Entrust creates federal advisory board

• By Dan Caterinicchia, Dan Caterinicchia
• Apr 27, 2000

Entrust Technologies Inc., a provider of security products and services, has created a federal advisory board that reads like a who's who of information technology leaders in the federal market.

The move is the latest in Entrust's efforts to boost its federal presence and expertise.

"We thought it would be great if we could have a group of folks with a long history of success in government to provide us with advice and counsel," said Sam Maccherola, vice president of Entrust's U.S. Federal Markets Division. "They are going to sit down and take a listen to our sales and marketing plans in the federal government to help us best execute that strategy."

The five-member board includes:

* Daniel Young, vice chairman and chief executive officer at Federal Data Corp.

* Michael Mestrovich, president and CEO, Unlimited Dimensions LLC.

* Bob Woods, president of Business Applications Solutions Co., a unit of Affiliated Computer Services Inc.

* Renny DiPentima, president of the government sector at SRA International, Inc.

* L. Kenneth Johnson, president of CACI Inc.

"Each one of the members has a different specialty," Maccherola said. "Some with health care, some in DOD or in civilian government.... It's a balanced, well-rounded group of executives."

Entrust's federal customers include the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the departments of Agriculture and Treasury, and the U.S. Coast Guard.

In March, Entrust acquired Washington, D.C.-based CygnaCom Solutions, an acquisition that provided the company with 50 skilled computer security and public-key infrastructure consultants solely focused on federal customers.

DiPentima, who served as a deputy commissioner and chief information officer at the Social Security Administration prior to joining SRA, said he has been approached before to serve on advisory boards, but he accepted the Entrust position because of the service the company offers citizens.

"Connecting government to citizens, or e-government, is what I'm interested in and is an interest of my company," DiPentima said. "The central path leading to e-government is security and PKI and all other messaging security...and Entrust is a leader and a visionary in this field."

The board will hold its first planning and strategy meeting next week during Plano, Texas-based Entrust's annual conference in Dallas.