyber security, engineering, C5ISR, and program management support services to government and commercial customers. The organization’s internal capabilities are strengthened through IT modernization, digital transformation services and science and advanced engineering.

Under his leadership and guidance, Sev1Tech has grown into a multi-million-dollar large business, formed strategic partnerships with DFW Capital and Enlightenment Capital, and successfully completed the acquisitions of Engineering Solutions and Products in 2019 and Geocent in 2021.

Prior to founding Sev1Tech, Mr. Lohfeld served as deputy director of the Enterprise Data Center Operations Group for U.S. Customs and Border Protection where he managed mission-critical operations, IT service delivery and infrastructure management and business continuity.

Mr. Lohfeld has led five distinct functional branches and managed 360 government and contract personnel sustaining uninterrupted operations. He received numerous awards from the Commissioner, CIO, and Passenger Program office for outstanding mission support. At US Internetworking he directed the implementation and migration activities for e- business, healthcare, transportation, defense, and national security markets.

In addition to his leadership experience Mr. Lohfeld has over 25 years of experience in IT facilities design and integration, IT strategy, and large-scale performance-based program management. Mr. Lohfeld has successfully led the data center migration and consolidation of many large government agencies in the Washington, D.C. area. This includes the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and geospatial and commercial customers.

Robert holds a master’s degree in international management from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Arts degree in international political systems from Mount Saint Mary’s University. Robert is a justice of peace for the State of Virginia and a member of the Inc. CEO project.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What makes a good CEO? Is it dedication to the organization’s mission or the ability to inspire all who she employs? With that said, I humbly nominate Ruth I. Hoffman as the next CEO You should know.

Ruth was thrust into the childhood cancer world when her 7-year-old daughter was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Since 1999, Ruth has been CEO of the American Childhood Cancer Organization (ACCO) and is the immediate Past-President of Childhood Cancer International.

To say childhood cancer advocacy is a passion for Ruth is an understatement. She has spent more than thirty years raising awareness and advocating for cancer's littlest patients. “Ruth is focused on advancing childhood cancer initiatives around the world and leads a team of individuals dedicated to the mission so that one day there is a cure,” said Elizabeth Turner, Regional Advocacy Coordinator.

Even on the darkest days, ACCO’s resources help to bring smiles to the faces of cancer’s littlest patients. Ruth was hands-on when it came to developing resources to help kids with cancer. She said, “I am proud of all of our comprehensive childhood cancer resources, born out of parents’ frustration with the lack of readily-available and easy-to-digest information. When parents write to let me know that their child related to our book “Marvelous Marleigh” or felt empowered to face cancer treatments after playing with ACCO’s Medical Play Kit, there is an inner peace that I feel knowing that I played a role in making a family’s journey a bit easier as a result of these important resources.”

ACCO’s roots are deeply planted in the advocacy community and with the expansion of the “What About Kids?®” initiative, ACCO has proven that states play a critical role in overcoming the national disparity between adult and childhood cancer research, treatment, and support. As of 2023, the “What About Kids?®” research Initiative has raised more than $72.4 million for childhood cancer research under Ruth’s leadership. “For someone to work as hard as Ruth does, while simultaneously and consistently radiating such warmth, that person needs to truly and wholly love what she does, who she does it with, and what she does it for. She makes it look easy and when it all comes together, it’s downright inspiring,” said Samantha Clary, ACCO’s Resources Coordinator.

Ruth’s dedication to childhood cancer doesn’t just include the United States. She has helped ACCO cross borders and address the needs of kids with cancer and their families worldwide. In the past six years, Ruth has helped develop a nutritional program in Addis Ababa, fund a nutrition program in Ethiopia, aided in getting supplies for Beirut children following the explosion, and navigated support for kids with cancer and their families during the Ukrainian crisis.

Most recently, Ruth worked with the World Health Organization (WHO) to develop a survey to amplify the voices of pediatric and adult cancer survivors, caregivers, and bereaved families. This survey aims to reach more than 100,000 responders who have been affected by cancer in some way. Ruth’s unfailing love of what she does radiates throughout the organization and her dedication to the cause is awe-inspiring.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Raised in a multi-cultural home with strong ties to both Cuba and Israel, Dan grew up passionate about social justice, community building, and global affairs. Shortly after visiting his Cuban family in Havana for the first time in 2004, changes in family travel policy prevented him from accessing his family for eight years. This foundational experience taught Dan that an inability to appreciate and navigate diversity with nuance and humility divides communities.

To foster more progressive and enduring connections amongst and between different groups of people, Dan studied political science and sociology at Middlebury College while working on campus at the college admissions office, the Americans with Disabilities Act Office, and a research center focused on the comparative study of race and ethnicity. These experiences, reinforced by internships at the Smithsonian American History Museum, the Washington Office on Latin America, and the ACLU’s Racial Justice Project, led Dan to Cook Ross Inc., a diversity, equity, and inclusion consultancy in Washington DC. Over the course of five years there he held various roles, including Project Manager, Client Success Lead, and Chief of Staff to the Managing Partner.

In May 2020, Dan completed an MBA at the Yale School of Management as a Point Foundation Scholar, Consortium for the Graduate Study of Management Scholar, Hispanic Scholarship Recipient, and Prospanica Scholarship Recipient. At Yale, Dan served as the Community & Inclusion Officer in student government, the co-chair of the Yale Philanthropy Conference, and the co-founder of '&Society,' a weekly conversation forum for social justice topics not covered by the core MBA curriculum. During both years of his MBA experience, Dan was nominated by his peers and selected for a ‘Teddy Award’ for the student who most embodies the school’s mission to ‘educate leaders for business and society.’

Now the inaugural Executive Director of IDEAS Generation, Dan spends his time building the team, operations, and strategy to ‘connect, support, and elevate the next generation of leaders and communities advancing IDEAS: Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access, and Social Justice. Most recently, he was selected as a Roddenberry Foundation Fellow and completed Leadership Greater Washington Signature Program as the youngest member of the 2022 cohort.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jennie Lucca is the CEO of The Children’s Inn at NIH. Located directly across from the NIH Clinical Center, the nonprofit organization provides free lodging and a wide range of supportive services to families of children and young adults with rare or serious illnesses who are participating in clinical research studies at the NIH.

Jennie Lucca is a seasoned human service professional with over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She previously served as The Inn’s chief program and services officer, where she oversaw the daily management of operations and therapeutic, educational and recreational programs. Under Jennie’s leadership, The Inn was awarded the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce’s 2022 Visionary Award.

Jennie was also honored by FedHealthIT in 2022 where she was presented with the Leading for Impact, Women in Leadership Award. Jennie’s career began in Anchorage, Alaska, working for The Arc of Anchorage, an organization dedicated to serving individuals with disabilities. Since that time, her focus has primarily been on developing and managing family support programs in community and healthcare settings. She is passionate about supporting families during times of significant stress and has been acknowledged for her compassion, dedication, and strategic leadership.

Jennie holds a master’s degree in social work with a focus on policy, planning, and administration from The Catholic University of America, a bachelor’s degree in child psychology from the University of Minnesota, and a Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate from Georgetown University.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.