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Join Us In-Person April 25, 2025
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is one of the largest federal agencies, with a mission that spans providing healthcare, benefits, and services to millions of veterans. From healthcare delivery to benefits administration and memorial services, the VA's reach is vast and essential in supporting the nation’s veterans.
To meet its mission, the VA relies on partnerships with government contractors to introduce new technologies and services that enhance the care and support veterans receive.
This discussion will dive into how the VA procures products and services, the department’s key spending priorities, and how the private sector can contribute to advancing the VA's mission. Senior leaders will highlight new initiatives and share insights on how industry can partner with the VA to improve outcomes for veterans.
Speakers

Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick
Congresswoman
20th District of Florida

Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick
Congresswoman
20th District of Florida


Tim Hartman
CEO
GovExec
Tim Hartman is Chief Executive Officer of Government Executive Media Group, the public sector division of Atlantic Media Company. Dedicated to helping influential executives in government do their important work, Government Executive Media Group is one of the leading digital B-to-B media companies.
Over the past fifteen years, Tim has served in various roles across Atlantic Media Company. He joined Government Executive in 2007 to manage new product development, and rose to the role of President in 2012. During his time there, Tim oversaw the transformation of Government Executive Media Group into a digital-first enterprise, launching numerous digital brands and products and expanding Government Executive into the Defense and State and Local markets. Through this aggressive growth and innovation plan, Government Executive Media Group saw explosive reach in audience engagement and traffic increase. Today, over 60% of Government Executive Media Group’s revenue stems from digital products. In March 2014 Tim was appointed Chief Executive Officer of National Journal Group, where he oversaw the National Journal’s transformation from an ad-supported media company to a premium membership and services enterprise. Upon completion of the transformation, Tim returned to Government Executive Media Group as Chief Executive Officer in November 2015.

Dr. Grant Huang
Acting Chief Research and Development Officer (CRADO)
Veterans Health Administration, Office of Research and Development (ORD)
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Dr. Grant Huang
Acting Chief Research and Development Officer (CRADO)
Veterans Health Administration, Office of Research and Development (ORD)
Grant Huang, Ph.D., is the Acting Chief Research and Development Officer (CRADO) for the Veterans Health Administration, Office of Research and Development (ORD).
Dr. Huang assumed his role on Feb. 3, 2025. He is responsible for developing and executing the strategy for VA's nationwide research enterprise, which encompasses more than 7,200 active projects at more than 100 sites. VA research is supported by a $2.4 billion dollar budget (for fiscal year 2024), which includes both direct VA support and research funding from outside entities such as the National Institutes of Health, other federal agencies, and nonprofit and private organizations.
Grant previously served as the Deputy CRADO for Enterprise Optimization and director of the ORD Cooperative Studies Program. In these roles, Dr. Huang helped lead an enterprise-focused research strategy for planning, integrating, and coordinating VA resources to enhance evidence-based care for Veterans. This enterprise includes field-based research programs at more than 100 VA Medical Centers, empowering pre-clinical and clinical research across multiple fields, such as health services, rehabilitation, informatics, and genomics research. During his VA tenure, he has been part of the design and conduct of over 100 multi-site national and international clinical studies, the establishment of the Million Veteran Program, and the implementation of quality standards.
Dr. Huang has authored more than 150 publications covering clinical, health services, and rehabilitation topics in various scientific journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association. He has served on various committees, including ones sponsored by the Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative, Association for Clinical Research Professionals, Office of Science and Technology Policy, and National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine.
In 2024, Dr. Huang became the first ever research executive to be awarded the prestigious John D. Chase Award for Executive Excellence in Health Care. He has received several other recognitions and awards, including the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the Master Teacher Award from George Mason University.
Dr. Huang holds a Ph.D. in Medical Psychology and a Master of Public Health, from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences.

Michael D. Parrish, PhD
Former Chief Acquisition Officer
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Michael D. Parrish, PhD
Former Chief Acquisition Officer
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs


Nick Wakeman
Editor-in-Chief
Washington Technology
Nick Wakeman is the editor-in-chief of Washington Technology and joined the publication in 1996 as a staff writer. He’s a graduate of Bridgewater College and earned a masters degree from American University. When he isn’t writing about government contractors, he’s cooking large pieces of meat over fire and dreaming of ways to embarrass his two sons.