FOUNDER, PRO PATRIA PARTNERS

With over 18 years federal service, Lucas has led some of the most complex and high-value acquisitions at GSA AAS, including over $12 billion in awards through the FEDSIM Service Delivery Model for various clients including the Global Combatant Commands, Intelligence Community, Defense Health Agency, and SOCOM, to name a few.

During his tenure with GSA AAS Defense, Lucas, led more than 15 Technical Evaluation Boards and directed multi-agency procurements across defense, intelligence, and civilian sectors. Lucas received multiple awards for innovation and was highly sought out for his ability to understand customer requirements, tailoring acquisition strategies and solicitations for success. His expertise spans acquisition strategy, stakeholder alignment and engagement, risk management, and technical evaluations—delivering mission-critical solutions in areas such as IT Modernization, AI/ML strategic implementation, C5ISR, and cybersecurity.

As a former Acquisition Project Manager (APM) and leader within AAS Defense, he brings an insider’s perspective on how the Government evaluates, scores, and rates proposals. His expertise bridges the gap between BD, capture, and proposal teams, ensuring strategies are aligned with evaluation criteria and acquisition objectives. Lucas has attended the Shipley Business Development Bootcamp, and holds FAC P/PM Level III, DAWIA Contracting Level III, PMP, and ITIL Foundations certifications.

A veteran of the Global War on Terror, Lucas served with the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry, part of the fabled U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division in Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. Through this service, Lucas found his passion for national security and has continued to dedicate his career to enabling the warfighter to accomplish the critical missions they perform.

As the founder of Pro Patria Partners, Lucas is committed to equipping Defense contractors with the tools, insights, and strategies needed to compete and win in an increasingly complex federal marketplace. His mission is simple: help businesses not just bid, but win—because in government contracting, winning matters.

STRATEGIC CONSULTANT

With 22 years of federal service at GSA AAS, Elcindor has shaped and managed some of the government's most complex and highest-dollar acquisitions, directing over $8 billion in IT and professional services procurements across Defense, Intelligence, Homeland Security, and Civilian agencies including DoD, DHS, EPA, DEA, and DIA. As an Acquisition Project Manager, he led strategic planning, budget management, and procurement execution for multi-tenant, high-complexity task order vehicles serving dozens of client agencies with competing priorities and operational demands.

Throughout his career, Elcindor has worked at the intersection of strategy, budget, and acquisition policy. He brings deep institutional knowledge of how the government prioritizes investments, allocates resources, and evaluates competing solutions—insights most contractors never see. His expertise spans acquisition structuring and shaping, budget justification and option architecture, evaluation criteria development, and the political and procedural logic that drives government decision-making. He understands not just what the government says it wants, but why it matters and what trade-offs shape the final decision.

Elcindor advises contractors on the strategic and acquisition dimensions that separate winning from losing: how to position solutions relative to government priorities, how to align pricing and scope to budget realities, how to anticipate shaping conversations and evaluation logic, and how to structure proposals and programs for defensibility and success. His counsel bridges the gap between what contractors propose and what government decision-makers actually value—ensuring strategies are grounded in how acquisitions actually work from the inside.

Before joining Pro Patria Partners, Elcindor advanced through multiple roles at GSA, from Project Manager to Acquisition Project Manager, where he directed planning and resource allocation for large federal initiatives. His advanced degrees—Master of Public Administration from American University and Master of Business Administration from George Mason University—combined with certifications in project management and continuous professional development, have shaped his disciplined approach to problem-solving, organizational strategy, and change management.

STATEGIC CONSULTANT/PROPOSAL MANAGER

Meredith Graves is a proposal consultant, solution architect, and strategic storyteller. Throughout her nearly 20 years helping organizations shape winning federal proposals she has specialized in transforming complex technical, operational, and management concepts into clear, compelling, and compliant narratives that resonate with evaluators and unify teams around a shared vision.

Known for bridging the gap between technical experts, operational leaders, and business development teams, Meredith excels at helping organizations articulate not only what they do, but why it matters to the Government. She is particularly skilled at guiding teams through complex or high-pressure pursuits, bringing structure toambiguity and turning fragmented ideas into cohesive, persuasive strategies.

Throughout her career, Meredith has supported high-profile pursuits across Health IT, cybersecurity, cloud modernization, enterprise systems, and mission support services for agencies including VA, HHS, DHS, DOE, DOJ, CMS, EPA, and DoD. Her work spans the full proposal lifecycle — from capture strategy, solution development, and proposal architecture to compliance management, color team reviews, FEDSIM orals support, graphics development, and executive coaching.

Meredith began her career in federal business development at SAIC, where an intensive proposal development training program shaped her disciplined approach to proposal architecture, compliance, strategy, and persuasive communication. Before launching her consulting practice, she held proposal leadership roles with Booz Allen Hamilton, GDIT, Blue Canopy, and Systems Made Simple (now Leidos).

She earned her BA in English and Education from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where she captained the Division I women’s soccer team competing in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) and her MA in English Literature and Language from Portland State University, where she served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant. This background continues to shape her collaborative approach to communication, coaching, and narrative development.

Outside of consulting, Meredith is interested in environmental sustainability and volunteers with a local eco-organic farm. She is particularly drawn to the intersection of systems thinking, stewardship, and sustainable community practices.