Only One Week To Go!: State of the Union

State of the Union

NCMA Bethesda invites you to a dynamic panel presentation. We are pleased to announce Darnese Wilkerson, Director of the Office of Acquisitions at NIH; Diane Sidebottom, Director of the Acquisition and Contracts Office at the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) and Benjamin Bryant, Deputy Head of Contracting Activity for ARPA-H.

This is an event not to be missed!!

Diane M. Sidebottom recently joined the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) as the Director of the Acquisition and Contracting Office (ACO). She previously worked with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as the Senior Policy Advisor, providing expert advice and guidance to DARPA as Assistant General Counsel on various research and prototype projects ranging from small efforts to major weapon systems.

In 2003, Ms. Sidebottom joined the newly created Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to assist in creating the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA) and to guide DHS in using OTs.

Ms. Sidebottom is a graduate of the University of Colorado (B.A.), the Thomas M. Cooley Law School (J.D.), and the George Washington University Law School (LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law).

Benjamin Bryant is the ARPA-H deputy Head of Contracting Activity. The Acquisition and Contracting Office (ACO) provides expert business advice, crafting and managing acquisition and assistance arrangements with industry performers to further the ARPA-H mission.

Benjamin attended Boston University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Business Administration. He achieved his Master of Public Administration from the American University Key Executive Leadership program with Distinction.

Darnese M. Wilkerson is the Director of the Office of Acquisitions (OA), within the Office of Logistics and Acquisition Operations (OLAO), for the Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Ms. Wilkerson brings more than 25 years of federal contracting and management experience, working for small and large private industry firms. Ms. Wilkerson began her federal government career in 2002, and has worked for several federal agencies, including the Department of Treasury, Department of State, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. At the Kennedy Center, Ms. Wilkerson served as the Head of Contracting Activity (HCA), managing a multi-million-dollar portfolio for capital improvement initiatives as well as the center’s operational support.

In 2012, Ms. Wilkerson joined the Department of Health and Human Services, Program Support Center, where she managed the cradle-to-grave contracting activity for several HHS Operating Divisions and several Staff Divisions in support of the Office of the Secretary. In late 2014, Ms. Wilkerson was hired as the Procurement Advisor for HHS, Administration for Children and Families (ACF) where she managed a $1 billion acquisition portfolio.