President's Letter
David J. Berteau, President and CEO, PSC
Welcome to the Winter 2025 edition of Service Contractor magazine. The good news is that the federal government did not shut down last month. Instead, on December 21, 2024, Congress passed, and President Biden signed, legislation to extend Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) funding for federal programs until March 14, 2025. While this bill keeps the government operating, significant uncertainty remains for federal agencies and their contracting partners. FY25 appropriations are delayed, as well as the budget for next year, FY26. PSC will continue to advocate for full-year appropriations; without that, programs are hobbled, and government services are delivered inefficiently and ineffectively. When might services contractors see that FY25 appropriation? How will the new Administration drive their priorities into funding and contracts? For the latest, see “What to Watch in Washington,” on page 19. In addition, with a mid-March deadline fast approaching, it’s prudent for contractors to prepare for the next possible shutdown. PSC member companies can visit our Shutdown Resource Center at pscouncil.org/GFSResourceCenter.
PSC Updates:
During its Board of Directors meeting on December 19, 2024, PSC elected its 2025 Board Officers, along with 30 Board members for new three-year terms and 14 Executive Committee members for one-year terms. A full list of names and companies is available on page 36 and at pscouncil.org/ExecutiveLeadership.
One of PSC’s most important advocacy functions on behalf of our member companies and the entire government contracting industry is to engage with Congress on legislation as bills make their way through the process. To help you stay on top of that, check out the PSC Bill Tracker on page 21.
Another key PSC advocacy function is to develop and submit official comments on proposed rules and regulations impacting our industry. In the past few months, these comments have included:
• HUBZone Program Updates and Clarifications, and Clarifications to Other Small Business Programs
• DFARS: Assessing Contractor Implementation of Cybersecurity Requirements (DFARS Case 2019-D041)
• ITAR: Revisions to Definition and Controls Related to Defense Services
• Information Request on Financing Support for Covered Technology Categories-Specific to Companies and Trade Associations
• AUKUS-related ITAR Final Rule
• DFARS: Preventing Conflicts of Interest for Certain Consulting Services
In today’s rapidly evolving industry, it is important for government contractors to keep their companies well connected and their employees well informed. Recently, PSC’s Marketing and Communications Network hosted a media panel that showcased effective media strategies and offered valuable insights into key trends in how the news media covers government contracting and showcases effective media strategies. Read more on page 30.
For the latest on all of these efforts, you can subscribe to the PSC Daily newsletter at pscouncil.org/PSCDaily. Non-member companies can create an account and receive a weekly summary. Since our last issue of Service Contractor, PSC has hosted three conferences: our Defense Conference on October 8, our Vision Conference on November 19, and our Development Conference on December 10. Highlights and photos from these events are featured in this issue on pages 32-35. Everyone in the government contracting industry should mark their calendars for upcoming events, including our Federal Law Enforcement Conference on February 20. Federal government personnel can register and attend this, and upcoming conferences, at no cost. In addition, PSC members will have a great time at our Annual Conference at West Virginia’s Greenbrier Resort from April 27-29. Additional details on these and other events are available at pscouncil.org/Events.
Articles in this edition:
• Julian Setian of SOSi explores how changes under the incoming administration present opportunities for those who can adapt emerging technologies to evolving government priorities.
• Eric Poppe of Cherry Bekaert highlights six key areas in which government contractors must remain vigilant and responsive to shifts in leadership, regulatory priorities, and compliance requirements.
• Dan Fukushima of Toffler Associates examines the role professional services providers can play in guiding agencies toward customer-centric, value-driven approaches that enhance mission outcomes, efficiency, and innovation.
• Barron Avery, Justin Weitz, Alex Hastings, and Sarah-Jane Lorenzo of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP emphasize the importance of securing the supply chain. They particularly focus on the increasing sophistication of foreign adversaries seeking to access sensitive federal data.
• Chris Haigh of Meerkat Cyber outlines six key benefits of embracing the upcoming Defense Department rules on the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program while also noting the financial and operational costs associated with compliance.
• Krista Sweet of PSC discusses how the Mentor-Protégé Joint Venture Program can either help or hinder small businesses depending on their approach to business opportunities.
• Matthew Levinger of GWU stresses the importance of crafting a compelling strategic narrative and building trust to navigate political uncertainty and cultivate bipartisan relationships.
• Carlo Uchello underscores the importance of developing a comprehensive recompete strategy for federal contractors to increase their probability of winning (PWin) on recompetes. PSC consistently promotes success stories in the government contracting industry. Successful results demonstrate the value of contractors by showcasing the important work they do. On page 29 in this issue, you can read how Cadmus leverages partnerships to empower governments and communities with technology focusing on connectivity, cybersecurity, digital governance, and skills development. The results
bridge digital divides and deliver inclusive growth.
As always, we welcome your input, feedback, and engagement in our efforts. Thank you for your continued support of PSC and our collective mission to help the government be a smarter customer and better buyer.
This letter originally appeared in the Winter 2025 edition of Service Contractor magazine.