Amtower Off-Center

This week on Amtower Off Center, host Mark Amtower is joined by Kaamil Khan, president of Makpar Corporation, a small IT services firm. Topics discussed include:Khan's journey to become president of the family owned business, leveraging his law degree and a natural talent for BDMakpar's experience with my LinkedIn training and the benefits thereofKahn's experience in the ACT-IAC Voyager program and the benefits of the programHow Makpar is navigating the current GovCon environment-Kahn's use of AI in his role as presidentSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Amtower Off Center, Kevin Plexico, SVP of Deltek, joins host Mark Amtower for a deep discussion on the current state of government contracting.Topics include:YTD contract activity vs FY 24, and how it has impacted spendingThe impact on SIs, VARs, small contractors and othersRegulatory changes and the future of GWACsThe new Deltek Clarity study (available free) which deals with many aspects on BD, capture and biddingWhat the "big beautiful budget bill" could mean to contractingSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Amtower Off Center, Nick Wakeman, editor in chief of Washington Technology, joins host Mark Amtower for a wide-ranging discussion on the state of the GovCon market as reflected by the WashTech 2025 Top 100 contractors.Topics discussed include:First year-over-year decline in prime contracts since 2016 sequestrationA recap of CGI's Stephanie Mango's interview with Nick on the state of GovConHow SERCO has used strategic acquisitions to move upThe growing gap between DOD and civilian contractingCandid comments of where the market may be headingSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Shauna Weatherly, former govie and now founder and president of FebSubK,joins host MarkAmtower for an in-depth discussion on the current state of the SmartPay (government charge card) program.Topics include: The charge card program background from inception in the late 1980s How it works and why it is so successful at what it does What is happening now with the program, including consolidated buying at GSA The "pilot" program RFI that went out the Thursday evening before Good Friday with responses due in seven days A candid discussion of why the pilot the pilot may be happening and why it is totally unnecessary See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Amtower Off Center, host Mark Amtower is joined by Nick Wakeman, editor in chief of Washington Technology for a wide-ranging, candid discussion of the newadministration's executive orders impacting the GovCon industry.Topics include: The order from GSA to investigate the"consulting" contracts of the top 10 OASIS contractors Tthe temporary suspension of the government charge card program The downsizing of federal agencies across the board and the impact on government programs The impact of the Executive Order on DEI initiatives See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Amtower Off Center, host Mark Amtower is joined by GovNavigators co-founder Robert Shea for a very lively discussion on the upcoming administration.Topics include: Managing the transition Major policy shifts What are some of the priorities for DOD DOGE and the impending efficiencies OPM and Schedule F Lots of great policy-nerd minutae Potential impact of the set-aside program See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Amtower Off Center, host Mark Amtower is joined by Aubrey Gainfort, by day a federal contracting officer, and after work host of the Breaking the Standard podcast, which is nearing its 5th anniversary.Topics discussed include: Five things contractors need to do Five things contractors should NOT do How and why to start your own podcast Ways to expand your knowledge of the federal market See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Amtower Off Center, host Mark Amtower is joined by Brian Lindholm, founder and managing principal at FedSavvy Strategies for a discussion on the myriad of sources available to government contractors for researching before bidding.Topics include: What open source intel is available to contractors How to parse this data for useful items Why should you be looking at protest decisions and what can you learn from them The best use and format of black hat reviews See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ross Wilkers, senior reporter for Washington Technology, joins host Mark Amtower on this week's Amtower Off Center for a follow-up interview, this time addressing the Washington Technology Fast 50 contractors. The list includes fifty companies that submitted financial data to WashTech to verify their growth over the past 5 years.Topics include: Types of firms on the list, including IT services, management consulting/advisory services, engineering, intelligent automation and areas of specialized expertise. Companies discussed include ATI Government Solution, BryceTech, Amivero and B-Skies. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chris Parente of Story Tech Consulting joins host Mark Amtower on this week's Amtower Off Center for a wide ranging discussion on B2G content.Topics discussed include: The value of a content calendar Developing your own/your company POV Listening when customers and prospects talk as they are often telling you what they want to hear back from you Where to share your content Some caveats about using AI to generate content Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.