Andrew Dichter
Board of Directors
Andy Dichter joined 11th Hour’s Board of Directors in January 2023. He brings 40+ years of national security knowledge and over 20 years of senior executive leadership in a wide range of missions and organization. Andy has over 16 years of federal government contracting expertise, with much of it focused in the defense, analytic professional services industry. He has more than 10 years of both Board Director and C-Suite experiences as well. He also serves 11th Hour as a partner and senior advisor.
Andy served as the President and CEO of Group W from June 2019 through March of 2023. Group W is an employee-owned professional services company that supports national security clients and specializes in studies and analysis, modeling and simulation, war gaming, critical thinking and quantitative problem solving for its clients’ toughest problems. At Group W, Andy led the company’s strategic planning efforts and its growth from 85 to 115 employees along with increased revenue, net income and corporate valuation.
Andy transitioned to the private sector in January 2007 after serving over 30 years with the US Air Force where he rose to the rank of Brigadier General. He joined Systems Planning and Analysis (SPA) as a strategic hire, successfully brought new capabilities and clients to the company, grew a new business unit from zero to over 150 members, generated more than $30 million in annual revenue, and rose to Senior Vice President and Director of the Joint, Land, Air and Space Division.
As a Board Director, Dichter brings expertise in Corporate Governance, accelerating growth, executive leadership, financial management, and multiple facets of leading and growing a federal professional services company. Dichter is experienced in military and aerospace operations, joint warfare analysis, major acquisition program management, and DoD requirements analysis and generation. A career fighter pilot, USAF F-16 Weapons School Graduate, and Desert Storm combat veteran, Dichter served in a wide range of worldwide operational, command, and staff assignments, including four Pentagon tours. Dichter was the installation (wing) commander of Nellis Air Force Base, the USAF’s largest installation. Dichter received his Bachelor of Science degree and USAF commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy and holds a Master of Management and Business Administration from Troy University.
Dichter’s recognition includes the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medals, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medals, and various other awards and unit commendations.
James Durham
Board of Directors
Retired OSD Senior Executive & Marine COLONEL
James Durham began serving on the 11th Hour Service Board of Directors in 2019 after 40+ years of experience in or at Joint Advanced Concepts, USD(AT&L); Strategic Analysis, USD(AT&L); Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC); Senior Aviation Analyst, OSD PA&E; Marine aviator, fighter pilot, carrier aviator. Independent Defense and Business consultation.
Office of the Secretary of Defense Experience:
As a Senior acquisition official, Mr. Durham played a critical role in initial development of many weapons systems such as F/A-18EF, F/A-18G, JAST/Joint Strike Fighter, Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles, as well as weapons such as the JAGM missile. He led many DoD level reviews such as QDR groups, Program Reviews and Congressionally directed reviews such as The Kosovo After-Action report and the Desert Storm After-Action report to Congress. Mr. Durham also led Joint reviews of Electronic Warfare Systems and Joint Integrated Air and Missile Defense (JIAMD). He led development of the only DoD Joint Roadmap, the JIAMD Roadmap. He was the Senior AT&L official on many Defense Science Boards (DSBs), including Advanced Autonomy and other classified programs. Mr. Durham was often involved in SECDEF and DepSECDEF briefings on advanced aircraft and weapons systems. As Director Joint Advanced Concepts, he often visited service development centers such as AFRL, NAVAIR and SPAWAR to participate in program and concept reviews. He also had purview over the complete set of industry cooperative research and development agreements (CRADAs), often visiting industry development centers to review advanced concepts and techniques.
Marine Flying Experience:
Mr. Durham was designated a Naval Aviator in 1971 and has over 4,500 flight hours in tactical fighters such as F-4 and F/A-18. He has over a hundred arrested landings flying from aircraft carriers Nimitz, Forrestal and Independence. He is a graduate of US Navy Strike Leader Attack Training Syllabus (SLATS), USN HARM/EW school as well as USMC Air Combat Tactics Instructor course. He was an Adversary Instructor Pilot for two years, flying many simulated air combat missions.
Educational Experience:
Mr Durham is a 1967 graduate of Rhodes College with a BS (with Honors) in Physics. He was a Rhodes Scholar finalist and accepted a Fulbright Scholarship to Norway. He holds three Masters Degrees:
Cand Mag from University of Oslo 1969 (Physics); MS in Aeronautical Systems, University of West Florida 1973; MS in National Security Strategy, Naval War College 1992.
He is also a graduate of the MIT Seminar XXI study in National Security (2003), The National Security Studies Program, Syracuse University (2005) and The National Security Studies Seminar, George Washington University (2007).
Steffanie Easter
Board of Directors
Steffanie Easter joined the 11th Hour Board of Directors in 2024 bringing extensive experience in the government sector.
She has served as the SVP and Chief Sustainability Officer at CAES since 2022 where she is responsible for the overall sustainability efforts to drive best practices across key elements of environmental, social and governance standards, and supports related strategic engagements with industry peers and customers.
Previously she served as the Vice President, Deputy Army Business Unit and Vice President, Strategy and Planning at SAIC where she led the strategic growth and development within the defense and civilian sector.
Before joining private industry in 2020, Easter served as the Director, Navy Staff for the U.S. Navy becoming the first civilian to hold the position. In this role she served as the senior civilian and coordinated enterprise level efforts across the Navy staff, ensuring alignment of more than 400 Flag Officers and Senior Executives in direct support of the Chief of Naval Operations.
Throughout her career, she served in several high impact positions in the Department of Defense including Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASA(ALT)) and the Principal Deputy to the ASA(ALT); F-35 Joint Program Office Executive Director; Assistant Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education; Assistant Commander for Acquisition at Naval Air Systems Command; and Deputy Program Executive Officer for Tactical Aircraft Programs.
Easter has been recognized with multiple awards including the Presidential Rank Award; the Secretary of the Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Award; the Army Exceptional Civilian Service Award; and the Secretary of Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Award. She is also the recipient of the 2010 Black Engineer of the Year Award for Professional Achievement and the 2009 National Women of Color Award for Managerial Leadership.
Easter also serves on the Board of Directors for Fincantieri Marinette Marine and MRIGlobal. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Military Bowl Foundation, a nonprofit supporting our nation’s current and former service members, and the NC State Engineering Foundation Board of Directors.
Easter earned her Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from North Carolina State University, and her Masters of Engineering degree from The Catholic University of America. She received the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award from both Universities.
Anthony Kurta
Board of Directors
Mr. Kurta began serving on the 11th Hour Service Board of Directors in 2019 with nearly 40 years of experience leading active and reserve officers and enlisted, Navy, Army, Marines, Air Force, Special Operations, National Guard, inter-agency and coalition personnel. This experience allowed Mr. Kurta to serve in several senior level roles focused on policy and strategic development of human capital across the Department of Defense. As a Director on the Board of Directors for 11th Hour Service, Mr. Kurta is focused on providing guidance and insight to support the strategic vision of 11th Hour Service, and to enhance both the solutions offered to, and the team members delivering those solutions to, 11th Hour Service’s clients.
Mr. Kurta also currently serves as the Vice President of the Health and Human Performance team with Leidos, as a CNA Corporation Senior Fellow, and a Volunteer Official with Navy Federal Credit Union. Mr. Kurta spent 32 years in the United States Navy and retired as a Rear Admiral, where he transitioned into the Senior Executive Service as the Director of Navy Flag Officer Management and Development and Performed the Duties of both the Under Secretary of Defense and the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.
A native of Columbia Falls, Montana, he graduated with merit from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1981, earned an M.A. in National Security Studies from Georgetown University, is a distinguished graduate of the Air Command and Staff College, and was a National Security Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Jimmy Smith
Board of Directors
Jimmy Smith started his own small business entitled, “Smith Advisory Consulting” after retiring as a member of the Senior Executive Service after 32 years of working for the Department of the Navy in April 2023.
In 2019, Smith served as the Small Business Director for the Department of the Navy. There he was chief advisor to the Secretary of the Navy on all small business matters. Smith was charged with overseeing small business acquisition policy; strengthening government and private sector partnerships; and fostering opportunities to leverage small businesses as a strategic advantage for the benefit of our warfighters. In fiscal year 2022, in a collateral duty capacity, Smith served as the Chairman of the Federal Office of Small Disadvantaged Business Utilization Directors Interagency Council. There he led small business directors from across 87 different Federal agencies. He worked closely with Congress, the Small Business Administration, and the Office of Management of Budget to ensure that the barriers to small businesses doing business with the Federal government were eliminated through more inclusive policies and the adoption of best practices.
In 2017, Smith served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Expeditionary Programs & Logistics Management delivering upon urgent warfighter needs, and overseeing acquisition logistics policy.
In 2013, Smith served as the Director for Integrated Nuclear Weapons Safety and Security within the U.S. Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs. He was charged with the safekeeping of nearly 70% of this Nation’s nuclear arsenal.
Smith received a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering, in 1990, from Tuskegee University. Graduate-level studies included Environmental Engineering, Marine Engineering, and Business Management. He also possesses four executive leadership certificates from the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations and two executive business certificates from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill–Kenan-Flagler Business School.
