CORAS ADVISORY BOARD
CORAS’s strategy in support of the federal marketplace is guided by an Advisory Board of established professionals who bring significant experience, mentorship, and wisdom in working with Government contracting, technology vehicles, and agencies within the Federal Government through Executive 1 Holding Company, LLC (EX1).
Pat Zarodkiewicz
Pat Zarodkiewicz, former Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force has joined CORAS' Board of Advisors. As the senior career civilian advisor to the Secretary, she was responsible for managing the Air Force annual budget of $5.6 Billion and 37,000 personnel, as well as Insider Threat, security, special access programs, and antiterrorism policy and implementation. Ms. Zarodkiewicz retired from federal service as a Senior Executive in April of 2019. Later that year, she founded PatZ consulting and supports select clients in national security and management needs.
Ms. Zarodkiewicz, started with the Air Force as an intern and has held positions in private industry before returning to the Air Force to serve in base, major command and headquarter-level experiences, and administratively managing many appropriations. Ms. Zarodkiewicz received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Science from the University of Rochester; a Master of Arts in International Affairs at American University; Master of Science, National Resource Management, Distinguished Graduate, Industrial College of the Armed Forces; and attended the Federal Executive Institute, Defense Leadership and Management Program, Seminar XXI at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the U.S. Navy Executive Business Course at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
In addition to CORAS, Pat serves on the Board of Directors for several large and small businesses, as well as the FFRDC and the Defense Business Board. She remains committed to bringing her expertise and experience to organizations she recognizes as critical to the success of the DoD enterprise and the Intelligence Community.
Pat Sullivan
Pat Sullivan, former Executive Director of the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command has joined the CORAS Board of Advisors. Mr. Sullivan retired from federal service as a Senior Executive in July of 2020. He founded Pat Sullivan Consulting, LLC and joined The Roosevelt Group as a Senior Advisor to help clients sharpen their business strategy to compete and win in today’s marketplace.
Pat is the former Executive Director of the Naval Information Warfare Systems where he led a global workforce of over 11,000 employees delivering and sustaining advanced information technology, communications systems, and cyber solutions to US naval, joint, and national forces worldwide. Pat’s prior executive positions include Executive Director for the Navy’s Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence as well as the Director for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance at the Naval Information Warfare Center, Pacific.
Pat served on the Board of Directors for the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation from 2016-2020, the Advisory Board for the San Diego Cyber Center of Excellence from 2015-present, and the Advisory Board at the University of California San Diego for Electrical and Computer Engineering from 2001-2018. Pat Sullivan holds a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics and a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering, both from the University of California San Diego.
Michael Rossetti
Partner-in-Charge of the Washington, DC office of Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman LLP (Lippes Mathias), Mr. Rossetti is Lippes’ Public Law and Policy team leader, and leading advisor on federal issues, including issues arising before the Congress and federal government, including the Department of the Interior. Additionally, Mr. Rossetti advises clients regarding federal Indian law and state attorney's general issues and federal investigations.
Mr. Rossetti has a long and accomplished law and lobbying career, with nearly 30 years of experience in Governmental Investigations & Enforcement Actions, Indian Law, and Litigation & Dispute Resolution. Prior to Lippes Mathias, he served in several senior and leadership roles at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, U.S. Department of the Interior, Erie County Attorney’s Office, former N.Y. State Office of the Advocate for Persons with Disabilities, N.Y. State Office of the Attorney General, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
John "OSCAR" Meier
John "OSCAR" Meier, a recently retired Commander of the Naval Air Force Atlantic (AIRLANT), spent over 35 years advancing and preserving the U.S. Navy’s mission and vision. Throughout his years, John’s expertise in electronic attack, nuclear propulsion, and other traditional warfighting capabilities grew alongside his visionary leadership and desire to drive innovation and forward thinking to military operations. John’s most recent accomplishment, prior to retirement, was the AIRLANT’s Maintenance Operations Center (MOC) created to foster a data-driven environment to drive down maintenance costs and further increase mission capable rates across naval aviation. In addition to AIRLANT, John also served in various leadership roles at NAVY Warfare Development Command, Carrier Strike Group TEN, PCU USS Gerald R. Ford, Electronic Attack Squadron 136, and EA-6B/EA-18G/NGJ programs.
Dr. Brian Kolo
Dr. Kolo is the Managing Director of Magnus Partners, Inc. He is a former career executive & technologist with McKinsey Digital Labs, Stroz Friedberg, Opera Solutions, Zifian, and Acxiom Government, specializing in data analytics, AI & data monetization. For over 23 years, Dr. Kolo has applied academic-level mathematics to software development, creating solutions for Fortune 100/500 companies and government agencies to solve real-world problems.
“Executive 1 is in an ideal position to grow and I am excited to advise CORAS, HumanTouch, and Plasticity in creating and optimizing business value and leveraging their NLP offerings in new fields and novel ways,” said Dr. Kolo. “As Advisory Board members we work together to support these innovative companies and build strategies for securing key intellectual property patents and software.”
EX1 holds and invests in leading consulting and technology solutions companies collaborating with the federal government, working at the forefront of organizational transformation using artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and natural language processing. EX1 CEO Moe Jafari said, "We look to Dr. Kolo’s expertise in AI and NLP as well as his business leadership and experience to guide Executive 1 as we grow our emerging technology portfolio of solutions for Federal civilian and defense agencies.”
Dr. Kolo has a Ph.D. in Computational Physics from the University of Virginia and a J.D. from George Mason University. He is also a registered patent agent and holds certifications as an ITIL Expert, PMP, and PgMP. Dr. Kolo is also a peer-reviewed and seasoned author of publications and patents that impact the academic mathematics and software community. He is also an antiquarian book and comic book collector, golfer, husband, and father.
Gary K. Kessler
Mr. Kessler is the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Air Programs) and has served for over 35 years in the Senior Executive Service to the federal government in program management, engineering, flight testing, weapons, strategy, and budget.
Mr. Kessler is the founder of Kessler Integrated Systems Solutions, LLC, a consulting business offering a broad range of technical, management, and organizational efforts in support of the government, military, and industry. He also consults on strategic planning, program management, workforce development, systems engineering, and test and evaluation (T&E), primarily focused on U.S. Navy manned/unmanned platforms and weapon systems. Further, Mr. Kessler is a Board member for several businesses, including The Patuxent Partnership, and is the current President of the Southern Maryland Navy Alliance.
Mr. Kessler started his career as a flight test engineer and has a long career of working in the U.S. Navy to deliver high-performance capabilities within budgetary limitations and rigid timelines. His model-based systems engineering programs were some of the first of their kind, and he has long applied commercial best practices within the DoD to successfully run acquisition programs for NAVAIR, as well as directing all U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Unmanned Aviation programs. Mr. Kessler graduated from the University of Maryland in Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering, and later received a Masters’ degree in Business Administration. He is a graduate of the Defense Systems Management College, the Senior Executive Management Development Program, and the Leadership Maryland Program. Personal awards include the Secretary of Defense Superior Management Award, FCT Program Manager of the Year, ANA Edward H. Heineman Award, University of Maryland Glenn L. Martin Medal, and the Meritorious, Superior, and Distinguished Civil Service Awards.
Janice Haith
Janice Haith, former Chief Information Officer for the U.S. Navy (USN), is known for her deep understanding of the Federal ecosystem, passion for innovation, and ability to effect positive change. During her tenure as CIO, Janice led many IT modernization strategies including the introduction of cloud-based technology (U.S. NAVY Cloud First), the restructure of the USNs risk management framework, the implementation of a secure internet protocol network, and an overhaul of the DOD’s personnel security and credentialing management systems. She is also credited with collaborating with other Federal CIOs to drive cybersecurity initiatives. Prior to her years as CIO, Janice also served as the Senior Executive Services (SES) Director of Enterprise Operations for the Department of Defense (DOD). Following her career in the defense industry, she turned to the private sector to promote industry-government collaboration. She is an ever-passionate advocate for career advancement for women in STEM and public service and a member of the Washington Capital Regional Executive Board of Advisors for How Women Lead.
Devon Bryan
Devon Bryan is Carnival Corporation’s Global Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). He is a veteran of the US Air Force (USAF) where he faithfully served for 11 years. Devon is also an award-winning security leader known for his ability to drive global teams in supporting complex business in various industries and mitigating technology risks while enabling top-line business revenue growth. Prior to Carnival, Devon’s career as a CISO spanned MUFG Union Bank (Americas), KPMG North America, The US Federal Reserve System (Fed), ADP Inc. and was Deputy CISO for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Devon also serves as a Board member for the non-profit organization he co-founded in 2014, Cyversity, to diversify the cybersecurity workforce through programs geared toward attracting more women and minority security professionals.