By BROOKLYN BROWN BIGMEAT
One Feather Reporter
CHEROKEE, N.C. – In July, Gary Libby joined Kituwah Global Government Group (KG3), the government contracting (GovCon) sector of Kituwah, LLC., as the executive vice president. Libby is an army veteran with decades of experience in GovCon. Libby resides in Richmond, Va., with his wife and two children.
Gary Libby is the Kituwah Global Government Group (KG3) executive vice president. (Photo courtesy of KG3)
“I’ve spent my entire career working in the federal service sector, both in uniform and retired army. I spent 20 years in the United States Army and retired as a command sergeant major. I was born in Washington D.C., raised in Northern Virginia…I had a very successful and fruitful career in the Army, spent that entire time in the special forces, met some very influential and successful folks that steered my career to what it became…I have been in what’s referred to as the GovCon space, helping federal agencies meet that mission critical need for the last 25 years.”
Libby has also worked with other tribal nations in GovCon, most recently the Tlingit Haida Tribal Business Corporation (THTBC), a wholly owned economic enterprise and holding company of the Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. “Along the way, I have met some fantastic folks in the tribal community and the tribal business corporations. I’ve been very successful as a leader working in what’s referred to as CONUS, the Continental United States, or OCONUS, Outside the Continental United States, and helping these organizations align with the needs within the federal sector and specifically federal agencies, whether it’s the federal civilian, the Department of Interior, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Veterans Administration, Veterans Affairs, or the Department of Defense, Department of War. Meeting those needs can be logistics, IT services, in the heart of today’s catchphrase, artificial intelligence, or what we do at Kituwah, and that’s manage construction, logistics, information technology infrastructure, or more commonly referred to as low voltage cabling.”
Libby said his children are members of the Nansemond Indian Nation, and he is passionate about working with the KG3 to impact the next seven generations. “One thing that’s touching for me is the thought of providing for and helping reach the goals for the next seven generations. That’s true, and it rings true for me. I have a distinct vision on how to provide leadership, but also growth and opportunity back to the community.”
Providing opportunities for members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) is part of Libby’s vision for KG3. “We’re filling roles. We’ve made some strategic hires today and we’ve got a new general manager [Ty Griffin] at [Kituwah Technologies] who’s an enrolled member. We’re pretty excited about. She’s come in and made a phenomenal impact and had some positive feedback immediately, and we’re doing really well there. We’ve had a couple of strategic hires of enrolled members. We’ve got some offers out today. Kristin [Smith], is phenomenal in HR,” Libby said.
“One thing that struck me as very comforting, heartwarming, but more importantly supportive, is the Kituwah Economic Development Board. They’re active, they’re inspirational, and they offer phenomenal advice and guidance. One of the first things I was charged with was building a robust and viable pipeline of opportunities that we can go after, chase, and win, if you will, in the GovCon space. And I was asked, ‘Can I do this?’ Absolutely, this is what I do. I identify opportunities, I build a team of strategic hires and then go out and win this business.”
Libby said succession is also part of his vision. “Executing on that pipeline, winning this business, and driving the revenues will allow for long-term growth and providing internships part-time, or even full-time jobs, back to EBCI youth. We have the footprint in place today, and I’m looking down range long-term where we can start expanding that internship program today to bring it back to the community because we have the resources already there.”
Libby continued, “We have to build succession because it’s part of the seven generations, not just to provide the income and the wherewithal and the means, but you have to grow the organization…We want to teach the community about growing in the government sector and selling to federal agencies because we want to give back to the community. We want our youth to learn the GovCon space and teach our community what it is that we can provide the federal agencies in that mission critical need. That’s my vision.”
