Derek joined Makwa after successfully serving as CEO of DECO, Inc. for over 20 years. He strategically led the growth of a three-employee government contractor to over 2,000 employees working in 91 countries worldwide. This strategic growth led DECO to becoming one of the nation’s most successful non-tribal 8(a)’s to date. Derek’s extensive knowledge and experience in security working with Federal Agencies, coupled with his family history as Tribal Members of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, bring a unique and unparalleled foundation to Makwa.

Joe brings over 25 years of industry, military, and government experience to support the growth strategy and vision of Makwa Global’s diverse portfolio of subsidiary operating companies and the employees who support them. Before joining Makwa Global, Joe served over a decade as a commissioned officer and counterterrorism intelligence officer with conventional and special operation forces. After government service, he entered the industry with BAE Systems where he held various positions spanning program management to Vice President of Business Development. Joe was on the integration management team for Leidos during the merge with Lockheed Martin IS&GS. He subsequently supported Akima (one of the largest Alaska Native Corporations) as their Senior Executive of Corporate Development during a period of record growth. Joe most recently was the Executive Vice President for Business Development of Tenax Aerospace where he led the growth of their Airborne-ISR portfolio.

Scot brings over 35 years of industry and government finance & contracting experience to the role, where he will support the company’s growth strategy and vision. He will be responsible for helping to lead Makwa's growth in the financial and pricing strategy areas. Before joining Makwa Global, for ten (10) years, Scot served as the Executive Vice President for Akima LLC, the second largest ANC/Tribal Entity Owned Business with over $2B in annual revenue. Before that, Scot was the Executive Director of Pricing and Finance with CACI (a $6B company) for over ten years. He remains actively involved in federal business contracts, finances, development, proposal, and budget management. Scot has a BS in Accounting from George Washington University.

Angela brings 20 years of experience to the role. Before joining Makwa Global, Angela held various positions spanning proposal management to Vice President of Corporate Development Operations. She started in industry with Strategic Insight, where she provided technical and coordination support to the Department of Navy’s Program Executive Office for Integrated Warfare Systems. Angela then joined Deloitte and was responsible for proposal management in the Defense Government Consulting Services. She subsequently supported Akima (one of the largest Alaska Native Corporations) as their Vice President of Corporate Development Operations during a period of record growth where she was the executive overseeing significant shared services functions including proposals, capture, business intelligence, and the PMO.  Angela most recently was the Vice President for Business Development and Proposal Operations of Tenax Aerospace where she implemented industry leading best practices, policies, and procedures to position the BD and proposal teams to grow the Airborne-ISR portfolio. 

Andy brings more than 30 years of law enforcement, government, and security experience to Makwa Global. Before joining Team Makwa, Andy was with DECO Inc. as Program Manager for the Global Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program and developed or assisted in developing other international courses and security training programs. He served as the Deputy Director General of a company in the United Arab Emirates. He was responsible for building the team to implement the pre-construction, construction, operational phases of security, and security training for the emerging civil nuclear energy program of Abu Dhabi and the Critical National Infrastructure Authority (CNIA). Andy has served in other roles, such as East Africa Manager, where he managed the training and security efforts in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Sudan. He was the Chief Compliance Officer for a major security provider and conducted security and quality assurance in the USA, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries.

Teri is a seasoned executive who began her 20+ year career at NASA, overseeing multiple contracts valued at $50M per annum. She has deep experience creating policies and processes to support growing teams and navigating the complex relationships and compliance challenges of organizations and agencies, such as the DOS, DOD, and DHS. Having worked in both the private and government sectors, she brings invaluable insights into Makwa's many business units. Her ability to execute big ideas and bring together the best talent has made her a key player in scaling organizations and initiatives from inception to exponential growth.

Ron joined Makwa in early 2020 with an expansive 30-year career in government security contract service. This includes supporting several federal agencies through major events such as Oklahoma City Federal Courthouse bombing, 9/11, as well as the Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq Wars. Prior to joining Makwa, he served as the Regional Vice President for American Security for 5 years.  He also previously served as VP of Operation at DECO, Inc. and was responsible for 2,000+ armed employees working under Homeland Security-Federal Protective Service across eight states. In addition to domestic contracts, he supported DECO’s numerous OCONUS contracts worldwide.  Prior to DECO, he supported Akal Security as Assistant Director-Homeland Security Division.

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Stephanie is an experienced business development and marketing professional with over 20 years of demonstrated history of working in the government, commercial, and private industries. Prior to Makwa, Stephanie spent 16 years at DECO, Inc. in which she was instrumental in helping grow the business from $24M to at one point over $120M with a global presence in over 100 countries. Serving in roles from Business Development Specialist to Vice President, she managed the business development and proposal process for more than 55 contract awards, 110 task order awards, and 2,500 training course awards. Prior to DECO, she served in marketing roles in the telecommunications and data networking industries. In addition to government contracts, she is a passionate entrepreneur with interests in business startups, consulting, as well as commercial and residential real estate.

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Erin joined Makwa with over 15 years of diverse human resources and human capital experience.  For over a decade, Erin served as Human Resources Director at DECO, Inc. where she built human resource programs for over 2,000 employees both in CONUS and OCONUS environments. She is a strong advocate for company culture and making Makwa a vibrant place to work. Erin is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR).

Albert is a finance professional with 25 years of experience leading startup businesses into becoming multi-million-dollar enterprises. A seasoned entrepreneur with a strategic mindset who thrives on ambiguity, his roles have included: recruiting team members to support operational and financial needs as companies experience fast growth; sourcing and developing systems to support revenue and staff growth; and driving effective compliance solutions in regulated marketplaces while maintaining efficiency and focus on the customer. Albert is a well-rounded executive with experience in disruptive innovation, high stakes negotiations, regulatory challenges, and gaining market share against well-funded and established competitors. He has a track record of creative and sometimes unconventional solutions. His development of organizational cultures focuses on the customer, inclusion, and teams of servant leaders. 

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