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THE OCI LEADERSHIP TEAM

Russell Smith
Russell SmithPresident, Founder

He has overseen its growth into one of the largest and most recognized proposal service companies in the nation. For him, every part of the work is exciting: Serving the customers, educating the prospects, engaging the consultants.

Prior to founding OCI, he worked as a proposal manager for several federal contractors including ManTech. Originally from West Texas, Russell completed two degrees at the University of Texas before moving to Virginia. Following service in the Army, he completed his Doctorate at the College of William and Mary. He is a past president of the National Capital Area Chapter of the APMP.

In his time off, Russell enjoys playing the piano.

Silvia Morales
Silvia MoralesCOO

She is OCI’s longest-serving team member. Her deep knowledge of OCI’s proposal consultant community makes her OCI’s ‘go-to’ person for staffing. Her gift for understanding the needs of the clients and candidates helps the company to excel.  In her role as COO, Silvia additionally helps direct sales activities in way that increases profitability, and she is nearing completion of a B.I.S in Human Resources and Cyber Security.

Sudha Sharma
Sudha SharmaFinance Manager

She oversees all areas of finance and administration including, payroll, accounts payable and receivables and general ledger.

Prior to joining OCI, she served as an Accounts Manager in multi-million-dollar IT consulting firms, including international companies. She holds a master’s degree in Economics from Kanpur University, India, and an Accounting Certificate from Northern Virginia Community College.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and loves to be outdoors. Gardening, hiking, and biking are at the top of her list!

Carson White
Carson WhiteBusiness Development Manager

He is well-versed in SAAS, SEO, PowerBi and Cloud-Based solutions. His main passion is building & maintaining new relationships that will become long-lasting clients.

He enjoys spending time with family, Formula 1 Racing, and taking his kids on new adventures.

Daniela Guillen
Daniela GuillenMarketing Manager

By managing OCI’s marketing strategies, she aims to provide value for customers through thought leadership and content development. For nearly 10 years, she has led successful events, webinars, as well as social media and communication strategies. Previously, Daniela worked for organizations like the World Bank and public relation agencies, GYMR and Edelman in Washington, DC. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)  with a B.S. in Public Relations and grew up in Northern Virginia.

During her time off, she enjoys yoga and dance, traveling and spending time with loved ones.

Mark Mikelson
Mark MikelsonBusiness Development Manager

He is exceptionally good at listening to customers’ business needs and proposing solutions to address those needs. He’s a heck of a nice guy so give him a call and buy some proposal services!

Trina Holland
Trina HollandReceptionist/Contracts/Training Admin

She is currently responsible for coordinating many tasks that allow the organization to operate efficiently. Trina has extensive experience in managing events and course trainings, and she has helped OCI to welcome proposal professionals from all over the country to attend OCI’s monthly proposal management courses. Additionally, she supports on-boarding new OCI consultants and managing contracts. She has attended several Contracts Management courses at Northern Virginia Community College. Trina also manages the company’s Artificial intelligence (AI) prospecting endeavors.

Trina was born and raised in Washington, DC. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and coordinating events.

Daiza Smith
Daiza SmithBilling Manager

As OCI’s Billing Manager, Daiza Smith is an integral part of the accounting and finance team. She has helped to manage billing and banking and serves as the company’s Treasurer.  Daiza completed a degree in Economics at Central University of Venezuela in Caracas, and later worked in foreign currency exchange at the Central Bank of Venezuela.

Outside of the office, Daiza enjoys running and boot camp-style exercise classes, as well as spending time with her family and taking care of her Maltese dog, Kiko.

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