About – Vets Group Information Technology Academy (2024)

Joe founded the VETS Group in 2004 and later added the VETS Group Training Academy, as a non-profit 501c3 organization in Washington, D.C. for Veterans, their families, and members of the community to achieve economic empowerment through Education, Employment & Entrepreneurship.

Veterans Advocate:

Serving the Washington D.C. community for 20 years Joe currently serves as a member of the Mayor’s Veterans Advisory Board for the District of Columbia, a member of the Advisory Committee on Veterans Employment, Training, and Employer Outreach (ACVETEO) for the Dept. of Labor, and member of the Board for the Consumer Action Agency.

Joe was previously appointed as a Commissioner on the Veterans Disability Benefits Commission by Leader Nancy Pelosi; Chairman of the Armed Services and Veterans Affairs Committee for the NAACP and has received recognition awards for his advocacy from the Small Business Administration (SBA), VET-Force, Blacks in Government, the United Black Fund and MEA Magazine.

Legislative Liaison: Joe serves as Vice Chair on the Executive Committee for the Veterans Entrepreneurship Task Force (VET-Force), composed of over 200 organizations and affiliates, to monitor the impact of legislation on small business programs for veterans. For years, he served as National Legislative Liaison for the National Association for Black Veterans(NABVETS), and as Special Advisor to the Director of Government Relations for the Vietnam Veterans of America(VVA).

Educational Attainment: Using the G.I. Bill, Joe attended the Universities of DC and Howard, completing a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems, a Master’s degree in Business, and two years toward a Doctorate in Organizational Communications. He also graduated from the Computer Learning Center majoring in Computer Programing and is certified as a Microsoft Computer Specialist.

Military Service & Past Experience: A Vietnam-era veteran, Joe served with the 66thStrategic Missile Squadron stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base South Dakota and received an Honorable Discharge. He designed and managed a pre-apprenticeship program for veterans with the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Managed projects for Veterans with disabilities for the Service-Disabled Veterans Business Association at the Dept. of Veterans Affairs.

Ron is a seasoned business professional with a wealth of experience in communications, marketing and sales. He is the retired Chairman of the Board for AirGo, a construction, facility support & product distribution company, based in Las Vegas, NV with offices in Atlanta. The company is a verified SDVOSB, and Ron is a decorated, U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam, combat veteran.

He has a B.S. degree in Business from Chicago State University, Chicago, IL, and a Master of Science in Communication (MSC) degree from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He belongs to several commerce, communication, public relations and industry specific professional associations.

He is a keynote speaker, workshop trainer and subject matter expert on communications, marketing & sales, emerging market consumer and community issues, as well as veteran and other small business development strategies. He resides in Las Vegas, NV.

Kim Harwell is a consummate entrepreneur. He has more than thirty years of business and expertise in the government, telecommunications, and marketing fields. Kim regularly writes articles for the Cyber Security Magazine and has written articles for numerous other publications. He has also written numerous E-Books on government contracting and is in the process of writing his new book, “The Blueprint to Government Contracting”. Kim Harwell is a highly sought after speaker, trainer, sales coach and expert in the areas of sales, business, government relations, and technological advances.

Kim is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of National Bid Network (NBN) and its subsidiary GovPurchase. NBN’s mission is to provide user friendly research tools, business training, consulting services, and B2B business development tools for commercial businesses, government contractors, and government officials, in a profitable manner, at an affordable price. GovPurchase assists thousands of companies worldwide in identifying federal, state and local prime contracting, subcontracting, teaming and commercial business.

Rhonda Smith has served our nation honorably in the US Army and the US Air Force. She has worked with several federal agencies since her military career. Her duties included sales strategy development and deployment of technological solutions to address business issues.

She also developed a timetable for the study, application, and testing of the technology collaborated with internal technical teams to guarantee consistency in usage.

She has created technical user guides with technical instructions in clear commercial language. Her duties included investigating a company’s IT architecture and system, finding holes, inefficiencies, and problems with IT systems, establishing a project completion timetable while taking the needs of the business into consideration and putting in place a technological solution to fulfill business needs. She also was responsible for evaluating and detecting security issues, advising on technological best practices, and working with the internal technical team to ensure tech competency.

She has BA degree in business from Liberty University and holds multiple IT certifications in Security+ CEH, and Project Management.

Over his 30-year military career, Colonel Williams has demonstrated performance in high-pressure, dynamic environments. He executes a leadership approach that emphasizes decision-making through active listening and management to enhance organizational performance.

He is known to be a creative analytical thinker with a systems-oriented approach to facilitate efficient and effective solutions. He served at various duty stations globally as an Integration Officer, Division Chief G-8, Chief CIO/G6 Netcom Operations, Deputy Brigade Commander, Battalion Commander, Watch Officer & Chief Operations Divisions and Signal Corps Officer.

During his military career one of his numerous assignments was to maintain 100% accountability of resources for Information Technology / Command and Control service organizations in Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. He provided oversight on all aspects of program execution, including funding, product/service delivery, and employee development/turnover that continuously improved the communications infrastructure.

After retiring from the military in 2016, Colonel Williams served as a Senior Associate with Booze Allen Hamilton. EDUCATION & TRAINING: Army War College, Master of Strategic Studies; Webster University, MBA; Northeast Missouri State University, BA Science. Army Officer Classification: 25A, Signal Officer.

Ms. Jones is an exceptionally detailed, organized, and highly accurate administrative professional with a unique ability to successfully manage multiple projects. Previously a Management and Program Assistant with the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, she has proven competencies as an office support staff member with the ability to empower others and foster a cohesive business environment. She delivers outstanding results, leading to increased levels of responsibility. She has well-developed interpersonal communication skills to work effectively with people from diverse professional and cultural backgrounds. Technically proficient in MS Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.

Ms. Jones is responsible for connecting with local community based professional organizations for marketing and promoting the VETS Group programs to the public. She is expected to travel to various community activities as well as plan and coordinate outreach activities in designated areas that are intended to identify and capture the interest of veterans and non-veteran community members that meet program requirements.

Ms. DeVeaux has 20 + years of professional experience supporting non-profit, Federal and contracting agencies. She has provided administrative support and office organization for senior leaders and office personnel. She has experience in management, communication, analytical thinking, technical expertise, and problem-solving. Implemented guidance and procedures to support office operations and administer programs and identify milestones. She also has program management experience planning and budgeting for resource requirements.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Humanities and a Master of Science degree in management. She is proficient in MS Office Suite, In Design, FileMaker Pro, Knowledge Management, MS Project, Visio, Accounting, and SharePoint. She currently plans and coordinates activities and programs at the VETS Group in addition to performing crucial operational tasks. Her duties include assisting with the program’s planning and coordination, creating, maintaining, and updating student records using Excel spreadsheets. She manages communications through media relations, social media, fostering positive relationships with outside organizations that refer students for training, planning meetings and events. She maintains an agenda, using appropriate technology for all administrative procedures.

Ms. Azaher Elamin is responsible for (1) recruiting and assisting students for our Information Technology programs and (2) identifying employers to provide program support, internships, apprenticeships, and employment opportunities.

Ms. Elamin is a U.S. Army National Guard Sergeant and has served for the past 9 years. She has deployed twice and has received over 4 Army Achievement medals for her services. As a 25B (Cyber Analyst) she has 7 years of experience in conducting penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, and security audits.

As a 42A (Human Resource Specialist), She has developed and implemented HR policies, procedures, and strategies to align with organizational goals. She has analyzed workforce data to identify trends, patterns, and areas for improvement. She has collaborated with department managers and executives to develop and execute talent management strategies.

Formerly a Special Education Teacher, she worked through legally required federal paperwork and prepared Individualized Education Plans that outlines the necessary supports, accommodations, and goals for an individual child between the ages of 11-18. In the past as a School Counselor Assistant, she worked directly with students providing support and guidance. She has conducted and developed small group sessions, facilitating classroom presentations on various topics (e.g., study skills, bullying prevention), and/or offering individual support to students who require assistance. In addition, Ms. Elamin has created her own company, Workpro Solutions LLC.

Ms. Simon is a Program Analyst Lead with over 25 years of professional and extensive experience leading collaborative teams, program development, project management, regulatory compliance, within the private and governmental sector. Experienced in developing and implementing Standard Operating Procedures. Managed resource integration and streamlined operations to support current and future business processes.

She is a strong and influential leader, who articulates and leads by example, built cohesive high performing teams, and diplomatically solved problems for Organizational Change Management with the ability to work in a fast-paced atmosphere. Strong business acumen and sustained effective customer and partner relationships with Senior Executives, Senior Leadership, Technical staff, and shareholders.

Education and Skills: Master of Science, Bachelor of Arts, Top Secret & CBP BI clearances, proficient in Microsoft Office Suite 365

Carene is focused on building relationships with employers and establishing sponsorship agreements with companies, people, and other pertinent organizations. She serves as a representative of the business and collaborates with the management group to create and carry out initiatives that increase company visibility in the area. She helps with the planning of special events, such as occasions to thank donors and volunteers and other fundraising activities.

Mrs. Vera Batey has over the past 40 years in various positions involving, social work, administration, counseling, employee health, and case management of planning patient care and discharge planning. Proficient in the bureaucratic processes for legal compliance of employee State and Federal Medical Leave laws, such as Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) as well as Employee Health Programs (EHP) benefits, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and Workers Compensation forms for patients undergoing treatment for medical injury/accident claims. In addition, she has experience in teaching Organizational Behavior courses at University of Phoenix and Behavioral Health Counseling for Substance Use Disorders.

Vera serves as the Student Advisor at VETS group. She oversees student enrollment cases as the academic advisor. She gives advice to students about their academic choices and consults with them regarding their personal health and family matters. She runs the orientation for new students. She participates in community outreach services that inform employee/employer workplace wage and leave laws and encourage legal compliance to employers and healthcare providers.

She holds a Master of Human Services Degree from Lincoln University in PA. She obtained a specialization in Counseling Older Adults from Walden University in Minneapolis, MN. She is a Board-Certified Professional Counselor and a Certified Associate Counselor for Alcohol and Drugs. She is also recognized by the American Psychotherapy Association and the State of Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists.

Innovative, results-driven IT Project Manager with 30+ years of diverse IT experience emphasizing leveraging technology to achieve business goals. Proven ability to manage teams of engineers and vendors, identify and mitigate risks, and maintain a positive relationship with stakeholders.

Known for producing high-quality deliverables that meet or exceed timeline and budgetary targets. Highly experienced with installation/implementation, integration, security, and administration of hardware/software projects ranging from small entrepreneurial start-ups to the largest financial institutions. Highly effective at managing all phases of the project life cycle, from needs assessment through implementation. Adept at defining and directing project goals, objectives, critical success factors, milestones, and risks. Supportive leader and team player with expertise in leading the workforce toward work excellence, company objective realization, and generating value beyond numbers. In addition, Aumed is the President/CEO Nova HiTech, Inc., based in Northern Va., providing managed IT services.