The Contracting Academy

Kim Garber

Manager, Small Business Programs @ Wisconsin Procurement Institute

Aina Vilumsons

Chief Executive Officer @ Wisconsin Procurement Institute

Cheryl Edgington

Bureau Director @ State Bureau of Procurement

Audra Jervey

DOA Enterprise Contract Officer @ State of Wisconsin Department of Administration

Matt Klaila

Program and Policy Analyst, DFDM (Division of Facilities Development and Management) @ State of Wisconsin Department of Administration

Brian Mitchell

Business Relationship Manager @ State of Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT)

Helen Henningsen

Government Contract Specialist @ Wisconsin Procurement Institute

Kim Garber

Manager, Small Business Programs @ Wisconsin Procurement Institute

Tondra Davis

Director, Supplier Diversity Program @ State of Wisconsin Department of Administration

Madalena Maestri

WisDOT DBE Program Chief @ State of Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT)

James Strube

Business Opportunity Specialist @ U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

Carol Murphy

Government Contract Specialist @ Wisconsin Procurement Institute

Steve Makovec

Government Contract Specialist @ Wisconsin Procurement Institute

Marc Violante

Director, Federal Market Strategies @ Wisconsin Procurement Institute

Tim Connelly

Government Contract Lawyer @ Tim Connelly Law PLLC

Tim Connelly is an experienced government contract lawyer serving the legal needs of large, medium and small businesses in all areas of federal, state, and local government contracts. He helps businesses with all aspects of negotiation, administration and compliance typically associated with government business agreements of all kinds. He uses his extensive background in government contract law and administrative law to provide his clients creative, cost-effective and practical approaches to the most important legal opportunities and challenges. Tim retired from the U.S. Army in 2007 after serving 20 years on active duty as a Judge Advocate. While in the Army, Tim handled government contract cases before the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals and various federal and state courts and administrative bodies. He also counseled government clients in a wide variety of government contract and administrative law matters. Tim is past president of the Twin Cities Chapter of the National Contract Management Association and a member of the Public Contract Law Section of the American Bar Association. Tim was selected as Veteran Small Business Champion by the Small Business Administration in 2014 and was selected to serve on Minnesota’s Diversity and Inclusion Task Force representing the interests of Veteran business owners in Minnesota State contracting programs. Tim is a frequent lecturer in all areas of government contract law and compliance, and represents Veterans pro bono in appeals of denials of claims for disability benefits before the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. Tim and his wife Leslie have three grown children and live in Bloomington, Minnesota.

Kimberly Hutchinson

Small Business Specialist @ US GSA, Great Lakes, Region 5

Mark Dennis

Government Contract Specialist @ Wisconsin Procurement Institute

Wenbin Yuan

CEO @ Dakota Interetk Corp.

Wenbin Yuan has a BS in geological engineering from CSU in China and an MS in Water Resources Engineering and Geology from ISU. Wenbin worked in the environmental engineering and consulting industry for a few years then started his own environmental and construction company, Dakota Intertek Corp., in 1994. Dakota Intertek has been providing environmental, consulting, and construction services to the Navy, Army, VA, USDA, USHUD, USDOI, and many other governmental agencies for the past 26 years, successfully delivering over $100m of services. Wenbin also co-authored a history book, "Chinese Milwaukee", with David Holmes and has worked as an adjunct professor for Concordia University of Wisconsin since 2014. Wenbin also helps local businesses as VP of the Wisconsin Chinese Chamber of Commerce (WCCC). Wenbin has two daughters who are in the EE and AI industries.

Jean Marie Thiel

President @ Belonger Corporation

Ms. Thiel owns and operates a specialty trades Mechanical Contracting Company including all HVAC/R aptitudes, waste water, plumbing, as well as offers Construction Management, Facility Management, and Energy Based Performance Contracting. She has 30 years of experience in the construction and services industry, specializing in federal and DOD relations, joint venturing, and mentoring.

Megan McKinney

Business Development @ Beacon Interactive Systems

For over 20 years, Megan McKinney has honed her expertise within the commercial, aerospace and defense industries, and built customer relationships with federal government and federal prime clients. Since July 2020, Ms. McKinney has been part of the business development team at Beacon Interactive Systems. At Beacon, Ms. McKinney helps deliver game-changing digital capabilities and mission critical systems to the Department of Defense, supporting the warfighter and driving Mission Readiness across the sustainment lifecycle. Prior to Beacon, Ms. McKinney has held leadership positions in business development, marketing and sales including SupplyCore, Banneker Industries, Monogram Systems and others. Ms. McKinney is an active member of defense industry associations and is currently serving as Vice-Chair Chapters on the National Defense Industrial Association's (NDIA) Member Leadership Council (NMLC), and NDIA Great Lakes Chapter Board Member (Co-founder 2009, President 2015-2020). Ms. McKinney is also a member of the Association of the United States Army's (AUSA) Redstone-Huntsville Chapter.

Dele Ojelabi

Founder and President @ Comcentia

Dr. Dele Ojelabi is the founder and president of Comcentia, a local Mequon WI based IT consulting company that specialize in Enterprise System Integration, DevOps, and Workforce Solutions. Dele has more than 20 years of professional leadership and software implementation experience including strategic leadership, project management; software design, development, testing and implementation. He has extensive experience in training technical professionals and conducting technology-training classes for large groups of technology professionals Dele grew up in Lagos, Nigeria and graduated from the University of Lagos, Nigeria before moving to Paris, France for an MBA at the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussees. He also received an Ms in MIS from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) from Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, England. He is a member for the Society for Information Management Wisconsin Chapter (SIM). He is a graduate of Scale Up Milwaukee, a program targeted at helping the area’s fastest growing small businesses maintain sustainable growth. Dele is bilingual, French, and English. He enjoys spending time with his two daughters, eating ethnic food, and discovering new places around the world.

Rhonda Iwinski

Owner @ Sunshine Cleaning Company, LLC

Sunshine Cleaning Company LLC is a woman owned and operated cleaning service that was founded in 2016. We are locally owned and operated in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We go all-out to provide every client with extraordinary cleaning services, as well as, the great-value for their money. Sunshine Cleaning Company LLC is a fully licensed and insured & bonded Commercial & Residential cleaning service provider. Each of our employees go through specific training in order to provide our clients with outstanding cleaning and janitorial services that are reliable, trustworthy, and professional at all times. Our commitment is to continue education and training for all our team members, on the use of all the necessary equipment, chemicals and supplies. We update our education and training on a regular basis. Sunshine Cleaning Company LLC team members have completed the following associations’ certified programs and training courses: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (O.S.H.A.) || IJCSA Bloodborne Pathogen Certification

Susan Leith

Director of Marketing @ Ayres Associates

Susan Vasey Leith, PG, CPSM, is Ayres' director of marketing. She joined Ayres in 1990 with a bachelor of science in geology and served as a hydrogeologist and later as a project manager. She has supplemented that formal education with ongoing training in related sciences and marketing, earning an associate degree in marketing in 2010 and completing the Society for Marketing Professional Services' course to become a certified professional services marketer. She completed her master of business administration in 2014. As director of marketing, Leith helps guide Ayres' business development activities by establishing marketing strategies to fulfill company goals. She is responsible for Ayres' communications and branding efforts; she also develops and maintains relationships with existing and potential clients. Her areas of marketing expertise include the following: • Business development • Branding • Client liaison Leith maintains her Wisconsin professional geologist license and has an active interest in the field. Among her areas of technical expertise are the following: • Groundwater protection and management • Water supply and distribution The American Council of Engineering Companies of Wisconsin recently presented its 2020 Chair’s Award to Leith in recognition of her leadership and reinvigoration of the organization’s Public Relations Committee, which Leith led from 2017 to 2019. That committee led the redesign of the organization’s website, launched a blog program, executed social media posts, and produced fact sheets informing legislators about the value of ACEC Wisconsin and its member engineering firms. Ayres is a nationwide team of 300+ experts and innovative problem-solvers that stands behind thousands of projects that strengthen communities and the nation’s infrastructure, economy, and environment every day. Ayres provides the following services: civil and municipal engineering, architecture, transportation, structural design and inspection, environmental, geospatial, landscape architecture, planning and development, river engineering and water resources, and telecommunications and subsurface utility engineering.

Suzanne Ferris

National Engineering Market Strategist @ HGA

Suzanne works with firmwide leadership nationwide to develop and implement strategies for engineering growth in the markets we serve. Suzanne has more than 15 years experience in the A/E/C industry. By combining her passion for the built environment with her expertise in strategy, research, messaging, and coaching, she specializes in creating innovative approaches that elevate HGA’s relationships.

Nick Weissenborn

Vice-President (Co-Founder) @ Aeroforce Logistics, LLC

Nick is the Vice President and co-founder of Aeroforce Logistics. He has spent 20 years across a variety of roles with one common theme: safe and reliable aircraft maintenance and operations. His positions have spanned the U.S. Air Force as a maintenance operations officer, FAA airframe licensed mechanic, and program manager at Derco/Sikorsky and Zodiac/Intertechnique. Nick leads the sales, business development, and quality assurance efforts at Aeroforce Logistics and is responsible for customer experience, and satisfaction. He sets the example for his team by ensuring Aeroforce is results orientated, data driven, and customer focused.