Jerry McGinn Named to 2025 Wash100 for Transforming GMU Center Into National GovCon Hub
Jerry McGinn, executive director of the George Mason University School of Business’ Center for Government Contracting, has been named a 2025 Wash100 Award recipient for transforming the center into a national hub for addressing the business, policy and regulatory issues in GovCon.
Jerry McGinn’s Previous Wash100 Awards
Executive Mosaic is pleased to recognize Jerry McGinn as a three-time winner of the most prestigious award in all of government contracting. Previously, McGinn was presented his second Wash100 Award in 2022 for his vision and leadership in the expansion of the GMU Center for Government Contracting as well as driving advocacy for the GovCon sector and DOD’s defense acquisition systems changes. McGinn was presented with his first Wash100 award in 2021 for his insight into the critical issues impacting the GovCon industry and the defense industrial base.
“It is a true honor to be selected for the Wash100 this year,” McGinn said. “It is particularly an honor to be the sole awardee from the non-profit sector, or academia, in this year’s cohort.”
“Our collective GovCon industry needs people like Jerry. He works agnostically within the portion of academia that overlaps GovCon, shaping today’s leaders as well as the leaders of tomorrow,” said Jim Garrettson, CEO of Executive Mosaic and founder of the Wash100 Award.
“As executive director of GMU’s Center for Government Contracting, Jerry has led vital research on industrial mobilization, procurement reform and DOGE. His research shapes national security discussions, and his Senate testimony last year reinforced his role as a key voice in the industry. With these major research wins, plus a forthcoming book on the defense industrial base, Jerry continues to provide leadership in the academy for a sensible foundation of GovCon education,” Garrettson continued
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The GMU GovCon Center—Sought-After Authority
McGinn told EM that the GMU Center for Government Contracting is a neutral convening authority that is sought after by government and industry for its independent analysis and perspective on a variety of pressing issues. These range from innovation, budget reform and intellectual property to working with allies and partners and industrial base resilience. The center addresses these issues through research, education, training and events.
What’s Next for the GMU GovCon Center
The center’s priorities for 2025 are conducting impactful research and holding groundbreaking events on the issues facing today’s $700 billion GovCon community. McGinn said these issues will range from the White House’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, and procurement reform to driving technological innovation.
The GMU Center for Government Contracting has been holding a series of events focused on the implications of DOGE-related actions for the GovCon community. McGinn said these have been widely attended by government personnel and contractors. Center researchers, he said, have also appeared on television and have been quoted in news articles focusing on how the GovCon community can navigate and succeed in this time of uncertainty.
Opportunities for GovCon Growth in 2025
McGinn sees several GovCon areas as ripe for opportunity and growth in 2025, despite the uncertainty from unprecedented executive branch actions: Defense and intelligence, and homeland and border security. McGinn said there will be opportunities even in some of the civilian agencies currently facing reductions as agencies look to maximize efficiencies and effectiveness through the use of AI and commercial technologies.
McGinn in March testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on industrial mobilization. McGinn in October published an influential report that created a blueprint for mobilizing the defense industrial base and ensuring the U.S. is ready when the next major conflict occurs.
This report, Before the Balloon Goes Up: Mobilizing the Defense Industrial Base Now to Prepare for Future Conflict, issued many requirements for shoring up the U.S. defense supply chain. These include dramatically simplifying the requirements process, increasing defense funding to Cold War levels of six to seven percent of gross domestic product, prioritizing open system approaches and maximizing the use of uncrewed and attritable systems.
GMU GovCon Center Wins DOD Awards
The GMU Center for Government Contracting won three innovation projects from the Department of Defense’s Acquisition Innovation Research Center in late 2024. These projects focus on intellectual property, industry incentives and the Defense Production Act. Additionally, McGinn has secured a contract for a book on the future of the defense industrial base that will be published in 2026.
McGinn in October appeared on a panel at the annual Defense Security Cooperation University conference, discussing U.S. and allied readiness. The GMU Center for Government Contracting in September hosted a small business summit that featured Douglas Bush, former assistant secretary of the U.S. Army for acquisition, logistics and technology under President Biden, and Corey Nickens, client executive for the assisted acquisition services innovation unit at the General Services Administration.
McGinn in May, with the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, launched a cybersecurity workforce workshop to identify federal, state and local barriers to increasing the constrained availability of the cyber workforce. Participants identified strategies, goals and potential solutions, targeting next steps to accelerate cyber workforce growth in the metro Washington region.
Executive Mosaic is proud to recognize Jerry McGinn and GMU’s Center for Government Contracting for being named a 2025 Wash100 Award winner! As a repeat winner of the most coveted award in GovCon, McGinn has demonstrated an elite level of achievement, success and contribution to the GovCon community that can only be recognized by the Wash100 Award.
Vote for Jerry McGinn and who you believe deserves the recognition as the most significant leader to the GovCon community and federal landscape.