(VIP) announces the addition of Mauricio Vera as Assistant National Director.
Mauricio Vera is a seasoned senior executive with over 30 years of professional experience advocating for the inclusion of all categories of small businesses in Federal contracting. Mauricio served as a career member of the Federal Government’s Senior Executive Service for almost 13 years as Director of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU).
In that role, Mauricio led USAID’s efforts to provide maximum opportunities for U.S. small businesses (SB) to participate in agency contract awards through outreach, education, and creative procurement initiatives. Under his leadership, USAID achieved significant and unprecedented improvements in its SB accomplishments. The agency increased its contract awards to small businesses every year under his tenure, increasing by tenfold during that time, culminating in the highest dollar obligations (over $900 million) ever awarded worldwide in Fiscal Year 2020.
In his last five years at USAID, he shifted his office’s focus to the agency’s overseas missions and these efforts resulted in a tripling of SB dollars awarded overseas. In 2016, Mauricio was awarded a Meritorious Presidential Rank Award, a prestigious career recognition awarded to only five percent of the Federal Government’s Senior Executives for his “sustained superior accomplishments and inspirational leadership”. Mauricio also served as Chair of the Federal OSDBU Directors Interagency Council for four years and is a recognized senior level speaker at Congressional, industry, and inter-agency events.
Mauricio Vera is a seasoned senior executive with over 30 years of professional experience advocating for the inclusion of all categories of small businesses in Federal contracting. Mauricio served as a career member of the Federal Government’s Senior Executive Service for almost 13 years as Director of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU). In that role, Mauricio led USAID’s efforts to provide maximum opportunities for U.S. small businesses (SB) to participate in agency contract awards through outreach, education, and creative procurement initiatives. Under his leadership, USAID achieved significant and unprecedented improvements in its SB accomplishments. The agency increased its contract awards to small businesses every year under his tenure, increasing by tenfold during that time, culminating in the highest dollar obligations (over $900 million) ever awarded worldwide in Fiscal Year 2020. In his last five years at USAID, he shifted his office’s focus to the agency’s overseas missions and these efforts resulted in a tripling of SB dollars awarded overseas. In 2016, Mauricio was awarded a Meritorious Presidential Rank Award, a prestigious career recognition awarded to only five percent of the Federal Government’s Senior Executives for his “sustained superior accomplishments and inspirational leadership”. Mauricio also served as Chair of the Federal OSDBU Directors Interagency Council for four years and is a recognized senior level speaker at Congressional, industry, and inter-agency events.
Expertise and acumen in federal contracting combined with his dedication to the inclusion of small businesses is the precise insight VIP needs to create and sustain initiatives that continue to Arm Vets to WIN in the Federal Marketplace.” VIP was founded in 2009 and is a veteran entrepreneurship program that specifically addresses federal procurement. VIP offers four (4) accelerator educational training programs for owners, principals, and C-level executives of Veteran- Owned and Service-Disabled-Veteran-Owned Small Businesses. VIP has trained over 1600 veteran-owned small businesses since it’s founding.
