SRA's Valletta joins consulting firm

Tony Valletta has joined consultants FedResults Inc., formerly JB Cubed, after nearly a 10-year career with SRA International Inc.Valletta, a former acting assistant secretary of defense for command, control communications and intelligence, joined the company Sept. 1, said Jim Beaupre, FedResults' chief executive officer. "His title is strategist," he said."We deal mostly with innovative technology vendors, and so he's working with our vendors advising them on strategies for the federal government," Beaupre said.Valletta denied rumors that he left SRA because of disagreements with the company's new president and chief executive officer, Stan Sloane. He said he had told Sloane's predecessor, Renny DiPentima, of his plan to leave more than a year ago. Valletta joined SRA in 1998 as a vice president of federal systems."I enjoyed the entire nine-and-a-half years there," he said, adding that did not leave until he had recruited and trained his own replacement, John Gilligan, a former chief information officer at the Air Force. Gilligan was Valletta's deputy at SRA for about 18 months. "All of this was part of my plan," he said.Valletta said it was time to start his third career, which is "to help those small companies and the upcoming industry technologies learn how to do business with the Department of Defense [using] all the experience I've had over the last 40 years."Valletta is targeting startup companies and those that have been around a few years, teaching them how to "break that mold and get into the $100 million to $200 million range."He said many small companies don't know how to market themselves or demonstrate that they understand how their technology meets a DOD need. "I try to help them do their homework," he said, "and understand what it is that these [DOD] people are looking for."Valletta said he and Beaupre have been friends for many years "so when he offered me [the chance] to come here on a part-time basis and help FedResults and JB Cubed, I jumped at the opportunity."Beaupre said he and Bob Dinkel, FedResults' executive vice president, recruited Valletta. Dinkel joined the company in May to lead its federal business and oversee the expansion of its federal client base.JB Cubed of Herndon, Va., merged with Government Strategy Advisors, a provider of federal contract and business development consulting services, in July. The company now operates under the combined name of FedResults, with business and consulting services handled under the FedResults name and customer product resales through JB Cubed.