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Tyto Athene Executes Growth Strategy with New C-Level Roles

New strategic hires, John Coleman and Michael Polmar, appointed to drive Tyto’s global public sector business growth

HERNDON, Va., June 11, 2024 – Tyto Athene, LLC (“Tyto”), a federal systems integrator of mission-focused digital transformation solutions, announced the appointment of two C-level positions to focus on organic growth and operational excellence. John Coleman, Chief Operating Officer, and Michael Polmar, Chief Growth Officer, join the leadership team after Tyto’s recent acquisitions of Microtel and MindPoint Group. This is Tyto’s third C-suite appointment in four months, including Dennis Kelly’s move to Chief Executive Officer in March.

“These two strategic hires will be instrumental to Tyto’s future success within the government technology and national security market,” said Dennis Kelly, CEO of Tyto Athene. “Michael and John bring extensive experience and a business strategy acumen that makes them an invaluable addition to our executive team. We are confident that their leadership and expertise will accelerate Tyto’s growth trajectory and fortify our strong position in the market.”

In his role as COO, Coleman will be responsible for overseeing Tyto’s day-to-day business operations, driving strategic initiatives, and ensuring operational excellence across the organization. His experience and demonstrated ability to produce results, propel growth, and cultivate a culture of innovation and collaboration align perfectly with the responsibilities expected to grow Tyto’s business and provide exceptional service to its customer base. Coleman has held various senior leadership positions, most recently serving as sector president for citizen security and public services at Peraton, Inc., where he oversaw a $1.8 billion sector and led a large team of over 4,000 employees and 2,000 subcontractor partners across numerous contracts.

As CGO, Polmar will be responsible for executing a business strategy that produces strong organic growth for Tyto. He brings over 30 years of demonstrated success in providing growth and operations leadership in the technology and government contracting industry. Polmar’s career highlights include his tenure at Vencore, where he served as the company’s senior business development leader, and at ManTech where he led business development for all its Department of Defense and State Department business. Most recently, Polmar served as CGO for Bart & Associates, where he led growth activities to expand from B&A’s traditional federal civilian and Department of Homeland Security client sets into the Department of Justice and Department of Defense markets.

Polmar graduated from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute with a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry, and Coleman graduated from Clemson University with a Master of Business Administration, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Management.

Tyto Athene Awarded $168 Million U.S. Army’s Europe Infrastructure Modernization Capabilities Set (IMCS) Contract

Tyto Athene will spearhead vital network infrastructure modernization projects throughout Europe, Israel, and the Horn of Africa.

HERNDON, Va. – (April 23, 2024) – Tyto Government Solutions, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tyto Athene, LLC (“Tyto”), announced today that it has been awarded a five-year, single-award contract worth up to $168 million under the Army’s ITES-3S indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle to support the U.S. Army’s Europe Infrastructure Modernization Capabilities Set (IMCS).

Under this new contract, Tyto, a federal systems integrator that delivers mission-focused digital transformation solutions to the government, will spearhead vital network infrastructure modernization projects throughout Europe, Israel, and the Horn of Africa to strengthen operational efficiencies and enable Army soldiers, commands, and supporting organizations to access, process, and act upon information at any time and from anywhere.

“Tyto has a unique perspective when it comes to understanding the Army’s needs, due to the significant strengths in our past performance,” said Dennis Kelly, CEO of Tyto. “We are committed to delivering innovative solutions that support our country’s national security efforts.”

IMCS supports the Army’s goals of delivering capabilities to a globally connected Army. This modernization process will help the Army, EUCOM, AFRICOM, and USAREUR-AF be even more aligned to address future modernization development and IT processes.

“Battlefield environments have become increasingly distributed and complex. With decades-long experience supporting the Army’s modernization efforts both here and abroad, and our expertise in digital transformation, Tyto understands that unified communications is a key enabler for secure, seamless communications and data exchange,” said Tyto CTO Peter O’Donoghue. “Tyto has the ability to simultaneously manage and execute numerous projects, allowing our team to continuously develop solutions to help the Army achieve mission-critical objectives.”

Tyto Athene Bolsters Space System Capabilities Through the Acquisition of Microtel, LLC

HERNDON, Va. – Tyto Athene, LLC (“Tyto”), a federal systems integrator of mission-focused digital transformation solutions, has completed its acquisition of Microtel LLC (“Microtel” or the “Company”), a software development and systems engineering firm deeply embedded in long-term, space missions for NASA and international space programs. Tyto is a portfolio company of Arlington Capital Partners (“Arlington”), a Washington, D.C.-area private investment firm specializing in government-regulated industries.

Tyto is an innovator in Space Domain Awareness and Combat Power with expertise in Space Threat Intelligence Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation. The acquisition of Microtel further strengthens Tyto’s longstanding customer relationships and capabilities across the space domain, as the Company’s key software development specialties include mission-critical flight software to control robotic spacecraft, rovers, and other onboard flight applications for command, telemetry, and science data processing.

Michael Lustbader, a Managing Partner at Arlington, said, “For nearly three decades, Microtel has been a proven leader in software development for space programs and this expertise complements our existing space command work. This acquisition underscores Tyto’s commitment to delivering exceptional solutions and expanding its presence in critical markets, including its relationship with NASA. We look forward to supporting Dennis as he drives the integration and advances Tyto’s growth.”

“I am very pleased to welcome Microtel to the Tyto family,” said Dennis Kelly, CEO of Tyto Athene. “Microtel’s impressive team of professionals are hands-on technologists with deep expertise in software development and AI/ML technologies. We look forward to leveraging our combined capabilities to further our growth and bring new innovations to our customer’s mission.”

“Our shared vision of innovation will allow us to explore other mission areas we can support,” said Jerry Hengemihle, CEO of Microtel. “We are excited for our future with Tyto, and we look forward to delivering next-generation solutions that expand our support to NASA and other federal agencies.”

About Tyto Athene

Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Tyto Athene harnesses the power of technology to provide solutions that shape the future. With over 60 years of experience providing mission-focused digital transformation and nine offices across the U.S., our team of experts connects people with technologies to seamlessly integrate and modernize enterprise-level operations that increase mission resiliency, capability, and flexibility for U.S. defense, national security, intelligence, space, and public safety agencies around the globe. Tyto’s deep understanding of the customer’s mission brings proven results. For more information, visit gotyto.com.

About Arlington Capital Partners

Arlington Capital Partners is a Washington, D.C.-area private investment firm specializing in government-regulated industries. The firm partners with founders and management teams to build strategically important businesses in the government services and technology, aerospace and defense, and healthcare sectors. Since its inception in 1999, Arlington has invested in over 150 companies and is currently investing out of its $3.8 billion Fund VI. For more information, visit Arlington’s website at www.arlingtoncap.com

Tyto Athene, an Arlington Capital Partners Portfolio Company, Appoints Dennis Kelly as New CEO

Navy veteran and GovCon growth leader to advance the next phase in Tyto’s strategic growth journey

HERNDON, Va.–Tyto Athene, LLC (“Tyto”), a federal systems integrator of mission-focused digital transformation services, has appointed Dennis Kelly to the position of Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Kelly joins the organization as a 30-year industry veteran and experienced executive in the defense and intelligence community. He will lead Tyto’s strategic growth efforts while also focusing on service delivery excellence to its U.S. defense, national security, intelligence, space, and public safety agency clients around the globe. Tyto is a portfolio company of Arlington Capital Partners (“Arlington”), a Washington, D.C.-area private investment firm specializing in government-regulated industries.

Mr. Kelly brings significant experience with strategy, M&A, and integration, having previously served as CEO of Eqlipse Technologies and President and COO of Centauri, both Arlington portfolio companies. Mr. Kelly led Eqlipse through seven strategic acquisitions and associated integrations over eighteen months and has served as an executive leader for other fast-growing companies in the government technology and national security sectors.

Michael Lustbader, a Managing Partner at Arlington, said, “Appointing Dennis as CEO signifies our commitment to continuing to invest behind the Tyto platform, driven by the immense potential growth we see in the market. Dennis’ proven track record within the Arlington portfolio and extensive experience in the government contracting space prove he is the leader to drive Tyto’s growth and operational excellence.”

“Building on the foundation set by the Tyto team, I am excited for this opportunity to further advance Tyto’s growth strategy and to deepen and expand our capabilities to meet our customer’s evolving mission requirements in this ever-changing world,” said Dennis Kelly. “Our team is passionate about national security and supporting the government’s mission to secure our nation. I am fully committed to our talented and mission-focused people who are supporting our global customers and look forward to working with Arlington again to achieve our shared vision.”

Kelly is a U.S. Navy veteran and an active contributor to the government contracting industry and community. He has served as co-chair of the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce GovCon committee and was a previous board member of the Professional Services Council. Kelly holds a bachelor’s degree from Roger Williams University with a major in industrial engineering technology and a minor in computer technology. He earned an executive MBA from the University of Rhode Island.

About Arlington Capital Partners

Arlington Capital Partners is a Washington, D.C.-area private investment firm specializing in government-regulated industries. The firm partners with founders and management teams to build strategically important businesses in the government services and technology, aerospace and defense, and healthcare sectors. Since its inception in 1999, Arlington has invested in over 150 companies and is currently investing out of its $3.8 billion Fund VI. For more information, visit Arlington’s website at www.arlingtoncap.com.

Tyto Athene’s Annual Charity Golf Tournaments Has Raised Nearly $500k for the Fisher House Foundation

HERNDON, Va.-Tyto Athene, LLC, a federal systems integrator headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, announced today that they have raised over $62,000 for the Fisher House Foundation during their 15th Annual Charity Golf Tournament, making this the third year in a row that Tyto Athene has broken their donation record.

On October 12th, 2023, 130-plus peer and partner golfers from around the United States gathered at Stoneleigh Golf & Country Club in Round Hill, Virginia to support the event. The generous contributions of sponsors, donors, and golfers made this event a huge success. This donation will enable the Fisher House to provide 4,500 nights of lodging for military beneficiaries.

“Thank you, Tyto Athene, for 15 years of support to military and veteran families through Fisher House Foundation,” said Fisher House Foundation Chairman and CEO Ken Fisher. “The funds raised during the annual golf tournament help remove expensive burdens of lodging costs so families can focus on the care of their loved ones.”

In collaboration with the local Department of Information Management (DOIM), Tyto Athene held its first charity golf tournament in 2007 to raise funds for a local Fisher House to be built at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Since then, Tyto Athene’s annual tournament remains a symbol of continued support for the Fisher House’s mission, raising close to $500K in donations to date.

“We are pleased to announce our continued support of the Fisher House Foundation. The Tyto team was able to pull off another outstanding event raising substantial contributions from our partners, sponsors, and golfers in support of an amazing charitable organization,” said Tyto Athene CEO, Chris Meilhammer. “We look forward to hosting this event next year.”

The tournament also served as a launch for Tyto Athene’s annual Marine Corps Toys for Tots toy drive. Tournament attendees brought new, unwrapped toys to kick-off the donating season. These donations put Tyto Athene on track to break its record of 1,600 donations collected in 2022.

Tyto Athene plans to host this tournament for many years to come, with the next one already scheduled for October 2024.

About the Fisher House Foundation

The Fisher House is a private-public partnership supporting members of the Armed Forces, retirees, veterans, and their families. This program recognizes the sacrifices of our military by meeting their needs beyond that normally provided by the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Fisher House Foundation donates “comfort homes,” built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers, enabling family members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful time – during hospitalization for an unexpected illness, disease, or injury. Annually, the Fisher House program serves over 10,000 families and has made nearly 3 million days of lodging available to family members since its inception in 1990. By law, there is no charge for any family to stay at a Fisher House.

More information about the Fisher House Foundation may be found at: www.fisherhouse.org

Tyto Athene Wins $66M Defense Health Agency’s E-Commerce Support Contract

Tyto Athene has won a potential five-year, $65.8 million task order to help the Defense Health Agency maintain and operate enterprise IT systems that interact with their counterparts in the private sector healthcare system.

Four companies in total submitted bids for the order that the General Services Administration worked with DHA to manage and award, the Pentagon said in its Wednesday awards digest.

This performance work statement from April describes how DHA’s E-Commerce Operational Systems facilitate payments to civilian health care providers in the TRICARE military care network if such support is not available to active duty and retired personnel through military treatment facilities.

EOSS systems contain financial management, acquisition support, contract management, and contract operations applications for functions such as the conversions of health care claims to invoices and payment processing.

Data Computer Corporation of America is the incumbent with its five-year contract currently slated to expire on Jan. 13, according to Deltek data. That pact has a $51.6 million ceiling.

GSA made the recompete award through the government-wide Alliant 2 contract vehicle for IT-centric solutions.

Tyto Athene Appoints New Chief Technology Officer, Peter O’Donoghue

HERNDON, Va.–Peter O’Donoghue, former Chief Technology Officer of Leidos’ Civil Group, has been appointed Chief Technology Officer at Tyto Athene, LLC, a federal systems integrator headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, where he will lead the company’s strategy, execution, and oversight of the technology solutions organization.

With over two decades of technology industry experience, O’Donoghue has an impressive track record of success in cloud computing, cybersecurity, and IT modernization, and was recently recognized by WashingtonExec as one of the Top Cloud Executives To Watch in 2023. “I am delighted to be here at this pivotal time to provide leadership in driving Tyto’s technical go-to-market strategy as we position for growth and differentiation,” said Peter O’Donoghue. “Given our experience, talent, and investments, I’m confident that we are uniquely poised to meet our customers’ emerging digital modernization, ubiquitous connectivity, and zero trust needs.”

Peter will act as both a collaborative business partner and a change agent with the executive leadership team, ensuring the right blend of investment and partnering, to build differentiated solutions that support Tyto’s customers wherever they may be on their digital modernization journey.

“We are excited to welcome Peter as our new CTO,” said Chris Mielhammer, CEO of Tyto Athene. “We have made significant investments this year to accelerate our growth. Peter’s proven abilities to drive growth through technology insertion, innovation, and collaboration is an integral component to Tyto Athene’s success.”

John West Appointed VP of Business Development and Strategy at Tyto Athene

HERNDON, Va.–Tyto Athene, LLC announced that John West, an industry veteran with over three decades of expertise in providing strategic consultation to federal government clients, has joined the company’s leadership team as the Vice President of Business Development and Strategy.

Throughout his career, West has actively supported various government sectors in a variety of roles including management, business development, and executive client interface capacities. John’s impressive background that includes a tenure as Vice President at Leidos and a prior leadership role as the Managing Director at Verizon Enterprise Solutions, Public Sector.

“Something that appealed to me about Tyto was the size, the people, and the leadership team,” West said. “Tyto is mid-size and because of that, we have a lot of agility and the ability to react quickly to changes in the market; and while we do have effective processes, we are not overly burdened by them. Tyto is a place that enables leaders to make and implement decisions quickly, and it’s exciting to have this opportunity.”

In his new position, West will play a pivotal role in developing business relationships and guiding the strategic vision of Tyto Athene.

“As we continue to position our company for growth, having a proven leader with so much enthusiasm for the industry will no doubt help Tyto succeed,” said Chris Meilhammer, CEO of Tyto Athene. “John West is an excellent addition to the leadership team, and we’re honored to welcome him in this new role.”

Optima Wins $90M Air Force Reserve Command IT Support Contract

A joint venture between Tyto Athene and Veterans First Initiative has won a five-year, $90.1 million contract to support information technology operations at the Air Force Reserve Command headquarters in Georgia.

Optima Government Solutions will help AFRC plan, operate, sustain, and modernize the command’s IT environment under the indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, the Defense Department said Friday.

Work will take place at the Warner Robins Air Force Base through March 19, 2028.

The command received eight bids for the competitive procurement and is obligating $12.4 million at the time of award from its fiscal 2023 operations and maintenance funds.

Virginia-based Optima launched in November 2020 through the Small Business Administration’s mentor-protege program.