In this episode of “Humble Beginnings,” we sit down with Garland Garris, Associate Director - Lead for Quantum Science, Zero Trust and Cloud Security at Accenture Federal Services, as he shares his journey from growing up in the coal mining town of Eccles, West Virginia, to finding a place in state and federal IT leadership.

Through foraging with his dad, adopting a love of reading from his mom and learning an appreciation of faith from his grandmother, Garris built a growth mindset that reflected the strong work ethic of many in the tight-knit community where he grew up.

Like many in Eccles, Garris went to work in the coal mines nearly straight out of high school. The jobs were physically demanding but also required deep problem-solving skills that drew — or built — strong, smart people. Quickly seeing the toll such a career would take on his health, Garris decided to go to college.

That one decision was the first step to lead him down a nearly three-decade career that would lead him to working in impactful roles, including in IT for the state of West Virginia and later for the FBI. 

Tune in to hear how his career unfolded, lessons learned along the way, and the work he is currently leading at Accenture Federal Services.

In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," we sit down with Brandy Durham, vice president of Mantech's Data and AI Practice, as she shares of her upbringing in South Texas, and how her family's history of carpentry and military service instilled a strong work ethic and adaptability that shaped her career path. Growing up in a family of builders and as the first person in her family to go to college, Durham learned the value of creating something from nothing and supporting clients and employees alike. This eventually led her to a successful career in government contracting despite not taking a direct path.

Tune in to hear how Durham's initial interest in a law career quickly pivoted to political science post-9/11 due to a desire to solve pressing national problems, just like her family members who served in the military. Opting for a master's degree over a Ph.D., she began her career at the Drug Enforcement Administration, learning on the job the importance of collaboration and upskilling. This foundation propelled her through roles at IBM and into the world of data and AI, eventually navigating complex AI challenges at ManTech, and driving emerging technologies to solve real-world problems with a focus on client outcomes.

In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," we sit down with Shawn Purvis, president and CEO of QinetiQ US, as she shares her upbringing in Northern Virginia under the values of "family, faith, hard work and doing good to others."

Purvis' parents both worked for IBM, introducing her to computers and the world of technology around the age of 7. Outside of academics -- which came relatively easy for Purvis -- she talks about how she learned to be "comfortable being uncomfortable" as an introvert by joining the cheerleading squad and eventually serving as captain. It opened up a "whole new world" for her, and a lesson she'd carry with her throughout her career. 

Noticing a lack of women of color in technology and with positive influence from her parents and a true knack for math and science, Purvis pursued a computer science degree at Hampton University on scholarship, jumped right into her field with Lockheed Martin after graduation, and soon after, received her master's degree in information systems. Purvis shares her career achievements to follow, but also what she had to overcome as a leader -- like the need to achieve perfection and being an introverted communicator. 

Tune in to hear how her early beginnings, career turning points, foundational values and learnings, and love of teaching ultimately led Purvis' career journey straight to the C-suit. 

In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," we sit down with Rick Wagner, CEO of Agile Defense, as he shares about his upbringing in a factory town in Pennsylvania surrounded by a large family, strong work ethic and small town values. And while Wagner appreciated his small town and worked in nearby factories throughout college (amongst many other odd jobs during his youth), he knew he'd need to leave to reach his full potential. 

Wagner excelled in high school and received a scholarship to attend university, but academic struggles in college led to their own financial and personal challenges. He overcame them and got his professional start in civil service as an engineer for the Navy in southern California. His career to follow would take him back to the D.C. area and into GovCon. Wagner experienced a career and life turning point shortly after Sept. 11, 2001; pursued higher education; transitioned through several different roles that weren’t always “progressions;” and made various career decisions that would change the course of his career. 

Tune in to hear how Wagner eventually became CEO, the values and experiences that got him there, and what he still hopes to accomplish professionally and personally. 

In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," we sit down with two chief information officers in government who share their backgrounds, the lessons they learned early on and the impact their upbringings had on their current roles in public service. Mittal Desai ⏤ CIO of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ⏤ and Yemi Oshinnaiye ⏤ CIO of the Transportation Security Administration ⏤ moved up the federal space together and supported each other along the way. They’ve remained friends and champions of one another to this day.

Tune in to this unique episode as Desai and Oshinnaiye, both the sons of immigrant parents with influential stories, take us through the progression of their educational and professional lives in industry and government. They share tales of career turning points and realizations, how they met, the times they've called on one another for advice and more. 

In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," Cass Panciocco, president and CEO of IntelliBridge, joins us to share a bit about his upbringing in working-class Boston, what it was like sharing a modest home with seven other family members, the work ethic values he learned at a young age helping his father at carpenter job sites, and more. 

Panciocco has worked most of his life ⏤ including through college, where he attended the University of Massachusetts and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Resource Economics despite some educational and financial obstacles. While struggling to find a job in the early 1980s, Panciocco took an aptitude test for the NSA in his university's placement office and learned he had a brain for computers. He moved to the surrounding Washington, D.C., area for an impactful ⏤ yet unplanned ⏤ job with the NSA, and has been in the area ever since. 

Panciocco's 10 years at the NSA and position at the SIGNAL Corp. afterwards jumpstarted his career and opportunities to follow. He pursued further education, progressed through executive and C-suite roles, and ultimately, found the title of CEO on his trajectory. All the while, holding a strong passion for his family and giving back to the communities that have impacted him. 

In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," Jo Ann Bjornson, chief human resources officer at V2X, joins us to discuss her upbringing in a 900-square-foot house in a low-income suburb of the greater Washington, D.C., area. The daughter of an immigrant and U.S. military veteran, Bjornson connects her experiences to her sense of independence, work ethic and passion for supporting the military.

Bjornson's path wasn't always clear, either. She had to navigate many complex parts of her academic life by herself ⏤ as neither of her parents went to college ⏤ and strongly pivoted after experiencing an impactful academic failure. She'd soon find her passion for people, and ultimately, HR, allowing that passion to guide her career forward.

Today, Bjornson reflects on the meaningful influence her parents had on her, her love for her current workforce, the importance of supporting underprivileged students, and how all of these experiences shape the way she leads at work and at home as a mother. 

The Bosnian War, which began in 1992, lasted nearly four years and displaced over 2 million people. In this episode of Humble Beginnings, WashingtonExec's Amanda Ziadeh sits down with guest Mladen Brkic, who came to the U.S. as a refugee in 1996 from Bosnia at 18 years old. 

Today, Brkic is chief financial officer and senior vice president of ULTRA Intelligence & Communications, but prior, his career journey took him around the globe. Tune in as Brkic shares a bit about his childhood, resilience, willingness to take on tough jobs, and how the different positions he's held throughout his career prepared him for where he is today. Brkic is passionate about fostering and keeping authentic relationships and transforming life experiences into a positive leadership approach. 

WashingtonExec's Amanda Ziadeh sits down with guest JR Williamson as he shares his unique ⏤ and at times challenging ⏤ upbringing, as he moved nearly 21 times by the age of 15, largely due to his family dynamic. Still, the senior vice president and chief information security officer at Leidos considers himself a native Northern Virginian.

He candidly discusses the role his mother played in his and his siblings' lives, working multiple jobs to provide while struggling with mental illness. Williamson and his siblings supported each other, while he stayed on top of athletics, academics and work. It wasn't always easy, and Williamson's educational path wasn't as straightforward as others, but he put himself through college and graduated with a degree from George Mason University. 

Tune in to hear how Williamson's early interests and motivation drove him educationally, how he landed in security, and how his professional career progressed to serving 23 years at Northrop Grumman, ultimately landing him at Leidos. Plus, learn why his family feels strongly about giving back to the local sports community.

WashingtonExec's Amanda Ziadeh sits down with Brian Price, CEO and co-founder of Kion, as he shares his upbringing in the 2,000-person small shore town of Crisfield, Maryland, "still stuck in the 1970s." Price, an only child, gained early work experience and people skills at his uncle's coffee shop in high school. Gordon’s Confectionery, 100 years old and still running today, served about a third of the town daily and was Crisfield's gossip center. 

After graduating as Valedictorian of his class, Price knew he wanted to expand his horizons "across the bridge," as there were very few technology opportunities nearby, other than the ones he made for himself (like creating software to track his DVD inventory as he lent them out to neighbors and friends). He loved to build applications that could improve quality of life. So, armed with a computer science degree as the first person in his extended family to graduate college, he started his career at Northrop Grumman as a Java developer. In this episode, Price shares his career journey to CEO of a software startup ⏤ a position he never thought he'd be in ⏤ by forging his own path and relationships, while keeping his hometown humbleness.