Leading by example.
Serving by design.

As the CEO at MetaPhase Consulting, Fred is responsible for pursuing the firm’s goals of a company with Engaged Teams, Meaningful Work, and Happy Customers. Fred began his career working during the ‘.com’ boom before transitioning into leadership roles at large management consulting firms including IBM, Accenture, and Booz Allen Hamilton. Fred’s experience centered around leading full life cycle implementations of COTS software, and undertaking large scale business transformation initiatives. He is passionate about technology and deeply values people and relationships. Fred graduated from George Mason University with a B.S. in Decision Sciences & Management Information Systems and holds Project Management Professional and Agile SCRUM certifications.

When not at work, Fred enjoys his downtime with his family (wife, 3 kids and dog), catching up with old and new friends, traveling overseas, and working out.

Brett McLaren is the Chief Strategy Officer of MetaPhase Consulting. Brett is responsible for overseeing business development, strategic partnerships, development of corporate capabilities, marketing, and proposal operations activities.  Prior to MetaPhase, Brett supported large scale federal IT programs at federal consulting firms including Booz Allen Hamilton and CGI. He holds a B.A. in Computer Information Systems from James Madison University and an MBA from Georgetown University. He is a PMI-Certified Project Management Professional, and holds Agile SCRUM and Change Management Advanced Practitioner (CMAP) certifications.

Outside of work, Brett enjoys trying new ethnic food, fishing, the outdoors, and coaching soccer.

Beth Angerman is the Chief Operating Officer of MetaPhase Consulting.  She is responsible for overseeing the talented MPC consultants delivering transformational solutions to our Federal clients.  Beth also oversees all operational support functions including HR, IT, facilities, communications, and compliance.  She started her career as a commercial consultant but found her purpose in helping government solve problems that impact the lives of millions of people.  She served for 16 years in executive roles at the Department of the Treasury and General Services Administration before leaving government to lead the Federal practice at Slalom Consulting.  She holds a BS from Mount Saint Mary's University, is a certified PMI-PMP, and a Fellow at the National Academy of Public Administration.

When she isn't working, Beth enjoys time in Silver Spring, MD with her husband and two sons, both of whom enjoy all sports and play a lot of soccer and baseball. If you don't find Beth at the ball field, she is trying a new recipe, planning a family trip, climbing rocks, hiking, or enjoying dinner at a new restaurant.

Bret Birkholz is MetaPhase’s Vice President for the DHS Market. He is a recognized federal government management consulting professional with over 25 years of experience, including serving over five years of active duty as a Commissioned Officer (Lieutenant) in the US Navy. Bret has spent the last 15+ years operating within the DHS space leading multiple projects and programs, with a specialization in organizational transformation and improvement, including project management, business process reengineering, data analytics, organizational assessment/design, workforce planning, change management, facilitation and strategic planning. Bret earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia.

Outside of work, Bret enjoys spending time with his wife and three children, making every attempt to keep up with their busy schedule of sports and activities. When he manages to find free time, he enjoys hiking, skiing, traveling, and the occasional trip to explore the local breweries.

Scott Cannon is a Vice President facilitating operational performance and growth of MetaPhase’s clients: General Services Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Scott provides the team with extensive experience in program management, strategic development and implementation, change management, and training. He takes great pride in supporting teams to work collaboratively and solve problems. He has an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University and a bachelor’s degree in finance from James Madison University. Scott loves to continually learn, grow, and progress.

When not working, he enjoys spending time with his two young children, wife, and lab, playing ice hockey with his adult men’s team, working out, and trying to perfect espresso-based drink making.

Mark DeRosa is the Vice President of Data & Analytics, providing leadership that leverages data assets and improves analytical capabilities while sharing intellectual capital across the company in fun and interesting ways. Mark is an Army veteran with several decades of experience designing and building robust solutions for the federal government, covering a wide range of requirements across multiple agencies. As a seasoned technologist, he is experienced in all phases of a project from idea to implementation, including sustainment and training. Mark earned a dual bachelor's degree in Computer Science & Mathematics from the University of Pittsburgh and his master's degree in Data Analytics Engineering from George Mason University.

Outside of work, Mark enjoys weightlifting, nature walks, hiking, tinkering with watches, reading, and spending time with his family.

Tim Hanes is MetaPhase's Vice President for Strategy & Growth (National Security), shaping and leading implementation of the firm’s growth strategy across all markets. He also leads the internal business development functions including proposal operations, business development training, and growth-related business intelligence. A strategic planning and program evaluation consultant by trade, Tim has more than 15 years of federal consulting experience, helping lead numerous programs and initiatives across federal agencies from ideation through implementation. Prior to joining MetaPhase he served in a senior role at Grant Thornton Public Sector, leading growth and operations for a Department of Homeland Security portfolio. He earned his undergraduate degree from the Pennsylvania State University and holds a Master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins University. Tim is a LaMarsh certified Managed Change Practitioner and trained facilitator.

Outside of work, Tim can usually be found with his family and also enjoys gardening, hiking, and running. He’s a mediocre but frequent golfer, mostly to spend time with friends.

Vikram Jairath is VP, Digital Platforms at MetaPhase Consulting. He provides oversight on MPC SaaS/PaaS engagements including ServiceNow and Salesforce. Vikram has over 20 years of experience leading and supporting COTS implementations and SDLC efforts for global ITSM and Case Management solutions. Prior to joining MetaPhase Consulting, he led IT projects at Defense and Intel agencies. Vikram graduated from George Mason University with a B.S. in Decision Sciences & Management Information Systems and holds certifications in ServiceNow, Salesforce, & Security+.

In his personal time, Vikram enjoys spending time with his family, trying new restaurants/food, and as a DC-native, cheering for all Washington sports teams.

Katy Phelps is MetaPhase’s Vice President, Finance and Accounting, responsible for overseeing finance, accounting, and contracts operations, with a focus on financial analysis and strategic planning. Katy has 10 years of financial leadership experience within government contracting.  She started her career at BAE Systems as part of the Financial Leadership Development Program and has since held positions of increasing responsibility across both large and small businesses.  Katy holds an MBA from the University of Florida and a bachelor’s degree in finance from the College of William & Mary.

Outside of work, Katy loves spending time with her husband and three kids, enjoys baking, being outdoors, and visits the beach or lake as much as possible. 

Almost 15 years ago, Alexa started her career in government contracting with INPUT (now Deltek’s GovWin). She has a deep background in market intelligence and strategy with time spent at Bloomberg Government and almost a decade supporting a small 8a helping take the company from 35 people to over 150 leading BD, Capture, Recruiting, and supporting operations. A self-proclaimed agilist and Certified Scrum Master, she is known to try to apply the agile methodology to all business processes. Alexa leads Capture and Strategic Partnerships for MetaPhase Consulting across technology partners, industry partners, and government partners. Alexa holds a master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language with a post-graduate certificate in English Composition. She lived for a year in Japan teaching English at the university level. She still enjoys adjunct teaching when possible.

When not working, Alexa enjoys heavy weightlifting, dance fitness, her animals (dogs, cats, chickens), geeking out over emerging technology and not taking life or herself too seriously.

Bob Weber is the VP, Solution Engineering, focused on elevating the way MetaPhase Consulting delivers technology solutions across all its mission critical engagements. He uses his technical expertise and extensive Federal technology domain understanding to apply technology to solve problems and serve as a force multiplier for critical Federal Programs. During his 25+ year career in IT, Bob has served as a Sr. Software Developer, Technical Architect, and Technical Program Manager for large, highly complex software development and implementation efforts.  He focuses on leading and empowering IT organizations to deliver secure solutions in an agile way, while driving innovation aimed at tackling the Government’s most pressing challenges.

While not heads down on technical challenges, Bob enjoys concerts, guitar, spending time with family, and coaching one too many of his kids’ sports teams.

Mike Barrera is a Director of the Federal Civilian account at MetaPhase Consulting. He provides operational and growth oversight in support of multiple federal civilian agencies, including USDA, DOI, and Treasury. Mike has nearly 20 years of experience leading and supporting IT initiatives across the Federal Government. Prior to joining MetaPhase Consulting he led IT projects and growth initiatives at CollabraLink Technologies, RIVA Solutions, and Stanley Associates/CGI Federal. Mike has a Master’s Certification in Project Management from Georgetown University, completed graduate studies in Biochemisty at Harvard University, and has a BA in Neuroscience and Behavior from Columbia University. He also has multiple technical certifications and is an ACT-IAC Fellow

Outside of work, Mike enjoys spending time with his son, traveling, boating, and trying new restaurants/cuisine.

Connor Booth has 12+ years of federal consulting experience where he has led strategic IT Investment Management initiatives for IT Strategic Planning, Enterprise Architecture, Capital Planning & Investment Control, IT Governance, and Technology Business Management. Connor has led clients on their IT modernization journey that has automated agency-wide processes, driven adoption of federal best practices (e.g. Cloud-First, Application Rationalization). For MetaPhase, Connor leads the Dept of Education and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation accounts where he has led projects for MPC. Additionally, Connor is the resident Robotic Process Automation (RPA) developer for MetaPhase's IT innovation incubator, Orange Labs.

In his personal time, Connor raises his two lovely daughters, enjoys smoking meat, being outside, and watching any and all sports.

Elliot Brick brings over 10 years of leadership experience in management and technology consulting to his role as Director, Federal Civilian Programs. Primarily leading NSF and GSA accounts within FedCiv with support across the whole market. Prior to joining MetaPhase he served as Director, Consulting Services at CGI.  He earned his undergraduate degree from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland and his Master’s degree from the University of Maryland Global Campus.

Outside of work, Elliot can be found spending time with his family, reading at Starbucks or working out at Crossfit.

Shannon Byrne-Custer has over 20 years of experience helping small businesses grow. With a background in technology and a passion for corporate culture, she blends a focus on people, processes, and technology to support internal operations. In her role as Director of Employee Engagement, her job is to balance being one of the fastest growing federal contracting companies in the area (Inc 5000 - #737 fastest growing company in America) with being voted one of the best places to work (Washington's Business Journal's “2021 Best Places to Work” in Greater Washington). Shannon graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelor's in Computer Information Systems. Go Dukes!

In her free time, she loves watching hockey and has been a lifelong fan of the Washington Capitals (to varying degrees of joy/pain). She also has 2 children that patiently spent the entire pandemic traipsing around all the many wonderful public parks we have in the DC area.

Filiz has 22 years of management consulting experience delivering federal government and international clients with customized solutions to achieve mission and business needs. As a director at MPC, Filiz serves as Program and Project Management Lead at USAID M/CIO. Filiz works with a range of M/CIO stakeholders to deliver effective and efficient PMO services through improved customer experience and communications. Prior to joining MPC, Filiz managed programs at several federal agencies to deliver operational excellence and optimize service delivery. She also helped to advance democracy through small, high impact grants to non-government organizations around the developing world.

Filiz has three children; enjoys intense cardio workouts, travel, and diverse cuisines.   

Eric Ignacio is Director, Solution Engineering at MetaPhase Consulting. He provides oversight on MPC technology and systems engagements and is responsible for delivery and growth for customers such as the U.S. Agency for International Development. Eric has nearly 20 years of experience leading and supporting COTS implementations and SDLC efforts from custom websites to ERP eProcurement solutions. Prior to joining MetaPhase Consulting, he led IT projects at Booz Allen Hamilton and CACI/American Management Systems. Eric graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelors in Environmental Sciences and holds Project Management Professional and Agile certifications.

In his personal time, Eric enjoys spending time with his two kids, trying new DC restaurants with his wife, and the occasional round of golf.

Kyle leads multiple tech projects at USAID with a focus on advancing his clients' mission through agile systems development, process automation, and effective change management. Kyle joined MetaPhase in 2019 after working for years at a large consulting firm where he supported a range of government clients across the Health, Defense, and Civilian sectors. He brings a diverse set of project experiences and skills required to tackle the challenges of managing and deploying global mission systems. Kyle graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelor's in Computer Information Systems and is currently obtaining a Master's in Applied Information Technology at George Mason University. He is a certified and experienced SAFE Agilist.

Free time is typically spent with his wife and daughter exploring new farms and breweries on the weekends when he is not working in the yard or out playing some golf.

Michael is a Director within the Department of Homeland Security Market. He oversees multiple projects at CISA focused on mission enabling support. Michael has 12+ years of federal consulting experience in enterprise governance and organizational transformation, financial management, audit remediation/internal controls, and IT implementation. Prior to joining MetaPhase Consulting, he was a Manager at Grant Thornton leading various projects at NSF, Treasury, and CISA. Michael earned his BBA in Finance, with Minors in Chinese Business Studies and Asian Studies, from James Madison University, his MBA from Virginia Tech, and is a Certified Six Sigma Green Belt.

Outside of work, Michael enjoys raising his two boys with his lovely wife, spending time with friends and family, and traveling.

Emily Ruesch is a Director in the Department of Homeland Security Market. She leads MetaPhase’s FEMA portfolio, providing program management, evaluation, and analytics support to FEMA clients. Emily has more than 18 years of professional experience, including 12 years supporting federal clients with PMO development, business process improvement, and systems implementation and 12 years working in emergency management at the federal, state, and local level. Emily has a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Mary Washington and a master’s degree in security studies from the Naval Post Graduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security.

When not at work, Emily enjoys hanging out with friends and family, spending time outside, and exploring DC on foot (running a little, but mostly walking).

Tom brings over 15 years of management consulting, account management and delivery, and business development experience in both the Commercial and Government Consulting sectors. He has an extensive background on delivery and business development focused on transportation (aviation infrastructure, security and facilities planning), Systems Integration and Deployment, IT Services and Acquisitions, Data Simulation and Modeling, and Program and Project Management. Prior to joining MetaPhase, Tom was a Program Manager at Avantus Federal and Director of Business Develop at Brillient Corporation, where he was responsible for delivery and growth of existing and strategic accounts within the Department of Homeland Security, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), DHS Headquarters, DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Tom received his Bachelor of Architecture with special studies focused on Business Administration, Management and Development from the University of Oklahoma, Norman Oklahoma. He is Program Management Institute (PMI) Project Management Professional (PMP) and SCRUM Master certified.

Outside of work, Tom enough spending time with his family running to sports practice, games, and playing with their pets which includes a dog and two cats.

Amanda Van Hooser is a Director within the Department of Homeland Security Market. Amanda is responsible for leading MetaPhase’s CISA mission portfolio, providing management consulting and analytical support. Amanda has more than 20 years professional experience, including more than a decade supporting federal clients, time as a journalist and in public relations, and a 4-year stint in the Army. Amanda graduated from the University of Missouri with a Bachelors in Journalism and a Masters in Media Management, and holds a Project Management Professional certification.

In her personal time, Amanda enjoys exercising, reading, tackling home improvement projects, and spending time with her family, which includes a husband, three kids, two dogs, and a goldfish her kids won at a fair.