Senate-confirmed in April 2022, the Honorable Dr. William A. LaPlante serves as the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (USD(A&S)). In this role, he is responsible to the Secretary of Defense for all matters pertaining to acquisition; contract administration; logistics and materiel readiness; installations and environment; operational energy; nuclear, chemical, and biological defense; the acquisition workforce; and the defense industrial base.
Prior to this appointment, Dr. LaPlante served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Draper Laboratory, a research and development company specializing in advanced technology solutions in national security, space exploration, health care, and energy. Previously, he was senior vice president and general manager at MITRE National Security, where he oversaw the operation of two federally funded research and development centers and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Dr. LaPlante served as the Senate-confirmed Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics from 2014 to 2017, where he aligned that Service’s $43 billion acquisition enterprise budget with the Air Force vision and strategy. During his tenure, he forged a path forward on critical Air Force acquisition programs such as the B-21 long range strike bomber, while realizing nearly $6 billion in “should-cost” savings in other programs. Prior to this position, Dr. LaPlante spent 26 years at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), ultimately leading the Global Engagement Department where he was responsible for all of APL’s work supporting offensive strike military capabilities. He also served as a member of the APL’s Executive Council.
Dr. LaPlante has been a member of several scientific boards and commissions focused on maintaining national security, including the U.S. Strategic Command Senior Advisory Group, Naval Research Advisory Committee, and Defense Science Board. He joined other national experts as a commissioner on the congressionally-mandated Section 809 Panel, which performed a comprehensive review of Department of Defense acquisition policies and provided improvement recommendations, many of which became law.
Dr. LaPlante holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the Catholic University of America, a master’s degree in applied physics from The Johns Hopkins University, and a bachelor’s degree in engineering physics from the University of Illinois.
Mark Pekrul is the Deputy Assistant Director for Customer and Stakeholder Engagement within Personnel Security/Background Investigations at the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), the largest provider of personnel vetting services within the Federal Government. In this role, he is responsible for liaison between DCSA and more than 140 Federal departments and agencies as well as industry on all matters related to the vetting mission. His organization is the primary conduit of information between, and for collaborative partnership among, DCSA and all its mission partners which rely upon it for their vetting needs. In addition, he oversees the liaison and collaborative activities between DCSA’s vetting enterprise and the nation’s state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies as well as PS’s Operational Policy and Procedures Group. Mr. Pekrul has served in this role since joining the National Background Investigations Bureau in August of 2017. For nine years prior, he was the Personnel Security Policy Program Manager at the Department of Energy (DOE), where he oversaw the development and implementation of all agency policies and procedures related to determining individuals’ eligibility for access to classified information. Mr. Pekrul worked previously as a program manager for the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) Federal Investigative Service in the 2000’s, and as a field investigator for OPM from 1990 to 1998. He also has worked for the Department of State and the U.S. Information Agency in the personnel security field. A graduate of The American University in Washington, D.C. and a native of Cheshire, CT, he resides with his family in Maryland
Eric Crusius is a Tysons attorney who focuses his practice on a wide range of government contract (GovCon) matters, including bid protests, claims and disputes, compliance issues and sub-prime issues.
Mr. Crusius has extensive experience in government contract litigation, including successfully prosecuting and intervening in numerous bid protests before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (USCFC), U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), boards of contract appeals and other federal agencies. He counsels clients regarding the Service Contract Act (SCA) and other labor issues, domestic preferences, export controls, cybersecurity, subcontracting and teaming agreements, and compliance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and other agency regulatory requirements such as the Defense Federal Acquisition Supplement (DFARS). Mr. Crusius also represents contractors in investigations, suspension and debarment proceedings, and in federal and state courts. He also supports the firm's corporate practice and performs due diligence and compliance reviews for acquisitions and sales of entities and business units in the defense and civilian space.
Sample representations include:
Represented a multinational Fortune 100 manufacturer with respect to issues connected with the Defense Production Act (DPA) compliance under Titles I and III
Guided breach response plans for defense contractors following cybersecurity attacks and obtained favorable investigative outcomes following breach disclosures to the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)
After trial, obtained a successful verdict that challenged a finding by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) that a security contractor violated the SCA avoiding substantial fines and a potential debarment
Successfully removed a company from the suspension and debarment list following a criminal conviction of the company and its founder after guiding the company through a significant compliance plan
Guided mandatory disclosures for clients resulting in no further inquiries or actions by the federal government
Counsels contractors with unique and emerging compliance issues connected with the American Rescue Plan Act, the Chinese technology ban and supply chain compliance, autonomous transportation, offensive and defensive cybersecurity weapons, helium shortages and others
Mr. Crusius also draws on his previous experience representing internet-based companies across the globe and focuses on cybersecurity issues particular to government contractors, including counseling contractors regarding cybersecurity compliance obligations, specialized breach response requirements required by various federal agencies (including the DOD), and certifications such as the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) and Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP). He is an industry thought leader with respect to these issues having appeared on Government Matters, Federal News Network and featured at conferences to provide insight to the greater contractor community.
In addition, Mr. Crusius is well-versed in developing strategies for and managing all stages of complex multimillion-dollar litigations from commencement through trial.
Mr. Crusius' recent representative litigation matters include:
Obtained a $3.3 million verdict in a complex government contracts trial against L-3 Communications
Won jury trial, including punitive damages, on behalf of a government contractor in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in a case involving the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
Won an appeal in Ohio's Ninth District Court of Appeals overturning the summary judgment decision by the trial court
Successfully prosecuted numerous bid protests at the GAO and the USCFC, including a successful challenge of an approximately $190 million award on two separate protest grounds and a successful challenge of corrective action taken by the agency and prior adverse GAO decision
In another protest decision at the USCFC, obtained a finding that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) acted unlawfully when structuring a $4 billion program for the sourcing and distribution of medical supplies for VA medical facilities
Obtained a significant settlement for a government contractor against the client's former heads of business development and operation started a competing business
In a matter alleging numerous business torts connected with false allegations that the client was selling counterfeit goods, obtained a substantial settlement during jury selection.
Mr. Berteau became the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Professional Services Council (PSC) on March 28, 2016. With more than 400 members, PSC is the premier advocate of and resource for the federal services industry. As CEO, Mr. Berteau focuses on legislative and regulatory issues related to government acquisition, budgets, and requirements by helping to shape public policy, leading strategic coalitions, and working to improve communications between government and industry, focusing on outcomes and results for the government.
Prior to PSC, Mr. Berteau was confirmed in December 2014 as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Materiel Readiness. He oversaw the management of the $170 billion in Department of Defense logistics funding.
Previously, Mr. Berteau served as Senior Vice President at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where his research and analysis covered federal budgets, national security, management, contracting, logistics, acquisition, and industrial base issues.
Mr. Berteau is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and a Director of the Procurement Round Table. He also served as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, and at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School.
