Lee Griffo

President, Iona Moon

Lee Griffo is the principal and founder of all Iona Moon companies, including Iona Moon, Iona Moon, LLC and Iona Moon, Ltd.

Lee provides oversight and executive guidance over all Iona Moon operations. With over 30 years in marketing, public relations, capital attraction, business development and corporate management, Lee provides strategic growth planning, business development, government and industry liaison services, capture planning, proposal management, alliance building and executive guidance to her clients around the world. Lee makes a strong and lasting first impression, and is well-respected among the Navy community and inside the “beltway” as a trusted agent.

Lee is a member of the NAVAIR Small Business Roundtable and was founding co-chair of the SeaPort-e Process Improvement Committee. She served on the Board of Directors of the Chesapeake Bay Chapter of Women in Defense, the Marketing and Development Committee of Leadership Southern Maryland and is an active member of the National Contract Management Association, the Navy League, the National Defense Industry Association, The Marine Corps Association and Foundation and the Marine Corps Aviation Association.

Lee is a graduate of the 2011 Class of Leadership Southern Maryland and has been involved in working groups with Navy leadership to improve communications between DoD and industry. An outspoken small business advocate, she is frequently called upon by the press for her insights into current events and issues impacting small business in the Federal sector.

Lee founded Iona Moon in 2004 having previously served as Managing Partner of CPR, a San Diego-based public, media and investor relations firm providing communication and growth strategies for international public companies. Lee has directed U.S. operations for an international brokerage firm, served as senior advisor to the boards of professional and industry associations, developed major media crisis-communication strategies and served at the director level in senior military education. An entrepreneur and passionate private industry advocate, Lee stays on top of industry happenings and involved in the tough conversations. 

Lee lives in Leonardtown, Maryland with her husband, Frank Griffo.

Dr. Jim Hiles, Affiliated Consultant


Dr. Hiles is a leading expert in competitive source selections. As an author, educator and former government official, Jim has overseen over $20B in federal procurements and won over $10B in prime contract awards. Jim conceptualized and architected the enterprise-wide rollout of Seaport-e—one of today’s most successful contracts—hence his nickname, “The Godfather of SeaPort-e.” In his capstone Navy role, Jim accelerated and streamlined the service’s contracting capability while capturing and qualifying a previously-untapped industrial base. He enabled significant cost-savings by increasing competition and centralizing the procurement process. His legacy endures, with over $66B in SeaPort-e Task Orders awarded to-date and new contractors and purchasing agencies onboarding every year. 

A transformative leader, Jim is an asset to businesses large and small. In 2015, he vaulted a very small business to record success in just 5 months. He rapidly developed a pipeline, led the capture, bid and proposal processes and won two prime contracts--including a long-term, high-impact effort staffed by PhD-level experts, won against a field of 11 highly-competitive bidders including the incumbent. 

Featured in Federal Computer Week, Jim’s teaching and publications cast the federal market in a new light. His most recent books include: “Winning with Past Performance: Strategies for Industry and Government” and “Federal Contracting: 13 Steps to Increase Your CPARS Ratings.” Jim holds a B.S. in Business from The New School, an M.S. in Acquisition and Finance from The Naval Postgraduate School and an Ed.D. in Human and Organizational Learning from George Washington University.

Jim is a frequent contributor and speaker on Business Development issues with such organizations as the National Contract Management Association (NCMA) and the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP).

Jim joins Iona Moon in his role as SeaPort-e guru, to demystify the source selection process and to provide guidance and support to Iona Moon clients as they navigate the federal procurement process. 

Colonel Larry Groves, USMC (Ret.)

Larry Groves, (Colonel, USMC, Retired) is founder and president of GCC Associates, a defense consultancy in Vienna, Virginia with offices around the country. Larry’s expertise spans the industries of defense, agriculture and real estate development. He provides no-nonsense strategic level guidance and business development services personally and through his associates. His Pentagon and DC contacts read as a “who’s-who” of senior defense and defense industry officials and he is very selective in accepting projects. He is a trusted broker and a squared-away Marine with a command presence and a customer-advocate approach. Larry’s senior consultants--including several retired general and flag officers--are available for Iona Moon projects as needed.

Molly Chen, Affiliated Consultant

Molly Chen is founder and president of POCmarketing. Molly is a highly-talented and experienced marketing professional with a great sense of visual presentation and myriad marketing strategy experience to back it up. Molly’s company provides all the image development, graphic design, layout, web strategies, collateral materials, print advertising and press services for Iona Moon clients. POCmarketing was recently named Expert Consultant for the Maryland Strategic Assistance Consulting Fund. Iona Moon leverages the full resources of POCmarketing to provide a Madison Avenue presence for our clients.

Rear Admiral Dana McKinney, Affiliated Consultant

Rear Admiral Dana McKinney, USN, Retired, is founder and president of Dana Associates, Inc., a management consulting firm serving the aerospace and defense sector.  Dana is a Navy pilot with over 3,800 hours in all types of aircraft and former Commander, Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons and Aircraft Division. Dana provides senior leadership support to Missile Defense Agency and management consulting services to industry leaders. Dana’s command experience and strategic vision provide Iona Moon clients with a critical decision-maker perspective.

Scott Bruce, Affiliated Consultant

Scott Bruce is founder and president of Avericon, LLC, a business development consulting firm strategically located near the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) in Patuxent River, Maryland. Scott is a retired United States Navy test pilot who is well-connected and highly-regarded throughout NAVAIR and NAWCAD. Through Avericon, Scott provides Iona Moon clients with “boots on the ground” inside Naval aviation and helps to evaluate clients' capabilities against requirements to identify opportunities and plan and execute capture efforts. Well-versed in the DoD acquisition process, Scott provides the fleet perspective, and extends the reach of Iona Moon to include those key stakeholders.

Resources on call…

In addition to directors and senior consultants, Iona Moon taps into a cadre of professional project managers, engineers, researchers, writers, artists, consultants and service providers to directly support projects as needed.

Additionally, Iona Moon provides resource referrals outside of the above services scope, connecting clients with top performers across disciplines.

Whatever your business growth needs, Iona Moon is your ONE resource for exceptional service and performance.