Conference Agenda
APRIL 8, 2026 – Three Rivers Convention Center
| 7:30 AM – 8:00 AM | Bus Tour Badging and Loading (pre-registration required) |
| 8:00 AM – 11:30 AM | Bus Tour of the Hanford Site – Foyer (pre-registration required) |
| 11:00 AM – 4:30 PM | Early Booth Set Up – Great Hall B/D |
| 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM | Welcome Networking Reception – Foyer (symposium registration required) |
APRIL 9, 2026 – Three Rivers Convention Center
| 7:00 AM – 10:00 AM | Booth Setup | Great Hall B/D |
| 7:00 AM – 11:30 AM | Registration (Guests registering before 9AM will be entered into a drawing to win one of two gift baskets!) | Foyer |
| 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM | Continental Breakfast and Networking | Foyer |
| 9:00 AM – 9:50 AM | Session 1 | Meeting Room ABC |
| Integrated Contractor Purchasing Team (ICPT) and Supply Chain Management Center (SCMC) Speakers: Nicole Colley (SLAC), Amanda Weck (SCMC, Lead Project Manager), and Emily Kayrish (SCMC, Communications Lead) | ||
| 9:50 AM to 10:00 AM | Break | |
| 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM | EXHIBIT HALL OPEN | Great Hall B/D |
| 10:00 AM – 10:50 AM | Session 2 | Meeting Room ABC |
| Bonding and Insurance Speakers: Shannon Malisani (Navarro-ATL, Procurement Manager), Fernando Cervantes (SBA Bonding Office, Lead Business Opportunities Specialist) | ||
| 10:50 AM – 11:00 AM | Break | |
| 11:00 AM – 11:50 AM | Session 3 | Meeting Room ABC |
| Government Contracting, Banking and Financial Information Speakers: Erin Olenjack (Bank of America, VP Senior Business Development Officer for Business Banking Government Contracting) and Jeff Grimes (Bank of America, VP & Sr. Relationship Manager) | ||
| 11:50 AM – 12:00 PM | Break and get seated for lunch program | Great Hall A/C |
| 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Luncheon and Keynote Speaker | Great Hall A/C |
| TBD | ||
| 2:00 PM – 2:50 PM | Session 4 | Meeting Room ABC |
| Supplier Registration Seminar (System for Award Management, Hanford Vendor Registration, Bechtel Supplier Portal, Acquisition Supplier Portal, Prospective Supplier Information) Speakers: Maria Alleman (APEX Accelerator Advisor), Christina Fairchild (HMIS Small Business Program Manager), Kylie Rollosson (BNI-WTP Small Business Program Manager), Talia Ochoa (PNNL Small Business Program Manager), and Nicole Colley (SLAC) |
Meet the Presenters of the 19th Annual Symposium
Nicole Colley
Nicole is the Operations Strategy Manager for the Supply Chain Management department with SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory located in Menlo Park, CA. Nicole oversees the Small Business Program, Operational functions of Supplier Administration and Purchase Order Closeout, Department Training, and Department Web Communications, for the past 4 years. In October 2024, Nicole was appointed ICPT Chair and is responsible for leading the council in identifying targets, goals and objectives of the ICPT on behalf of the 17 participating labs and M&O contractors. Prior to SLAC, Nicole held various positions in procurement / supply chain management in the oil and gas and financial services industry including leadership positions in vendor and contract management and category management.
Amanda Weck
Amanda Weck serves as the Lead Project Manager for the Supply Chain Management Center (SCMC), a strategic supply chain program that streamlines procurement processes to generate cost saving opportunities for Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Management and National Nuclear Security Administration prime contractors. In this capacity, Amanda oversees the Contractor Acquisition University (CAU) procurement training program, ensuring that contractors receive comprehensive, up to date instruction on acquisition best practices. She also acts as the primary liaison for the Small Business Program Resource Center, fostering partnerships that expand small business participation and drive innovative solutions across the DOE supply chain.
Amanda holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Monmouth College and an MBA from the University of Kansas, combining a strong foundation in human behavior with advanced business acumen.
Emily Kayrish
Emily Kayrish is the Communications Lead for the Supply Chain Management Center, where she drives strategic messaging for a national program that streamlines procurement and unlocks cost-saving opportunities for prime contractors supporting the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management and the National Nuclear Security Administration. She leads all external communications for the SCMC brand, translating complex supply chain initiatives into clear, actionable information that reaches the right stakeholders at the right time.
A seasoned marketing and public relations professional, Emily brings cross-industry experience spanning health care, energy and higher education. Her background includes campaign strategy, executive communications, podcast production and large-scale event planning—experience that shapes her practical, storytelling-driven approach to engagement.
Emily holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and lives in the Kansas City area.
Shannon Malisani
I am the Procurement Manager for Navarro-ATL at the Hanford Site. Prior to that, I served as a Services Contracts Manager at Central Plateau Cleanup Company; Procurement Director for Tetra Tech CES; and Contract Specialist for PNNL and Fluor Hanford. I am a Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM) with 23 years of experience in solicitation, award, and administration of subcontracts and purchase orders (POs) in support of international and domestic projects, both federally and commercially funded. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Washington State University.
Fernando Cervantes
Fernando Cervantes is the Lead Business Opportunity Specialist in the Seattle District’s Spokane Branch office. He is responsible for assisting small business with SBA’s contracting programs. Fernando joined the SBA following an accomplished career in the U.S. Air Force, most recently from Fairchild Air Force Base. During his service, he was a contracting officer (Level II certification) and worked in several contracting squadrons in the Air Force. In addition to his vast contracting experience, Fernando has demonstrated a commitment to small business success in contracting. He set the squadron small business record with 95% set aside, earning the unit the No. 1 small contracting squadron for women-owned small business and No. 2 for small disadvantaged business for Air Mobility Command.
Erin Olenjack
Erin has been involved with the government, and DoD specifically, for over 20 years. First as an active-duty service member with the USN, then as a contractor, and later as a United States Civil Servant (USCS)- a government civilian. During her time as a USCS, she served six different agencies both CONUS and OCOUNS as a Contracting Officer and Senior Contract Specialist. She has specialization and experience in Firm Fixed price (FFP) and Cost type awards with joint commands and operations, Pacific Command (PACOM) exercises supporting from command sites and boots on ground, Foreign Military Sales, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), major weapons systems, professional services, Farm Bill and agriculture, ship repair, and husbanding. As a contracting officer she awarded stand-alone, Indefinite Delivery Vehicles (IDVs), and Multiple Award Contracts (MACs)- to include WEXMAC 1.0. She joined Bank of America’s Government Contracting (GovCon) team in November of 2023 in order to provide specialized support to small businesses within the GovCon spaces.
Jeff Grimes
Jeff Grimes is a Vice President and Senior Relationship Manager for Business Banking at Bank of America, serving the Central and Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho, and Western Montana markets. In this role, he leads a team of specialists dedicated to understanding each client’s unique needs and delivering strategic financial guidance and solutions. Jeff is committed to helping local companies succeed--whether their goals are straightforward or highly complex.
With more 30 years of banking experience, Jeff began his career with Bank of America in 1991. Over the years, he has held a variety of leadership and client-facing roles, including Branch Manager, Premier Client Manager, and Small Business Banker Relationship Manager. He has extensive experience supporting mid-sized companies across Spokane, Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho, and Western Montana.
Jeff is deeply committed to strengthening the communities he serves. He volunteers with organizations focused on reducing hunger and homelessness, including 2nd Harvest, Union Gospel Mission, and local food banks. He is an active member of the Liberty Lake Centennial Rotary Club, where he serves as Board Treasurer and is a two-year Past President. Jeff also serves as Executive Treasurer on the board of the HUB Sports Center and as Board President of the Elk Ridge Heights Homeowners Association.
A Spokane native, Jeff earned his degree in Public Administration with a Business Minor from Washington State University. He resides in Spokane Valley, Washington.
Maria Alleman
I have been with the Tri-City Regional Chamber as the APEX Accelerator, supporting small businesses in navigating federal, state, and local government contracting for three years. I provide a variety of support to small and large businesses such as guidance on registration, market research, capability development, and responding to solicitations, helping businesses position themselves for procurement opportunities. With over 20 years of professional experience, including a background in the hospitality industry, I bring expertise in relationship-building, stakeholder engagement, and strategic partnerships to support small business growth in the government marketplace.
Chris Fairchild
As a Procurement Specialist and Small Business Program Manager for Hanford Mission Integration Solutions (HMIS), I bring over 20 years of experience working at Hanford in operations support, procurement, and project management. My role involves creating and carrying out strategies that strengthen the Department of Energy’s ongoing support for small businesses within our purchasing activities. I work closely with both fellow procurement experts and small business owners to ensure compliance with technical and quality standards, while also encouraging growth and teamwork. I am committed to helping small businesses succeed by making sure they have the tools and opportunities they need to compete and excel. My goal is to keep building strong partnerships with small businesses and develop lasting relationships that benefit Hanford and our valued small business community.
Kylie Rollosson
I am the project Small Business Program Manager at Bechtel’s Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant. I have been in my current position at Bechtel for four years. In my role, I interface frequently with Small Business representatives interested in working with Bechtel. I am always available to provide these businesses guidance on the federal procurement process or to connect them with bidding opportunities that fall under their scope; and Bridging Partnerships is my favorite way to do so! This will be my fourth time supporting the symposium as a member of the Hanford Small Business council, and since receiving my Supplier Diversity Champion certification this past year, I am looking forward to bringing that experience to the event. I have a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Whitman College and began supporting the Hanford project in 2019.
Talia Ochoa
I’m the Small Business Program Manager at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), operated by Battelle Memorial Institute for the U.S. Department of Energy. With nine years of experience in government contracting—primarily focused on software procurement—I’ve developed a strong foundation in federal acquisition and small business engagement. In my current role, I work closely with businesses of all sizes to help meet and exceed the small business goals outlined in our prime contract. I genuinely enjoy connecting with people, learning about their missions, and finding ways to support their success within the federal contracting space. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences from Portland State University and am passionate about creating inclusive opportunities for small businesses to thrive.