BizBuzz: Northrop Grumman Announces Cyber-Security Education Program, SAIC Honored, Cardinal Bank Promotion

Welcome to the weekly  McLean BizBuzz column. We’ll keep you up-to-date on news, and comings and goings of McLean’s business neighbors. Let us hear from you.

Cyber-security Education

Northrop Grumman  announced last week its funding assistance and partnership with University of Maryland for a new cyber-security education program, Advanced Cyber-security Experience for Students (ACES).  Northrop Grumman’s Chairman and CEO, Wes Bush, serves as Vice Chair of the Regional Workforce Project of the Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF).  The ACES program will be the first under the BHEF initiative. 

Northrop Grumman is providing $1.1 million to launch the new program, which will commence in Fall 2013.  University of Maryland is matching that amount. 

“Finding employees fully prepared to take on cyber-security issues is a major challenge for corporations and government agencies,” said Northrop Grumman’s Wes Bush, in a press release issued by the company. There is a critical shortage of science, technology and math professionals in the workforce, and the intent of this program is to boost the number of trained and educated cyber-security professionals.

SAIC

McLean-based SAIC was honored last week at the annual Veteran Entrepreneur Training Symposium in Reno, Nev. for excellence in working with veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran owned small-businesses.

 Last year SAIC “significantly exceeded the government’s mandated statutory goal of three percent of total subcontract awards to SDVOSB” (service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses), according to a press release issued by SAIC. SAIC awarded nearly eight percent of its contract dollars to such businesses, and more than sixteen percent of its total contract dollars to veteran-owned small businesses, according to the SAIC press release. 

In the press release, Babak Nouri, Vice President and Director of Corporate Small Business Development for SAIC, was quoted saying “We receive outstanding support from the veteran-owned small businesses we work with, and it’s an honor to pursue expanded business opportunities to those who have served our country.”

Cardinal Bank Promotion

Cardinal Bank, which has its headquarters in McLean, announced the promotion of Marie Thomas Brooks to Vice President.  Brooks has been with Cardinal Bank for six years, and has more than fifteen years of banking experience.  Brooks will continue to serve as Customer Care Contact Center Manager at the bank’s headquarters in McLean. 

Alice P. Frazier, Cardinal Bank’s Chief Operating Officer was quoted in a BusinessWire press release, saying “her commitment to customer satisfaction is known throughout the company, and she leads her team by example.  We are confident that under her management, the Customer Care Contact Center delivers the highest level of service to all our customers.”