Title: Vice President of Proposal Management
Company: Agile Defense
Location: McLean, Virginia, United States
Jaki Demarest, vice president of proposal management at Agile Defense, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives for dedication, achievements, and leadership in information technology and consulting.
With over two decades of experience to her credit, Ms. Demarest has established a successful career in information technology and consulting. She currently serves as vice president of proposal management at Agile Defense, a role she has held since 2024, and as director of proposals at the same organization since 2014. Agile Defense specializes in government IT support, offering services such as zero trust security, cybersecurity, network management, systems administration, database administration, and data center operations. In addition, she has been the artistic director of The Rude Mechanicals Theater Company since 2001. Her prior experience includes proposal manager at Tantus Technologies Inc. from 2011 to 2013 and proposal and marketing manager at the Institute for Building Technology and Safety from 2003 to 2011. She is also a member of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals and the American Institute of Graphic Arts.
Ms. Demarest laid a strong educational foundation, earning a Bachelor of Arts in English literature from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, in 1991. She also holds certificates in the Capability Maturity Model Integration Associate from CMMI in 2018 and certified scrum master designation from the Scrum Alliance in 2018. Additionally, she is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Eta Sigma, and the Golden Key Honor Society.
Ms. Demarest’s responsibilities span coaching and facilitating teams for federal proposals, building bonded, effective, and engaged teams that consistently deliver highly successful results. She ensures that U.S. government clients receive top-tier support in cybersecurity and IT services, addressing the challenges of an increasingly competitive and complex global environment. Her role involves managing proposals for IT service management, cybersecurity, and database management, utilizing a comprehensive methodology. This includes running proposals through a structured process of templates, compliance checks, red team reviews, gold team reviews, and a final white-glove compliance check before submission. In her recently promoted position as vice president of proposal management, she leads a team of five proposal managers, three proposal writers, and a graphic designer and collaborates with her chapter team to evaluate and pursue requests for proposals issued by the federal government for IT services. Under her leadership, Agile Defense has grown significantly, expanding from 74 full-time employees, with 40 dedicated to a single contract in St. Louis, to over 1,200 employees. Her contributions have been instrumental in this growth, positioning Agile Defense as a leader in the government IT support sector.
Additionally, Ms. Demarest is an accomplished author, having written “The Cardinal’s Heir?” with Medallion Press in 2004, “Seal Team Roll-Back” with Avon in 1999, and “Catseye (Shattered Light)” with Pocket in 1999. She has also worked as an actress, appearing in Broadway productions, a television pilot, and indie films in New York. Reflecting on her path, she considers her most notable achievements to be leading Agile Defense to its first billion-dollar deal, securing a significant contract for the Defense Information Systems Agency, a collaborative effort with her team. She attributes her success to dedication, hard work, and her ability to foster effective teamwork. Looking to the future, she remains committed to driving the continued growth and success of Agile Defense.
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