The Fort Meade Alliance has been honored with a citation from Governor Martin O’Malley on behalf of the Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs (GOMA) for our partnership with GOMA on the Fort Meade Regional Small and Minority Business Government Contracting IT Forum held in May.

The citation recognizes the Fort Meade Alliance for our partnership with the agency to promote teaming opportunities for Maryland’s minority and women business enterprises with Government and Federal Defense Contractors in the Fort Meade area. The IT Forum, held on May 27, gave more than 250 representatives from minority and small business firms focused on delivering information technology services and products the opportunity to learn more about how to do business with top federal agencies in the Fort Meade area and how to partner with prime contractors on potential bidding opportunities.

The citation was presented to FMA President Rosemary Budd at the Daily News/GOMA Minority Business Enterprise Reception in July. In the evening’s remarks provided by GOMA Special Secretary Luwanda Jenkins, the Fort Meade Alliance was recognized for: leadership; proactive willingness to reach out to and partner with GOMA for the program; creating an impactful agenda that was relevant to the attendees; providing an understandable overview of Fort Meade, the Government agencies and organizations on base, the impact of BRAC to Fort Meade, and the effect of U.S. Cyber Command stand-up at Fort Meade; enabling the attendees with access to key Fort Meade agencies: National Security Agency (NSA) and Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA, as well as over 15 of the top prime contractors for these agencies; and event sponsors that provide the needed legal and accounting services required by all federal contractors.

Throughout the morning of the IT Forum, participants were provided an overview of Fort Meade and the government agencies and heard first hand from Fort George G. Meade’s significant federal government tenants — NSA and DISA. They also heard from several prime contractors Axom Technologies, Lockheed Martin Corp., Northrop Grumman Corp. and Science Applications International Corp. on the qualifications they are looking for in potential team members and/or partners, as well as the opportunities available.

In a unique offering, attendees networked with Fort Meade area representatives from Axom Technologies, Booz Allen Hamilton, CACI, DISA, Fort Meade Alliance, Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs, KatzAbosch, Lockheed Martin, L3 Communications, NSA, Northrop Grumman, Proteus Technologies, Raytheon, SAIC, TeleCommunications Systems, and Whiteford, Taylor & Preston.