Institute Leadership & Advisory Board

Steve Partello is the Founder and Principal of Partello Consulting LLC, where he advises organizations on federal contracting strategy, industrial security governance, export controls, and regulatory compliance within the U.S. Government and Department of Defense ecosystem. His advisory work focuses on acquisition discipline, contractual risk mitigation, security modernization, and structured oversight frameworks supporting advanced national security programs.

Steve brings more than twenty-five years of senior leadership experience across major defense and advanced technology organizations including L3Harris Technologies, Draper Laboratory, BAE Systems, Digital Equipment Corporation, and Compaq. He spent more than eighteen years at L3Harris Technologies as Senior Manager of Contracts, supporting electronic warfare and countermeasure programs for DoD and civilian agencies. He was awarded the corporation's Presidential Medal Award for Program Execution and Performance in recognition of exceptional leadership and disciplined program delivery.

Steve has served as Facility Security Officer and Export Controls Empowered Official, integrating NISPOM security standards with FAR and DFARS financial governance across cost-type, fixed-price, T&M, IDIQ, and OTA portfolios. He has managed and negotiated programs exceeding $35 million in award value and has held a U.S. Government Top Secret security clearance. He holds a Juris Doctor from the Massachusetts School of Law and a B.S. from Boston College, and has served in civic roles including Justice of the Peace in New Hampshire.

As a member of the Advisory Board, Steve provides governance oversight and strategic guidance on federal acquisition integrity, classified program compliance, industrial security modernization, and structured risk frameworks supporting advanced technologies across cyber, AI, high performance computing, and emerging quantum environments.

Jacquay Henderson is the Founder and CEO of Square Peg Technologies, an award-winning technology consulting firm with core competencies in data analytics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, post-quantum cryptography, and technology design. Square Peg serves clients across national security, law enforcement, professional sports, and corporate sectors.

Jacquay is active across the business, technology, and civic communities. He serves on the Board of Directors for the DC Chamber of Commerce and is Co-Chair of its Small Business Advisory Council. He is a Contributing Member of the Washington Business Journal's Leadership Trust, serves on the Board of Advisors for the Industrial Engineering and Manufacturing Department at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, and sits on the Dean's Advisory Council at FAMU-FSU. He has dedicated company resources to a joint venture with the College of Engineering and the National Science Foundation's Technology Infusion Program, focused on expanding opportunities for minority students in engineering.

Square Peg Technologies is a member of the Department of Defense's Space Enterprise Consortium, where the firm is prototyping and building next-generation capabilities. Jacquay's work at the intersection of data science, cybersecurity, and public sector technology gives SecureFi Institute a grounded perspective on how institutions move from awareness to operational readiness on cyber, AI, and quantum threats.