Carey Smith, chair, president and CEO of Parsons, has received the 2026 Wash100 Award, marking her eighth consecutive recognition and highlighting her leadership during a period of accelerated growth.
Jim Garrettson, CEO of Executive Mosaic and founder of the Wash100 Award, visited Smith at the Parsons office to personally present the honor.
“Carey’s eighth Wash100 Award—and sixth consecutive honor—is a remarkable achievement and a clear reflection of the steady, inspiring leadership she brings to GovCon. In 2025, under her guidance, Parsons earned a coveted spot on a major Air Force task order, positioning the company to deliver critical infrastructure and resiliency solutions around the world,” said Garrettson.
“She also helped drive a forward-looking collaboration with IBM to modernize the nation’s National Airspace System through an open, vendor-agnostic approach. Carey’s blend of strategic vision, innovation and consistent mission success truly embodies the Wash100 standard and continues to shape the future of federal contracting,” Garrettson added.
Why Did Carey Smith Win the 2026 Wash100 Award?
Smith earned her eighth Wash100 Award in recognition of her role in steering Parsons through a period of focused growth, leveraging acquisitions, major contract wins and strategic partnerships across defense, intelligence, cyber and critical infrastructure markets, reflecting her sustained influence on the GovCon sector.
She spearheaded key acquisitions, including Altamira for $375 million, Chesapeake Technology International for $89 million and TRS Group for $36 million, to expand capabilities across cyber, space, maritime and environmental domains. Parsons also invested in a 27,000-square-foot facility at Redstone Gateway in Huntsville, Alabama, to support defense innovation.
Under her direction, the company secured major government awards, including a spot on a potential $4 billion Defense Threat Reduction Agency contract, a $593 million contract extension from the Federal Aviation Administration and a 10-year, $392 million federal contract for its biometrics and network engineering technologies.
Parsons also expanded its space and missile defense footprint through a $30 million contract modification supporting the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Blackjack mission and by securing a position on the Missile Defense Agency’s $151 billion Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense, or SHIELD, contract vehicle.
Smith also helped drive innovation through partnerships with companies like IBM and BrainChip, advancing efforts in airspace modernization, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
Who Is Carey Smith?
Smith is a government contracting veteran with nearly 40 years of experience spanning defense, intelligence, aerospace and infrastructure. She joined the company in 2016 as president of federal solutions, where she helped drive the company’s government-focused growth strategy. She quickly advanced through Parsons’ leadership ranks, becoming chief operating officer in 2018 and then president and COO in 2019. She was appointed CEO in 2021 and assumed the role of board chair the following year, cementing her position at the helm of the company.
Before joining Parsons, Smith held senior leadership roles at Honeywell Aerospace, including president of its defense and space business and Honeywell Technology Solutions Inc., a former Honeywell subsidiary. She also spent 14 years at Lockheed Martin, holding multiple vice president-level positions.
In addition to her corporate leadership, Smith chairs Executive Mosaic’s 4×24 Group 1 Leadership program and serves on several boards, including Edison International, the Professional Services Council and the Intelligence & National Security Alliance.
What Is the Wash100 Award?
The Wash100 Award, established in 2014, recognizes the 100 most influential leaders in the government contracting sector. Each year, recipients are selected through a rigorous process that evaluates their leadership, innovation, vision and impact on the GovCon community, as well as their role in shaping the future of the federal mission.
Executive Mosaic congratulates Carey Smith and the entire Parsons organization on earning this latest Wash100 recognition.
The 2026 Wash100 Popular Vote contest is now open. Support Carey Smith by casting your vote at Wash100.com.
