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.

Jon Carr is MetaPhase’s Vice President for Strategy and Growth (Federal Civilian), shaping and leading the sector's growth strategy across the market. He has the responsibility to articulate the strategy for growth, including account planning and identification, qualification, and capturing of new business opportunities. He brings over 15 years of experience in the federal civilian space as program manager and growth organization leader, having led business development, capture management and proposal operations functions for small and mid-tier businesses. He understands growth is a team sport, and the best teams are motivated to support each other in bringing unique and tailored solutions to our federal partners. 

Outside of work, you can find Jon on the golf course, tinkering with his Jeep, or, most importantly, spending time with his wife and two young children.

Carrie Kramer is MetaPhase’s Vice President for the Civilian and International Market.   Carrie brings authenticity and enthusiasm to her role, and has been doing so throughout her career for over 25 years across the Federal landscape.  In addition to leading delivery for numerous enterprise modernization and digital transformation programs, Carrie has expertise in creating and executing account growth strategy aligned with sustainable growth. She is consistently recognized as an exceptional leader, partner, and team member.  Carrie has a degree from the College of William and Mary, and is a Fellow from the ACT-IAC Partner’s Program (2017) and Leadership Vice Chair for the Partner’s Program (2023). 

Outside of work, Carrie enjoys adventures outdoors with her family going hiking, fly fishing, skiing, cycling, and snowshoeing. She is also very involved with protecting native plants and habitats.

Carolyn Winters is an accomplished business development and account management executive with over two decades of experience in the federal contracting space, primarily serving National Security Markets such as DHS and DOJ. She led the strategy, business development, and program delivery for numerous contracts focused in cloud, full-stack development, data analytics, enterprise architecture, and defensive cyber solutions across multiple DHS components. Carolyn's leadership has been pivotal in securing high-profile contracts, overcoming challenges, delivering solutions, and supporting programs that received the DHS Secretary’s Award for Innovation for several years. Carolyn holds an MBA from George Washington University, a BS in Management Science – Decision Support Systems from Virginia Tech and is certified as a PMP, CSM, ITIL v3, and AWS Cloud Practitioner.

Outside of work, Carolyn enjoys spending time with family and friends, exploring Virginia wine, and traveling the globe. 

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.

Eric Ignacio is the MetaPhase's Director of Proposal Development. In this role, he spearheads the proposal creation process, working closely with Markets, Accounts, and Practice Areas to establish frameworks and implement best practices. His role ensures the efficiency and success of proposals through continuous improvement initiatives. 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.

Kristin Knapp has over 20 years of IT strategy and management consulting experience with federal government and commercial clients. Kristin brings extensive experience delivering enterprise system development, acquisition and deployment projects, establishing project governance, providing strategic planning support, and leading management consulting engagements. As a Director with MetaPhase’s National Security Market, Kristin is leading multiple projects for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Prior to joining MetaPhase, Kristin served as a business development leader and Program Manager for Guidehouse and Booz Allen Hamilton, where she focused on the federal law enforcement market. Rooting her career in IT risk management, Kristin began her professional career with KPMG’s Risk Advisory Practice. Kristin received her Master of Business Administration from University Maryland and Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems from Salisbury University. Kristin is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), ICAgile Certified Professional in Agile Team Facilitation and Agile Coaching, ITIL Foundations, and a non-practicing Certified Information Systems Auditor.

Outside of the office, Kristin can be found coaching, playing sports with her kids, and enjoying the Chesapeake Bay.

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.

An enthusiastic and hard working problem solver, Lauren is always ready to help out on any MetaPhase project. With over 15 years experience on agile projects ranging from large, agency-wide implementations of Commercial Off The Shelf Systems to small custom built solutions, and over 5 years managing ServiceNow projects, Lauren has mastered multiple technologies over the years. Serving as business analyst, quality assurance tester, trainer and program manager, she's supported and led teams from project inception to completion. After her work in graduate school, Lauren spent 10 years supporting United State's Agency for International Development (USAID) enterprise acquisitions and assistance system, and other smaller custom-built technology throughout the agency, before moving to ServiceNow projects at Department of Labor, the National Gallery of Art, General Services Administration (GSA), Peace Corps and Department of State (DOS).

Lauren received her Bachler of Arts from Tufts University, her Masters Degree from The Ohio State University and has the following management certifications: PMI-PMP, CSM and CSPO.

Lauren's two children and two dogs take up all of her free time, and she wouldn't have it any other way. She loves sports and all her Philly teams, supporting them loudly, whether she's watching them on TV, or listening to games while in the mountains.

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 enjoys spending time with his family running to sports practice, games, and playing with their pets which includes a dog and two cats.

Bonnie is a Director within the FedCiv portfolio, overseeing projects at USDA, Treasury, DOI, FDA, Dept of Ed, and CFPB. Bonnie has 23 years of leadership and management consulting experience. A former government civilian at the Department of Defense, she served as Program Manager, COR, and project lead for classified software and hardware projects. She has served as Chief Operating Officer and Acting President at a Washington, DC-based non-profit organization where she led a Department of Education grant program. In the learning and development space, she led rollout of training products and programs at the corporate level to a company of more than 95,000 employees and served as a SME on workforce initiatives to the CEO and CHRO. Bonnie is passionate about building strong company culture, delivering exceptional project results, and creating lasting stakeholder relationships. Bonnie earned her bachelor’s degree in Visual Communications from Towson University.

Outside of work, Bonnie is an award-winning artist and exhibits her painted ceramics and collages at a variety of galleries. She also enjoys kayaking, traveling, and volunteering for bird rescue organizations.

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.

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 MPCs Vice President and Advisory Practice Leader. In this role, Tim is accountable for supporting team member development and maturity of our capabilities in IT portfolio management, strategy and program evaluation, and customer experience.  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.

Kristine Kilgore is the Vice President for MPC's Digital Platforms Practice.  Kristine is a digital transformation leader with 20+ years of experience in IT modernization and business transformation, including 10+ years of focus within the ServiceNow ecosystem. As a platforms practice leader, she has earned a strong reputation for building, leading and scaling teams. She provides leadership, strategy, and management support to our skilled practitioners who deliver transformational outcomes for our government clients. 

Kristine draws on her experience overseeing hundreds of successful implementations across multiple customer bases to develop successful long-term relationships with clients and build high-performing collaborative teams.

Outside of work, Kristine enjoys traveling, spending quality time with her husband, family, and friends, and has a deep appreciation for live music. 

Steve Kirsch is MPC's Vice President of Cloud Engineering under our Technology Transformation practice. Steve collaborates across his practice and beyond to support MetaPhase growth and delivery efforts. Steve works to enhance MetaPhase's Software Development, DevOps and Security capabilities, and supports our members' skills and career growth. Steve has over 24 years of IT experience which includes Practice Lead, Solutions Architecture, Business Development, Agile and DevOps Coaching, Hybrid IT, ERP, Sales Engineering, Mobile Device Management, and Scaled Agile. Prior to joining MetaPhase, Steve served as a Practice Lead at IntelliBridge, and was privileged to take on a Lead Architect role for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) at DHS Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Steve holds a B.S. in Computer Science and a B.S. in Technical and Scientific Communication, both from James Madison University. Steve is a Certified Scrum Master.

Outside of work, you might find Steve at Top Golf (with or without kids), skiing, or tinkering with tech at home. Steve is also a Private Pilot with Instrument Rating.

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.

Brandon is a results-driven professional with strong technical skills and customer service expertise. He is skilled in software development and IT infrastructure, and excels in facilitating seamless interactions between clients and technical teams. Brandon is committed to improving communication and efficiency, and adheres to IT Service Management best practices.

Brandon is a ServiceNow Solution Architect with 15+ years of IT experience, including 8 with ServiceNow. He partners with clients to address business challenges and integrate tailored solutions. With an MIS Master's degree, he analyzes requirements, understands the core, and propels the company forward.

Brandon is passionate about exploring new culinary delights, engaging with emerging technologies, and contributing to the IT community through thought leadership and mentoring in his free time.

Mike Barker is Director Security at MetaPhase. Mike has over 28 years of experience across multiple disciplines of Information Technology and 25 years of experience supporting the Federal Government; across Civilian, National Security and DOD. Over the course of Mike's time, he has achieved 28 FISMA system ATOs with 3 carrying the additional DHS High Valued Asset (HVA) designation. Mike has also led MetaPhase to complete ISO27001 and CMMC Level 1 corporate security designations.

When not working, Mike is normally at the track running the pit for his son's Karting program. 

Clancy is a proven leader with over 20 years of Workforce Management and talent acquisition experience. She has been influential in helping both large and small Companies growth by leading teams that have attracted top talent from within the information technology and federal contracting industries.  

Clancy is passionate about all things people and loves collaborating with program managers, human resources, and C-level executives to refine their talent acquisition processes. She takes pride in putting people first while ensuring there is consistent delivery and communication throughout her team.  Her passion for collaboration across team environments allows for creative problem-solving throughout a candidate hiring process. She has over 5 years of management experience that set the foundation for her current role as Director of Talent Acquisition. At MPC, Clancy is focused on leading her team to continue to acquire the right people for our Company’s mission. She will set the pace for the Recruiting Team to continue to evolve, to create an exceptional Candidate experience as well as to promote MPC as an Employer of Choice by attracting Top Talent.

When she’s not working, she enjoys planning her Family’s next adventure, visiting her kids at College, scoping out a hot new Restaurant or riding the Duffy Boat at her favorite spot, Palmetto Bluff.

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 Chief of Staff, 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.

Scott Cannon is the Vice President leading Delivery Excellence at MetaPhase, aligning our culture with our work, leading training and development, driving continuous improvement, ensuring compliance, and maintaining a strong customer focus to deliver exceptional quality for each client and their mission. 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.

Lauren has more than 15 years of experience in human resources supporting the intelligence and law enforcement community for both large and small companies. She started her career in talent acquisition and has used this foundation to become a well-rounded leader in human resources. Lauren’s focus is always on the on people and the business. In her role as Director of Human Resources, she develops and implements HR policies and procedures that align with Metaphase’s strategic goals and objectives. Lauren holds a bachelor’s degree in international business from James Madison University. Go Dukes!

In her free time, Lauren enjoys traveling, running, and hanging out with her two kids and husband. She loves trying new restaurants and is an expert on where to find the best donuts.

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. 

Matt Sagar is MetaPhase’s Director of Strategic Pricing supporting revenue growth, profitability, and go to market pricing strategies across the practice. He leads all components of strategic pricing that includes compliant and risk assessed pricing models and cost narratives and assists in the capture of strategic initiatives with detailed price to win analysis. He brings over 13 years of pricing and government contracting experience across multiple industries having been apart of and leading pricing operations for both small and large businesses. He holds a professional certificate in accounting from the University of Virginia and a bachelor’s degree from the Virginia Military Institute.

Outside of work, you can find Matt on the Peloton leaderboard cycling, hitting the trails for a run, on the golf course, or enjoying the Washington D.C. restaurant scene with his wife.