Ms. Regina “Gina” Sims serves as the Director of the Department of War (DoW) Office for Small Business Innovation within the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering. A champion of innovation and operational efficiency, she leads the Department’s $3 billion Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. In this capacity, she acts as the principal DoW liaison to Congress, the Small Business Administration, the Government Accountability Office, and interagency SBIR/STTR representatives. Ms. Sims is dedicated to strengthening transparency, accountability, and trust across the DoW SBIR/STTR ecosystem to deliver vital capabilities to the warfighter and strengthen the defense industrial base.

Since assuming the Director position in 2024, Ms. Sims has implemented systemic improvements across the DoW SBIR/STTR ecosystem to lower barriers to entry and reduce administrative burdens for small businesses seeking to work with the Department. Under her leadership, the program awards approximately 4,000 innovative solutions annually. Her landmark modernization efforts include instituting a monthly topic release cycle that delivers 12 solicitations per year, simplifying proposal submission instructions, and automating foreign influence compliance. Crucially, she spearheaded the successful reauthorization of the SBIR/STTR programs through strategic, direct engagement with Congress. 

A career DoW civilian for over 17 years, Ms. Sims previously held numerous acquisition program management roles within the Department of the Air Force. Beyond her official duties, she is a passionate mentor and coach, committed to cultivating creative thinking and developing the next generation of civilian leaders. In her personal time, she is an avid reader who cherishes spending time with her husband and children.

Mr. Temple currently serves as Deputy Director, Office for Small Business Innovation in OUSW(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 OUSW(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 War (OSW) Accelerated Research for Transition (ART) Program. He oversees technology transition acceleration within the Department of War (DoW) 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.