Before an audience of over 300 GovCon leaders and influencers, WashingtonExec in November announced the winners of the inaugural Pinnacle Awards — not an easy feat as the judges had received 125 impressive nominations spanning several categories.

The first awards luncheon on Nov. 1 at the Ritz Carlton Tysons Corner shone a light on exemplary GovCon leadership. In addition to recognizing the winners, Donna Morea was honored for her lifelong leadership in the GovCon community. SAIC CEO Tony Moraco and Attain Chairman and CEO Greg Baroni spoke on Morea’s decades-long contributions and Baroni highlighted her as a trailblazer.

Emceed by Dr. John Hillen, the awards ceremony was unique in the sense that nominators described the “why” and the “how” of an executive milestone and/or federal client project. The awards were not solely based on rewarding revenue generation, CEO only, or other arbitrary accolades.

“Everyone here exemplifies true leadership, innovation and a drive to make the government more efficient and effective,” said WashingtonExec founder and CEO JD Kathuria. “Each and every one of you is key to driving critical missions, whether you are a senior leader or an executive assistant.”