In this debut for the VA Podcast Network, the Technology Acquisition Center gives listeners who want to contract with the federal government a peak behind the federal acquisition curtain, shedding light on acquisition topics with top acquisition professionals and VA’s Office of General Council. Throughout the series, TAC Talks episodes will dissect the ins and outs of acquisition strategies, debriefings, market research, and more.
TAC Talks’ first episode begins with a casual conversation with the TAC’s associate executive director, Michele Foster. In this role she is also the head of contracting activity, responsible for providing business and contracting solutions for a variety of VA information technology programs.
Join us for our discussion as we reminisce how the TAC went from a small government startup of 10 people to over 150 employees in just over a decade. Along the way, Foster shares her difficulty and excitement of recruiting and hiring staff for the organization, establishing new processes, generating sufficient revenue, and building a mature organization that will be effective for years to come.
She also shares some of her favorite moments, as well as insights for the vendor community and the junior acquisition professionals looking to grow in their career. The episode concludes with her vision for the organization in the next 5-10 years.
Mark Junda is the director of Procurement Service E at the VA Technology Acquisition Center and also serves on OMB’s Acquisition Innovation Advocate Council.
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