Erica McCann
Erica McCann makes recommendations about legislative and regulatory actions that affect the contracting environment, which benefits both government and industry.
Erica McCann fell in love with procurement policy during a college internship. She was studying political science and already knew she was interested in government relations. Although she'd had other internships, this one sealed the deal.
That passion for procurement policy separates her from the rest of the pack, said Kitty Klaus, a senior program manager at HP Enterprise Services. McCann is "very enthusiastic about federal acquisition policy, which is not an area that a lot of people get enthusiastic about," Klaus said. "She really understands our issues in the industry, and she's very proactive in representing those interests."
As director of federal procurement at the Information Technology Industry Council's IT Alliance for the Public Sector, McCann is responsible for representing a wide range of companies on Capitol Hill, where she makes recommendations about legislative and regulatory actions that affect the contracting environment.
More than 60 of those recommendations were incorporated into the fiscal 2016 National Defense Authorization Act and should ultimately help the Defense Department continue its efforts to sustain an edge in technology acquisition and attract new, innovative companies into the federal marketplace.
McCann said maintaining the country's technological edge is what motivates her.
"I work in procurement policy because there's so much innovation in the private sector," she added. "We're in an IT era; we need to be more flexible."