About Us
Executive Leadership
John P. “Pat” Philbin, Ph.D., PMP, APR, President, CEO & Acting COO
Pat has a 25+ year career in U.S. federal government, congressional, public and international affairs; organizational and business development and transformation; change management initiatives and innovative leadership with top-level, senior government officials and company executives, including crisis communication, media relations, employee communications, reputation management, and strategic planning.
Pat’s experience in a wide range of scenario-based planning projects, program management and strategic communication has resulted in significant organizational improvements and cost savings/avoidance in such organizations as the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), and the Department of Defense’s Business Transformation Agency (DOD BTA).
He has extensive executive level experience in leading, managing and participating in large scale, high-profile crisis events, including, but not limited to, loss of the space shuttle Challenger in the mid-1980s, oil and natural disasters in the Gulf of Mexico in the late 1980s, mass migrations of Haitians/Cubans in the early 1990s, the loss of TWA Flight 800 and Alaska Air, the loss of JFK, Jr.’s aircraft off of Martha’s Vineyard, and dozens of contentious and complex business and legislative issues associated with FEMA’s transformation following Hurricane Katrina. Pat currently serves as a Member of Homeland Security Outlook’s Advisory Board (www.hsoutlook.com).
Pat has also served as Senior Vice President of PIER Systems, a technology-focused crisis communication company (2007-2008); Director, Office of External Affairs for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (2006-2007); and as a Technical Director/Program Manager for Anteon Corporation (now General Dynamics Information Technology) (2005-2006).
Pat served for more than 21 years in the U.S. Coast Guard, retiring as Chief of Public Affairs in 2004. Other notable staff assignments include serving as the Deputy Chief of the Coast Guard’s Strategic Analysis Staff, Press Assistant to the Commandant and Chief of Coast Guard Media Relations. He also served as the Public Affairs Director for the Gulf Region of the Coast Guard (Eighth District in New Orleans, LA) in the late 1980s where he dealt with myriad issues in the oil and gas industry, environmental challenges, and fisheries enforcement.
Operational assignments include more than seven years of shipboard experience, including command of two Coast Guard cutters in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean.
Pat holds a Doctorate in Communication from the University of Maryland, a Master of Science in Public Relations from Syracuse University, and a Bachelor of Science in Government from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. He is a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI) and a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). Pat also holds an Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) and is a member of the Public Relations Society of America.
Pat can be reached via e-mail at jphilbin@crisis1.net.
Mr. Larry Gaffey, CPA, Chief Financial Officer
Larry possesses more 30 years of experience in financial services and support. He has assisted in establishing, funding and/or selling of over 200 companies, and directed the estate and financial planning division of a California corporation. His career has focused on making entrepreneurs successful and has served as the CFO for many of the companies that utilize his consulting services. Larry is a Co-Founder of Spire Investment Partners, LLC, and a partner in Gaffey & Associates, PLC, specializing in assisting entrepreneurial companies. He was a tax manager of a “Big Four” accounting firm and sits on the Board of Directors and Board of Advisors for numerous companies.
Larry is the past President and Co-Founder of the Washington Executives Association and a charter member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Tax Division. He is a member of Sage Xplorers, a National RIA Group and of the American Funds Advisory Panel. He is also an Alpha Group Member of the Open Finance Network and a founding member of the Wealth Advisor Institute.
Larry attended the U.S. Air Force Academy and is a graduate of Michigan State University (cum laude).
Advisory Board
Michael H. Fitzgerald
Prior to his retirement, Mr. Fitzgerald was President of Nortel Networks. In this capacity he was responsible for establishing the company’s professional consulting solutions for its ebusiness and optical content delivery initiatives. These initiatives revolutionized the personalization and optimization of both global optical networks and Web-based infrastructures. He also served as President of Nortel’s preeminent Internet Data Center and Application Service Provider (IDC/ASP) Division.
Mr. Fitzgerald was the founder and owner of Dimension Enterprises, Inc. (DEI). Credited with building one of the first global Internet backbones, Dimension specialized in providing multidisciplinary Internet engineering, ebusiness, and strategic consulting solutions to global telecommunications carriers, key technology manufacturers and multinational companies. In January of 2000 the privately held, debt-free company was sold for cash to Nortel Networks.
Mr. Fitzgerald has a strong technical and financial background with over twenty (20) years of experience in developing and executing global and national technology initiatives for a variety of global carriers and equipment suppliers. Several of these initiatives raised over US$1 Billion in both U.S. and international equity markets. Mr. Fitzgerald has extensive executive management experience in mergers and acquisitions, strategic and financial planning, product management, and technology assessment. Prior to founding Dimension Enterprises, he held positions with Sprint International (now Sprint), Bell Atlantic (now Verizon), and Ernst & Young. He holds a masters degree in Business Administration from the College of William and Mary and bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Maryland. He is currently serving as a Board Member and Trustee for the Foundation for the School of Business at the College of William and Mary.
Jim Flyzik
Jim Flyzik is the President of TheFlyzikGroup www.theflyzikgroup.com. The company specializes in Strategic Business Consulting, Performance Based Contracting Consulting and Training and Thought Leadership media events. The company assists small, medium and large companies in providing world-class government services. Jim also serves as the Chairman of the AFCEA International Committee on Homeland Security. Jim also hosts the monthly radio program, The Federal Executive Forum on WFED 1050 AM and http://www.federalnewsradio.com/index.php?nid=49&sid=1554821
Jim served over 27 years in the federal government. He served as Senior Advisor to Governor Ridge in the White House Office of Homeland Security (OHS). He provided advice to OHS on the National Strategy and Information Management in support of the OHS mission. From February 1998 until December 2002, Jim also served as the Vice Chair of the Federal Government CIO Council overseeing numerous government-wide IT initiatives. He was also a member of the President’s Critical Infrastructure Protection Board.
Prior to this, from August 1997 until April 2002, Jim was the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information Systems and Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the Department of the Treasury. He provided oversight, strategic planning and management direction on over $3.0 billion in annual information technology and information infrastructure programs within Treasury and its fourteen Bureaus. Jim also served as the Acting Assistant Secretary for Management for the Treasury Department from January 20, 2001 until February 8, 2002. In that role he provided oversight of all Treasury bureaus and served as the principal policy advisor to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary on matters involving the internal management of the Department and its bureaus. Jim received the Secretary Certificate of Appreciation on February 12, 2002 for his efforts during this transition period.
Prior to his Treasury positions, Jim worked for 18 years at the U.S. Secret Service where he held key IT management positions, including the Chief of the Communications and ADP Operations Division, providing world class telecommunications in support of Secret Service tactical and operational requirements.
Jim served as IT Team Leader on Vice President Gore's National Performance Review (NPR) Information Technology Team. Following this assignment, he was selected as Chairman of the Government Information Technology Services Working Group, to implement the NPR Information Technology recommendations and coordinate the government services portion of the National Information Infrastructure (NII). He was given the prestigious Eagle Award as the government information technology executive of the year in 1994, a Meritorious Presidential Rank Award in 1995, the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association Award for Excellence in Information Technology in 1996, the AFFIRM Award for Outstanding Service to the Citizens in 1997, the Industry Advisory Council Award for Special Achievements and Leadership in 1997, the AFFIRM IRM Executive of the Year Award in 1998, and the Distinguished Rank Executive Award from President Clinton in 1999. In 2001 the Federation of Government Information Processing Councils presented him the John J. Franke award for outstanding government service. In March 2002, Jim was selected by the Federal CIO Council to receive the Azimuth Award as the Government Executive of the Year.
Jim has extensive public speaking experience and frequently serves as a featured speaker at industry events. He has developed, and currently teaches part-time, a graduate level course on Information Systems Security and Risk Assessment at the University of Maryland. Jim was given the Stanley J. Drazek Excellence in Teaching Award in 1998 by the University of Maryland.
Jim has an undergraduate degree in Business Administration and Computer Science and a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Maryland with an area of concentration in Information Systems Management.
Jim was inducted into the CIO Magazine Hall of Fame on October 29, 2007. He joins 31 other CIO’s inducted over the past 20 years and is the first career government CIO to be selected.
James McGuirk
James F. McGuirk II is Chairman of the Virginia Information Technology Investment Board (ITIB). Mr. McGuirk has extensive IT experience. Most recently, he started AKLM Consulting. His company's focus is market research, positioning and strategy, and partner alliance programs in the government technology marketplace. Prior to starting AKLM, McGuirk was Vice President of worldwide government for Siebel Systems Inc. where he was responsible for developing the company's market positioning and sales in the government sector.
He previously was with Unisys Corp., retiring as senior vice president after 31 years of service. At Unisys, he served as General Manager, North America; President, Unisys Worldwide Public Sector; and President, Unisys Federal Systems. Among his assignments were overseeing the development, sales, marketing and delivery of Unisys services and solutions within state and local governments worldwide by combining services, software and hardware to deliver information solutions that helped governments improve services and efficiency; providing information services, solutions and products to the U.S. agencies in support of mission-critical needs; and leading the transformation of the federal systems division from an operation that focused on selling mainframe computers to a diversified, fast-cycle organization that is now one of the top providers of solutions and services to the federal government.
McGuirk received the Federal Computer Week Eagle Award for his significant contribution to the federal government information technology community. This award is to the top industry executive serving the government marketplace.
A native of Pittsburgh, PA, McGuirk holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Duquesne University. He is a member of the Air Force Association, the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association and former Chair of the Fairfax /Falls Church United Way. He is a member of the Duquesne University Century Club for Distinguished Graduates. He also is a member of the Board of Directors of Kindmark Inc.
Lawrence G. Mocniak
As a key executive within an array of both publicly traded organizations and start-up operating in high-technology, professional services, government contracting and commercial services sectors, Mr. Mocniak’s background includes more than 25 years of experience in accounting, corporate strategy, mergers, acquisition, operations and finance, including over 25 years of experience in government contracting and in excess of 20 years of experience in various senior management roles for both public and private companies.
Mr. Mocniak recently oversaw all aspects of Phoenix International’s financial management, control, government procurement, financial reporting and capital investment initiatives. He joined the company August 2006 as its Chief Financial Officer.
Mr. Mocniak has an impressive track record of developing and implementing mission critical financial processes and reporting systems that lead to greater profitability and operational efficiency. He has a unique blend of technological savvy and operational management rooted in real-time financial reporting. In addition to his outstanding financial Mocniak brings to Phoenix International a broad range of corporate expertise gained during more than 20 years administering government contracts and 17 years in senior management roles for both public and private companies.
Prior to joining Phoenix International, Mr. Mocniak was the CFO of government security solution provider where he established financial systems and built operational infrastructure, which enabled the company to grow from $10 Million to $85 Million in three years. He has also served as the director of business management for a $95 million publicly traded telecommunications software and services company. In this capacity, he was responsible for annual financial planning, forecasting and operational objectives, including development of the company’s government rate structure. Mr. Mocniak also spent 18 years at a Worldwide Underwater Engineering and Operational Solutions company in managerial positions of increasing responsibility, including as liaison controller. While at the company, Mr. Mocniak was recognized for his major role in assisting the company’s investigation of the TWA Flight 800 disaster, a joint project with the United States Navy and the Transportation Safety Board. He was also instrumental in converting the company to an ESOP (Employee Owned Stock Ownership Plan) in the November of 2007.
Mr. Mocniak is a member of the Institute of Management Accountants, Appointed to Microsoft Customer Advisory Board and Microsoft Government Contractor Executive Forum. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the Robert Morris University.
