Episode 19: Reflections of a former Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) executive

Ms. Emily Harman has 38 years of service to her country as both a Naval Officer and civilian federal employee, retiring as a member of the Senior Executive Service in May 2019. A trailblazer, Emily was in the sixth class of women to graduate from the U. S. Naval Academy. Commissioned a Supply Corps Officer, Emily was the first officer on the U.S.S, Emory S. Land, AS-39 to qualify as a Supply Corps Surface Warfare Officer. Recognized as a role model, Emily served as a Company Officer and Leadership Instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy. She served on active duty for seven years and retired as a Commander from the Naval Reserves.

As a DOD civilian, Emily served in various roles of increasing responsibility as a Contracting Officer. She has extensive experience in contracting for professional services well as major weapons systems in support of Naval Aviation. Emily’s last assignment was Director of the DON’s Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) where she served as the chief advisor to the Secretary of the Navy on all small business matters. In this role, she was responsible for policy, advocacy, execution, and advice pertaining to Small Business Programs and personnel throughout the Navy and Marine Corps. Emily is passionate about improving government – industry communication. As Director of the DON’s OSBP, she lowered barriers to entry for thousands of small businesses by interviewing senior acquisition decision makers on Facebook live and enabling the audience to ask questions. During her tenure, she required each of the DON’s 10 major buying commands to publish and execute a Small Business Strategy and led the DON to record-setting small business awards (over $15 billion annually). Emily finds deep satisfaction in helping others achieve their goals and realize their potential. As a mentor through Veterati, Emily volunteers her time to help veterans and military spouses accelerate the path to career readiness, job leads and career opportunities.

As the Founder and CEO of Emily Harman Coaching and Consulting, LLC, Emily delivers expert, customized service to small businesses in the federal contracting arena. She often serves as an accountability partner, keeping business owners on target, providing another perspective, and assisting small business leaders in addressing difficult situations with the federal government.

Emily is the host of the Onward Podcast featuring authentic conversations on facing adversity and moving forward. She’s also the founder of the Onward Movement which seeks to inspire at least 10,000 people to release fear of judgment and confidently move forward to pursue their dreams. The Onward Movement is an engaged, compassionate community that offers tools, resources, and support for its members as. They embrace their authentic selves.

As a keynote speaker, Emily covers a range of topics from federal contracting and leadership to overcoming adversity and embracing authenticity. When speaking about overcoming adversity, Emily shares her personal story as she believes our stories serve as connectors, enabling us to gain strength from our common experiences.

Emily received her B.S. in Physical Science from the U.S. Naval Academy and earned her M.S. in Acquisition and Contract Management from the Florida Institute of Technology. She attended several Executive Level Courses at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. She’s Department of Defense Certified Level III in Contracting and Small Business and a Certified Professional Contract Manager through the National Contract Management Association.

Lou Anne Brossman is the CEO and Founder of Government Marketing University. She has over 30 years of public sector government marketing leadership experience gained while working for some of the leading companies in the market (Juniper Networks, immixGroup, EMC). Her roots are in the manufacture world which enables her to better understand and relate to the corporate issues all government marketers are facing. She is a sought-out speaker on Government Marketing Best Practices and is well recognized and respected for her ability to drive Thought Leadership campaigns on relevant federal, state and local government policies and mandates. Lou Anne has served on numerous boards including immixGroup and Trezza Media and was a founding member of the Women’s Center Executive Council. Lou Anne was honored with the Heroines in Technology award presented by Women In Technology and she was the recipient of the ACT IAC Dedication to Making a Difference award.

Lou Anne founded Government Marketing University, an innovative learning platform that applies a collaborative, community-based approach toward knowledge sharing and skills development in the field of public sector marketing. Government Marketing University offers training, research, certifications, mentoring, and community resources all in one place. For more information about Government Marketing University, visit www.governmentmarketinguniversity.com.

Steve Watkins is Chief Content Officer at Government Marketing University, an innovative learning platform that applies a collaborative, community-based approach toward knowledge sharing and skills development in the field of public sector marketing.

He launched Watkins Communications in 2015, providing a variety of tailored communications and consulting services to clients in the federal marketplace and offering expertise in all varieties of content platforms, including live events, webcasts, white papers, video, social media, bylined articles, blogs, and issue briefs.

Prior to launching Watkins Communications, Steve served 15 years as the editor of Federal Times, a leading media brand serving the federal management community, Congress and contractors. Under Steve’s leadership, Federal Times won more than three dozen national and regional peer-reviewed awards for journalism excellence in the categories of investigative reporting, news analysis and government coverage. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at events focused on federal management and technology. As editor, Steve transformed the Federal Times editorial brand from a legacy subscription-based publication into a modern business-to-business model focused on the federal management community. Steve repositioned Federal Times to become a robust digital brand with an emphasis on federal modernization and a platform for thought leadership on federal management issues. During Steve’s tenure, Federal Times consistently ranked No. 1 or No. 2 nationally as the “Top Federal Publication Read” by Market Connections Inc., which began conducting federal market research studies in 2011.