Christina “Tina” Barnhill, is currently on a detail to the OUSD (R&E) as the Associate Director, Defense SBIR/STTR Program. Previously, Tina served for 5 years as the Operations Manager at the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) SBIR/STTR Program Office.
At the Defense SBIR/STTR Program Office, she is the point of contact for Congress, the Small Business Administration, Government Accountability Office, and inter-agency SBIR/STTR community representative. Tina oversees and leads the SBIR/STTR Programs to unify and convey transparency and trust across the various agencies/components that make up the program.
At MDA, she planned and managed the 4th largest SBIR/STTR Program within the DoD by focusing on program strategies, optimizing resources, and capitalizing on best practices while assisting small businesses to market their capabilities within MDA. Her office provides government funding opportunities, including technological innovations by small businesses focusing on DoD major weapons systems acquisitions.
Tina established a SBIR/STTR Commercialization and Transition Office within MDA in 2013 and has extensive experience with the Office of Small Business Program Mentor Protégé Program – partnering large industry leaders with small businesses. In 2015, Tina won the 2015 Champion of Small Business Technology Commercialization, DoD National Small Business Association.
Tina holds a Master of Science in Project Management from the Florida Institute of Technology and has served small businesses for over 30 years. She has been DoD civilian for over 13 years, government contractor for 7 years and has a small business with her husband of 32 years. She has 3 children and 4 grandchildren.