Christine Thropp
Executive Mosaic is honored to recognize Rachele Cooper, founder and CEO of Aptive Resources, as one of the 2024 Wash100 Award inductees for her leadership of the management consulting firm as it supports federal government programs through creativity, technology and human-centered services.
Vote for Cooper as one of your favorite awardees at Wash100.com. This year’s popular vote competition runs through April 30, so cast your 10 votes now!
This is the first time that Cooper was named among Executive Mosaic’s annual list of 100 elite leaders in the government and government contracting space. The Wash100 awardees are the ones to watch in the coming year and beyond, and they are uniquely positioned to deliver meaningful impact to government missions.
“Rachele is an ambitious, forward-thinking and enterprising GovCon leader who created Aptive to help government customers realize their digital transformation and modernization goals and provide expertise in strategic engagement and health solutions. Rachele built Aptive from the ground up 12 years ago, and with her recent strategic additions to the executive leadership team and major contract wins, the company is now positioned for parabolic growth in 2024 and beyond. We welcome Rachele and her bold vision for Aptive’s future to our Wash100 list for the first time this year,” said Jim Garrettson, CEO of Executive Mosaic and founder of the Wash100 Award.
Over a decade ago, Cooper established Aptive and has, since then, led the Alexandria, Virginia-based consultant in providing the Department of Veterans Affairs and other government customers with expertise in strategic engagement, health solutions and digital transformation.
Just this January, Aptive, through its joint venture with Artemis ARC, was awarded a spot on a potential 10-year, $23 billion contract vehicle the VA uses to procure health care staffing support for Veterans Health Administration program offices, VA medical centers, veterans integrated service networks and related organizations. The Arrow ARC joint venture and other contractors under the VHA Integrated Critical Staffing Program will help meet critical staffing needs and key program requirements by providing clinical and non-clinical staffing support, program management, human capital and other professional services.
Arrow ARC also won a five-year, $46.5 million contract to help the VHA Workforce Management and Consulting Office recruit and retain health care, professional and technical positions. The team is responsible for managing, overseeing and evaluating the administration’s nationwide recruitment, marketing and advertising campaign to bridge workforce gaps. Aptive is the previous contractor responsible for handling and expanding the campaign.
Other contracts Aptive won in the past year include a five-year award from VHA for policy transformation; a five-year, $30 million blanket purchase agreement to support the National Science Foundation’s innovation program, a five-year, $28 million contract from the Department of Homeland Security to assist the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Health Service Corps and two five-year contracts from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to support suicide prevention programs.
Aside from contract wins, Aptive also grew its workforce in recent years. Under Cooper’s leadership, the firm appointed Ben Barnes, former chief technology officer at Government CIO, as chief strategy officer; Jordan Atkinson as vice president of client development; Jennifer Kirkhoff as chief growth officer; Emily Jarvis as VP of health care staffing; and other executives to director roles.
Cooper and her team are committed to providing Aptive’s customers with new perspectives, unique insights and dedicated partnerships, building on the chief executive’s experience in serving in the military, working as an engineer at the Naval Research Lab and leading national marketing and communications campaigns, and Aptive’s work that has supported health care modernization,veteran-focused efforts, suicide prevention, health care access, health technology innovation and national defense.
As the year progresses, Executive Mosaic looks forward to Cooper’s continued impact on the government contracting space, her leadership and where she will take Aptive next.
GovCon’s preeminent media, events and membership organization congratulates Cooper and the Aptive team on their selection to receive the 2024 Wash100 Award.
Don’t forget to vote for Cooper at Wash100.com.
