Ms. Regina “Gina” Sims is the Director of the Defense SBIR/STTR Program Office for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. Ms. Sims is the principal point of contact for Congress, the Small Business Administration, Government Accountability Office, and Interagency SBIR/STTR Community Representatives. Ms. Sims oversees and leads the SBIR/STTR Program to unify and convey transparency and trust across Defense agencies and components encompassing the program. Prior to her role in OSD, Ms. Sims was the Department of Air Force (DAF) Specific Topic Branch Chief, a role she held in the AFVentures Division of AFWERX. Ms. Sims was responsible for the facilitation of the DAF’s SBIR/STTR Life Cycle, designed to rapidly and efficiently transition innovative technology to the Airmen and Guardian Warfighter communities. Ms. Sims was also responsible for the planning and execution of an annual portfolio of $400M while managing the day-to-day efforts of the Specific Topic Branch within AFVentures, supporting a variety of mission partners. Ms. Sims has been a DoD Civilian for 15 years, serving in several different acquisition program management roles within the DAF. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her two children and is an avid reader. She has an affinity for mentoring and coaching, dedicating time fostering creative thought and developing the next generation of civilian leaders.