C4ISR Symposium
NAVWAR Contracting Industry Council (CIC)
Industry Question Submission Portal
A structured platform for industry to engage with NAVWAR on acquisition processes, priorities, and shared challenges.
The CIC and industry
The CIC was stood up to improve understanding of NAVWAR acquisition priorities, processes, and timelines through early, open, and compliant dialogue between government and industry.
This page lets industry members submit questions and topics directly. Your input drives the CIC agenda and enables open discussion of common challenges and opportunities at scale.
Submitting a question can:
- Highlight recurring acquisition challenges
- Clarify gaps in process understanding
- Make CIC discussions more productive
- Influence future engagements and briefings
No CIC membership is required to submit.
Image
What is the NAVWAR CIC?
The CIC is a standing forum that meets quarterly for NAVWAR and industry to collaborate on systemic acquisition topics that impact the government and broad segments of industry — not isolated contracts or company-specific issues.
Purpose: Strengthen the quality of the government–industry business partnership by improving acquisition processes, efficiency, and communication in support of NAVWAR’s mission.
CIC members are nominated by AFCEA San Diego, NDIA San Diego, SDMAC, and Women In Defense San Diego (one small and one large business each). Members serve staggered two-year terms.
In addition, the CIC nominates the following roles: CIC Lead (Industry Lead), CIC Council Advisor, CIC Vice Lead, and Secretary. The CIC government lead is NAVWAR 2.0 Director.
Scroll to the bottom of the page to view your industry representative.
View previous meeting minutes: [link to google folder]
Image
Submitting strong questions
When submitting a question, aim for issues that affect many vendors or the overall acquisition environment.
A good rule of thumb: Ask yourself, “Would this question help multiple companies better support NAVWAR’s mission?”
Good Questions
- Acquisition processes and sequencing
- Industry engagement timing and expectations
- Transparency around priorities
- Common industry challenges when supporting NAVWAR
Bad Questions
- Company-specific contract issues
- Active procurements or source selections
- Proprietary or competitive information
Image
The CIC and Quarterly Business Opportunity Briefings (QBOBs)
QBOBs are a key CIC outcome — quarterly briefings (sometimes aligned with or replaced by AFCEA/NDIA San Diego events) that give industry insight into:
- Upcoming NAVWAR acquisition priorities
- Current challenges and constraints
- Alignment with Navy strategic direction
The CIC leads government–industry collaboration to ensure QBOBs are relevant, useful, and driven by real industry questions and opportunities.
2026 QBOB Schedule:
- January 20–21 – NDIA Winter Forum (folded in)
- April – Standalone
- August – NDIA Navy Gold Coast
- November – TBD
Your CIC Representatives
Thank you for contributing to a stronger, more effective government–industry partnership in support of NAVWAR. Below are the 2026 CIC members.
| Role | Name | Organization |
|---|---|---|
| Industry Lead | Matt Beekman | Alpha Omega Group |
| Council Advisor | Ken Garber | DEL REY Systems |
| Secretary | Emile Vicchio | LINK |
| AFCEA LB | Randy Villaquette | Deloitte |
| AFCEA SB | Oscar Mancia | Ignite Digital Services |
| NDIA LB | Cary Cheshire | Indus |
| NDIA SB | Anita Baranowski | Left Coast Engineering |
| SDMAC LB | Marisa Silva | BAH |
| SDMAC SB, CIC Vice Lead | Rob Pennoyer | PMAT Inc |
| WID LB | Sandy Davis-Schiermeyer | STF |
| WID SB | Kelley Svoboda | Artemis Consulting |
The CIC was established in October 2023, and aligns with:
- The Office of Federal Procurement Policy’s “Myth Busting” guidance
- The Department of Defense’s Better Buying Power principles
