What Partners & Peers Say

Rick Howard, Lt Col USAF (Ret)

Founder, GovClose

I can say with confidence Michael Doughty, Maj (Ret), PMP, CSM is one of the most well-rounded operators I've seen come through the Gov Close Certification Program.

What makes Michael different is the combination he brings to the table.

As a retired United States Air Force Air Battle Manager and Cyberspace Warfare Operations Officer, he understands the operational side of the United States Department of War mission in a way that very few business development professionals ever will—he's lived it.

Layer on top of that his time at Leidos as a Solutions Lead, where he contributed to 100+ proposal submissions and over $151M in awarded TCV, and you have someone who already knows how a major prime structures a winning bid from the inside.

What the GovClose Certification added was the third leg of the stool: the buyer's perspective and a repeatable federal sales methodology.

Over the course of the program, Michael built out a data-driven Federal Sales Roadmap grounded in actual spending data, developed a niche strategy informed by competitive analysis, and mastered the pre-solicitation engagement approach that separates winners from the companies still chasing RFPs after they hit SAM.gov.

He also worked through our new proposal and compliance matrix curriculum—material that complements his Leidos experience well.

Just as importantly, Michael is now plugged into the GovClose community—a cross-functional network of government acquisitions professionals, prime contractor BD leaders, small business owners, CMMC experts, proposal writers, and federal sales pros. In a market as fragmented and relationship-driven as federal contracting, having a trusted community to pressure-test ideas and get real answers is a force multiplier in its own right.

That combination—operator, prime-side proposal pro, GovClose-certified federal sales strategist, and a connected member of one of the strongest networks in this space—makes Michael a genuine triple threat.

Any small business looking to enter the federal market, any prime looking for a BD or capture lead who can actually talk to a program office in their own language, or any company that needs a strategic advisor to build a defensible go-to-market plan would be lucky to have him.

I recommend Michael without reservation.