Leadership

The Honorable Tidal W. (Ty) McCoy currently serves as Chairman of the Space Transportation Association, Vice Chairman of the Cyber, Space, & Intelligence Association, Vice Chairman of the Defense Forum Foundation, Chairman of the TW McCoy Foundation, Executive Committee of the Institute of World Politics, President of The Kingsley Group, is a Board Member of several other organizations, and a Member of the Board of Advisors of PE Systems, Inc and Blue Ridge Networks and Board of Advisors of Intufo. He recently co-founded, as Chairman, the venture capital fund IronGate Capital Advisors to invest in vital, advanced high technology for the U.S. national security community.

Mr. McCoy was the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Washington Capital Partners, LLC, a venture capital firm focused on early-stage investing in technology companies that seek breakthroughs in business models, products, processes, and management. He placed investments in some 15 companies, leading the firm’s efforts in discovery, due diligence, negotiations, governance, milestones, alliances, path to market, recruitment, and exits. Prior experience in private equity before founding Washing Capital Partners included: Founder, Vice Chairman, and Chairman of the Investment Committee of the George Washington National Bank of Alexandria and as an Advisor on a $890M acquisition in Joint Venture with the Carlyle Group that returned $670M on a $190M investment to Thiokol Corp and the same $670M to the Carlyle Group (in three years) in their Joint Venture purchase of Howmet. He also arranged the discovery, vetting, and transactional activity of SAIC’s purchase of Network Solutions (domain name federal monopoly) for $4M in March of 1995 which was sold by SAIC in March of 2000 for a $7.5Billion after-tax return.

Previously, Mr. McCoy was Vice President for Government Relations for Thiokol Propulsion where he developed an effective and comprehensive government relations program that considerably strengthened Thiokol as an aerospace company within the NASA and Defense contractor community. His efforts on behalf of the company with Congress and the then-serving administration resulted in creating opportunities for Thiokol to successfully compete for strategically significant NASA business that led to a period of unprecedented growth and value-creation for the company. He was a key participant in the formulation of the Thiokol strategy for developing a new, large solid rocket motor to deflect and defeat proposals for an expensive and potentially dangerous liquid rocket motor alternative for the Space Shuttle and led the strategy for a team where Thiokol was a major subcontractor in winning a multi-billion dollar Minuteman ICBM Contract. He also served as President of Thiokol Technology, the inventor of the automobile airbag (he was not the inventor himself but assisted in its movement to market).

From 1981-88, Mr. McCoy served as Acting Secretary of the U.S. Air Force, Acting Undersecretary and Assistant Secretary for Manpower, Reserve Affairs and Installations, and later Assistant Secretary for Readiness Support (Installations, Logistics, and Readiness). As the Senior Assistant Secretary, he was the longest-serving senior Presidential Appointee during the modernization and rearmament of the USAF during the Reagan Administration (81-88). During this time, he served on the Air Force Systems Acquisition Review Council, the final review authority prior to approval by the Secretary of the Air Force for all major acquisition programs which reviewed the management, cost, schedule, and performance of systems. In this capacity, he oversaw some $50B in appropriated funds. His responsibilities included recruitment, training, promotion policies, diversity, morale, ethics, retirement, housing, energy, environment, construction, readiness, and many other matters through direct and constant contact with civilian and Air Force colleagues, and as Acting Secretary, the supervision of the USAF.

Other previous positions of service include Member of the Professional Staff for Senator Jake Garn and the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee; Director of Policy Research, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy; Scientific Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Engineering, and Systems; Deputy Assistant and Staff Assistant to five Secretaries of Defense; Member of the Professional Staff, National Security Council, The White House; CIA/DIA/NSA Officer, and Combat Commander, United States Army.

Mr. McCoy received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering from the United States Military Academy, West Point, in 1967, and a Master’s Degree in Business Financial Management from George Washington University in 1975. He was awarded medals for service as a combat unit (nuclear) commander in Germany, the Bronze Star for his service in the Republic of Vietnam, and other military medals while on active duty as an officer in the United States Army, the three highest DOD civilian awards, and Medals for Extraordinary Service to the Department of Defense by two different Secretaries of Defenses as well the Secretary of the Air Force.