Ms. Regina “Gina” Sims is the Director of the Defense SBIR/STTR Program Office for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD R&E). Ms. Sims is the principal point of contact for Congress, the Small Business Administration, Government Accountability Office, and interagency SBIR/STTR community representatives.  Ms. Sims oversees and leads the SBIR/STTR Program to unify efforts, while conveying transparency and trust across DoD agencies and components within the program. 
 

Prior to her role in OSD, Ms. Sims was the Department of Air Force (DAF) Specific Topic Branch Chief, a role she held in the AFWERX’s AFVentures Division.  Ms. Sims facilitated the DAF’s SBIR/STTR life cycle, designed to rapidly and efficiently transition innovative technology to the Airmen and Guardian Warfighter communities.  Ms. Sims was also responsible for an annual $400M portfolio’s planning and execution while managing the Specific Topic Branch within AFVentures’ day-to-day efforts , supporting a variety of mission partners. 
 

Ms. Sims has been a DoD Civilian for 15 years, serving in several different acquisition program management roles within the DAF.  Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her two children and is an avid reader.  She has an affinity for mentoring and coaching, dedicating time fostering creative thought and developing the next generation of civilian leaders. 

Mr. Temple currently serves as Deputy Director, Defense SBIR/STTR Program Office in OUSD(R&E).  In this role, he leads Defense Small Business Innovation Portal (DSIP)’s development and maintenance, as well as develops SBIR/STTR due diligence policies and procedures across the Services and Components.  He also supports the SBIR/STTR Program Office in various other capacities. 
 

Previously, Mr. Temple served as the Program Manager for Army STTR, where he successfully executed the Army’s STTR budget, topic calls, proposal selections, award monitoring, and outreach initiatives. 
 

With 15 years of civilian service, he has held numerous roles, including Technical Assistant to the Deputy Director at the Army Research Office, Program Manager for the Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Service Program within OUSD(R&E), and Component Execution Lead for the SMART Program.  He has also served as the Program Manager for Technology Transfer in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Research & Technology), Operations Officer for the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics & Technology), and as an Electronic Warfare Analyst at the Army Materiel System Analysis Activity, now DEVCOM Data Analysis Center. 

John McCanney is the Director for the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Transitions Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Technologies (OTST) Program. He oversees technology transition acceleration within the Department of Defense (DoD) SBIR/STTR program, placing emphasis on innovative commercial and dual-use capabilities. He ensures Components develop and transition technologies efficiently and at scale, with a focus on rapidly transitioning Warfighter-priority critical capabilities that align with the national defense strategy.
 

Mr. McCanney previously served as AFWERX’s Chief of the Innovation Contracting Branch, where he led contracting outreach and education in innovation activities, such as SBIR/STTR Phase III and the Department of the Air Force (DAF) Strategic Funding Increase / Tactical Funding Increase (STRATFI/TACFI) programs. He worked with the DAF Specific Topic team and mission-partner contracting offices to rapidly execute a $400M annual portfolio, accelerated selection-to-award timing, and streamlined DAF contracting processes. Previously, he was the AFWERX Open Topic SBIR/STTR Contracting Sprints Lead and spearheaded execution of over 5K contracts totaling more than $2B. He also served on the Air Force COVID-19 Task Force, leading DAF’s rapid execution of $300M+ critical technologies. While at AFWERX, he received the Armed Forces Civilian Service Medal and the Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition Innovation in Contracting award. Prior to AFWERX, Mr. McCanney was a contracting officer for the Air Force Research Laboratory – Information Directorate, supporting novel science and technology programs in quantum technologies, high performance computing, and defensive cyber technologies.
 

Mr. McCanney holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government & Politics from Utica College of Syracuse University, and a Masters in Business Administration – Technology Management from SUNY Institute of Technology. Outside work, he is an avid reader and spends leisure time with his wife and children.