Our GovCon Affinity Group

Don has over 30 years of professional experience, including nearly 20 years as a leading hotel and real estate industry financial executive. He served as CFO and Corporate Controller of two of the nation’s largest publicly-owned hotel Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). His experience has included numerous capital market transactions, and several major corporate restructurings in addition to establishing and building several highly successful accounting and finance organizations. He has deep knowledge regarding capital raising (including IPO’s), financial reporting, effective organization structures, budgeting and forecasting, strategic planning and governance. He has industry experience with companies in the hospitality, real estate, government contracting, telecommunications, and technology industries, among others.

LaTonya Jackson is the Founder & Chief Consultant of L. Jackson Associates LLC. Friends and colleagues, fondly call her “LJ”.

LJ is a results-oriented and growth-focused Strategic Operations Executive with nearly 30 years of combined experience in the Hospitality Industry as well as Corporate America with a proven history of expanding revenue, improving operations, leading and developing large teams, and driving core mission and objectives of any organization. LJ loves working in operations which is a great combination of Business, Sales, Technology and Human Resources which allows for many vast experiences and creativity as no team or client is the same.

For 20+ years, LJ has worked in the Global Outsourcing Industry providing Strategic Outsourcing Solutions from end-to-end Business Processes to Document Processing Services to various businesses and organizations such as Higher Education, Investment Banks, Hospitals, Non-Profits, Luxury Brands/Designers, Beverage and Cosmetics Companies, Media, Legal and, Financial Services Firms. She has managed large and small teams and all levels of employees and managers. She has demonstrated the ability to drive growth and manage operations across a multitude of service lines such as Business Services, Office Services, Administrative Services, Hospitality, Conference Center and Facilities Management.

LJA’s vision is to inspire excellence in business that empowers the community and create career and growth opportunities for others. She looks forward to bringing her unique brand of service to your business and organization and helping you to achieve operational excellence!

Ola Sage is the founder and CEO of CyberRx, a cybersecurity risk and compliance assessment company, that works with growth-minded companies to protect themselves from the costly and sometimes unrecoverable impact of cyber theft, disruption, and damage. CyberRx equips companies with software tools and services to assess, mitigate, and continuously monitor cybersecurity risks. Clients can also subscribe to CyberRx’s distinctive concierge service that educates them about the options they have, provides technical cybersecurity resources on an as-needed basis, and connects them with qualified and vetted suppliers of a range of cybersecurity hardware and software products at discounted rates.

Prior to founding CyberRx, Ola spent over 18 years leading an IT professional services company that she founded and grew until a successful exit in 2018. Notable accomplishments included advising government CIOs on cybersecurity issues of strategic importance, spearheading over $150 million in funded contract wins with large U.S. federal agencies, and positioning the company to rank four times on the Washington Technology Fast 50 and Inc. top companies lists. In 2016 her former company was chosen as one of the top 100 companies in the country by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Of significance, her company played a key role in providing technical expertise for investigative efforts that contributed to the identification and subsequent arrest of a cyber-criminal responsible for a large government agency breach.

A certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Ola holds the Federal Chief Information Officers (CIO) certificate and earned the Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC) certification through ISACA., an international association of IT professionals involved in information security, assurance, risk management, and governance. She obtained her master’s degree in Technology Management from George Mason University, Fairfax, VA. This experience enables Ola to help your company quickly identify what assets you need to protect and develop a plan for how to protect them in a cost-effective way.

I work with business owners, key executives, and families to help clarify their objectives and take action.

While helping thousands of people over the years, I developed an integrated approach to financial success – much like the strategy and tactics a champion quarterback utilizes to win the game!

Pete co-founded Ryan & Wetmore, P.C. with Michael Wetmore in 1988, and is a wealth advisor at Alikos Wealth Management, LLC.

Ryan & Wetmore is a full-service assurance and tax practice, providing a wide array of traditional and non-traditional consulting services that help their clients grow and prosper. Over three decades, Ryan & Wetmore has grown to employ over 45 people with three offices across the Greater Washington region. Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Ryan & Wetmore is also located in Vienna, Virginia and Frederick, Maryland.

Extensively experienced in many industries, Pete’s accounting and consulting specialties include technology companies, construction, manufacturers, government contractors, healthcare, and entrepreneurial growth companies.

With clients across the US, Ryan & Wetmore has vast experience in financial statement audits, corporate tax return preparation and planning, litigation support services, M& A support, and employee benefit plans.

In 2018 Pete was honored as the Real Estate & Construction CPAs Member of the Year for his industry excellence and commitment. Pete has presented at major conferences on multiple topics throughout the United States.

Pete obtained an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Baltimore and a B.A. in Accounting from the Catholic University of America. Pete has served on the Board of Directors for a number of successful for-profit and nonprofit organizations. He is currently an active member of the Villanova University Parent’s Program.

Pete is on the leadership board for the local chapter of the Alliance of Mergers and Acquisition Advisors and an active member of the AICPA-Tax Practice Section, Maryland Association of CPA’s, Virginia Society of CPA’s, Greater Washington Society of CPA’s among many other professional organizations.

Rich DiPippo works with business owners, key executives, and families to help clarify their objectives and take action.

While helping thousands of people over the years, Rich developed an integrated approach to financial success–much like the strategy and tactics a champion quarterback utilizes to win the game!

Rich’s successful team includes hand-picked attorneys, CPAs, and wealth management advisors.

Rich is from Longmeadow, Massachusetts, and graduated from The George Washington University in 1979. Following graduation, he served as the Academic Coordinator for GWU athletics and as an assistant baseball and wrestling coach.

In 1985, Rich joined New York Life as an agent and became a member of the NYL Chairman’s Council, representing the top 1% of all agents. Thirteen years later he formed RCD and Associates, a full-service insurance and planning firm, that he joined with The Meltzer Group in 2008.

Rich resides with his wife Molly in Ashton, Maryland, along with their lovely daughter Carmen. He is still an active supporter of GWU athletics, and enjoys golfing and following football. He is a 30-year member of the Washington Wrestling Officials Association as a Board Member and Official Evaluator. And Rich serves on the George Washington University Business School Board of Advisors. He is also the VP and President Elect of the Lido Civic Club of Washington, D.C., a 90-year-old organization that raises scholarship money for Italian-American students.

Tom Durrer is a Senior Vice President who is a commercial loan officer providing financial solutions to businesses in the Washington D.C. area. Tom knows who he wants to serve – mid- sized businesses, real estate developers and investors, as well as consumers in the mid-Atlantic market. By staying focused on our market, our customers, and our products, Atlantic Union knows we will be better than anyone else at the things that help our customers prosper. There’s nothing wishy-washy about our mission and that is what makes us unique.