The annual Wash100 Award represents the apex of an executive’s career. Issued by Executive Mosaic, the GovCon industry’s leading events, media and membership organization, the first-time winners from the class of 2025 includes prominent government executives, showcasing their leadership and impact within the federal marketplace.
These government leaders are shaping policy in critical capabilities including cyber, 5G, unmanned aircraft systems and space technologies. They are leading their agency efforts in modernizing operations and helping the federal government stay at the forefront of technology.
Let’s explore the biographies of these first-time Wash100 winners in 2025 from the government and take in the qualities that enabled them to achieve this prestigious recognition.
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Gregory Barbaccia
U.S. Chief Information Officer
Barbaccia joined the esteemed ranks of Wash100 winners in 2025 for his success in both the private and public sectors. He spent more than a decade at Palantir, where he was head of investigations and intelligence and directed efforts involving insider threats, open-source intelligence and counterintelligence. He also founded Argus Vigilance, a Washington, D.C.-based company that develops intelligence systems integration, training and implementation as well linguistic capabilities and full-spectrum analysis.
Now serving as federal chief information officer, Barbaccia supervises the administration’s technology efforts and makes sure the government operates with reliable, secure and high-performing information technologies. Barbaccia in May outlined 16 operating principles for federal IT leaders under the Trump administration, including: trust is the foundation, own the outcome and default to positive intent.
Juan Ramírez
Department of Defense
Ramírez in 2025 was honored with a Wash100 Award for the first time for his work advancing 5G in the Pentagon. He developed and carried out a strategic framework to make sure DOD’s 5G adoption was both scalable and secure.
As the leader of the 5G Cross-Functional Team, Ramirez has transformed DOD’s telecommunication infrastructure. He laid the foundation for deploying private 5G networks, which should create improved performance and resilience in crowded communication environments. Ramírez has a goal of installing 5G across all DOD installations, which should bolster mission-essential operations and better position the department for long-term communications competitiveness.
Maj. Gen. David Stewart
U.S. Army
Maj. Gen. Stewart landed his first Wash100 in 2025 for leading the Army’s work in UAS. He played a big part in DOD’s Replicator program, which seeks to improve defenses against small UAS and stop threats that target major facilities and forces.
As director of the Army’s Counter-UAS office, Stewart plays a critical role in strategizing how the service both defends against, and incorporates, these technologies. He’s spent more than 30 years with the Army and has led troops at every level, from battery to brigade. Stewart has previously served as commanding general of the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command.
Pete Hegseth
Department of Defense
The defense secretary broke into the ranks of Wash100 winners in 2025 for his work positioning the Pentagon at the forefront of technological innovation. Hegseth, in August, directed Army Secretary Dan Driscoll to create the Joint Interagency Task Force 401 to speed up deliveries of counter-small unmanned aircraft systems, or C-sUAS, to troops.
This summer, Hegseth instructed DOD to make sure that all cloud and IT services procured were protected from nefarious foreign supply chain actors, especially those from Russia and China. He’s been DOD’s focal point for acquisition reform efforts, including having the Army undertake its Transformation and Acquisition Reform initiative. This instructs Driscoll to broaden the service’s use of innovative acquisition vehicles such as other transaction authority agreements and performance-based contracting.
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Gen. Michael Guetlein
U.S. Space Force
Gen. Guetlein made his debut Wash100 in 2025 for leading some of the Pentagon’s most high profile and attention-grabbing efforts. Gen. Guetlein in July was named program lead for the Golden Dome homeland missile defense system, President Trump’s signature DOD initiative.
In March, Gen. Guetlein called for the Space Force to receive a bigger budget so it could better combat technologies being used by U.S. adversaries in space, including Global Positioning System jamming and spoofing. He also championed the Space Force’s Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve, which should help the service better utilize commercial space technology both during wartime and peacetime.
Maj. Gen. Luke Cropsey
U.S. Air Force
Maj. Gen. Cropsey launched into the esteemed Wash100 ranks in 2025 for embracing technological innovation. He was named the first chief of the Air Force’s new Information Dominance Systems Center, which seeks to help the service better harness its command, control, communications and battlefield management, or C3BM, technologies.
He was also tapped to run the Program Executive Office for Cyber and Networks’ Aerial Networks Division after it was realigned under the PEO for C3BM. Maj. Gen. Cropsey demonstrated leadership in issuing new strategic priorities to improve the Air Force’s battle network by prioritizing rapid capability deployment.
Marco Rubio
Department of State
Rubio won his first Wash100 in 2025 for his strategy to improve the State Department’s technological infrastructure. He opened new markets for UAS exports by improving how foreign defense sales requests are adjudicated.
Rubio also developed a State Department reorganization plan to eliminate redundant offices and improve functionality. In October, he released an Enterprise Data and AI Strategy that has a goal of equipping diplomats with AI tools for real-time insights and improved decision-making.
John Ratcliffe
Central Intelligence Agency
Ratcliffe snagged his first Wash100 Award in 2025 for his crucial work defending the U.S. against foreign and domestic threats. He served as director of national intelligence during Trump’s first term before being nominated to serve as CIA director in 2024. Ratcliffe was confirmed by a 74-25 vote in January.
He also served in Congress from 2015 to 2020 before stepping down in 2020 to serve as Trump’s DNI. Ratcliffe demonstrated his intelligence bonafides by serving on the House Intelligence Committee from 2019 to 2020.
Kristi Noem
Department of Homeland Security
Noem secured her first Wash100 Award in 2025 for her leadership at the Department of Homeland Security. She led an effort to instill better spending discipline when she issued a directive requiring her approval on all DHS contracts and grants exceeding $100,000.
Noem highlighted record amounts of Coast Guard investment during her keynote address at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Homeland Security Summit. She received her Wash100 Award from Executive Mosaic CEO Jim Garrettson during the event. For more high-profile speakers like Noem, make sure to check out POC’s slate of 2026 GovCon events!
Noem also championed the Coast Guard having its first civilian secretary. The USCG operates as both a federal law enforcement agency and a military branch during wartime, yet lacks a dedicated civilian leader.
Tom Homan
White House
Homan joined the ranks of Wash100 winners this year for being at the forefront of the Trump administration’s work to improve border enforcement. Now Trump’s “border czar,” Homan had had a track record of success from the first Trump administration. As acting director of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, he increased the number of detained immigrants by 40 percent in 2017 compared to the previous year.
Homan began his law enforcement career as a local police officer. He joined the Immigration and Naturalization Service in 1984 and served as an investigator, supervisor and Border Patrol agent.
Kelly Fletcher
Department of State
Fletcher received her inaugural Wash100 Award in 2025 for her leadership in the State Department’s efforts to modernize its network and improve cybersecurity. She is guiding the integration of classified intelligence into AI applications.
The State Department, under Fletcher, has also successfully programmed the Foreign Affairs Manual into its internal chatbot to ensure rapid and secure access to vital information. This will provide diplomats a comprehensive overview of the department’s business practices and procedures.
Josh Gruenbaum
Federal Acquisition Service
Gruenbaum in 2025 won his first Wash100 for his leadership in revamping federal acquisition. Under Gruenbaum’s leadership, the General Services Administration partnered with the Department of Treasury to create the Savings Award for Verified Efficiencies. This joint effort has a goal of reducing wasteful government spending while prioritizing mission readiness.
Gruenbaum also championed the founding of the Office of Centralized Acquisition Services within the FAS. This office will consolidate acquisition across federal agencies to minimize duplication and leverage the government’s purchasing power to provide value for taxpayers.
David Sacks
White House
Sacks joined the ranks of Wash100 winners in 2025 for his work as the White House’s “AI and cryptocurrency czar.” The White House, with Sacks’ leadership, released an action plan to help the nation lead the world in AI. It provides a blueprint for 90 federal policy actions in three categories: speeding up AI innovation, creating U.S. AI infrastructure and taking the lead in worldwide AI security and diplomacy.
