AST has garnered prestigious industry and government awards for its innovation, performance, technology expertise and rapid.

Our veteran leadership has guided the company to excellent CPARS Performance ratings, ardent customer kudos, and numerous awards – including being named to the INC 500/5000 for five consecutive years, Washington Technology FAST 50 for five consecutive years, the 2018 EY Entrepreneur of the Year, and the 2018 SBA Region III Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year.

AST has garnered prestigious industry and government awards for its innovation, performance, technology expertise and rapid.

Our veteran leadership has guided the company to excellent CPARS Performance ratings, ardent customer kudos, and numerous awards – including being named to the INC 500/5000 for five consecutive years, Washington Technology FAST 50 for five consecutive years, the 2018 EY Entrepreneur of the Year, and the 2018 SBA Region III Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year.

A Letter From Our President

Thank you for taking the time to visit our website! Whether you are looking for someone to solve your technical challenges, a potential partnership or a career with a great company, I welcome you.

Since our company was founded in 2009, our mission and focus has been to strive for excellence. To achieve this, we pride ourselves on a family-oriented culture built on our proven performance, trusted solutions and personalized service.

Our success is demonstrated over the last 10 years by our impressive growth in customer base and volume, as well as our retention rate and expansion of products and services to our existing customers.

On behalf of the entire AST team, thank you for your time and interest. We look forward to working with you!

Cheers,

Arria Hines
President & CEO

Corporate Executive Team

Senior Program Manager

Bryant Bingham
Director of Contracts

Laura Freeman
Vice President

Dean Groetzinger
CEO

Arria Hines
President

Bill Hunt
Chief Financial Officer

Brandon Lesher
Business Development, Sr. Account Manager

Steve Mapp
Director of Human Resources

Anna Meleady
Project Management Officer (PMO) Director – Mission Support

Shelly Montgomery
Director of Public Relations

Stephanie Pethtel
Chief Technology Officer

Jamie Rose
Corporate Recruiter

Dalton Whitaker
Director of Strategic Engagement

Melanie White

Senior Program Manager

Bryant Bingham

Mr. Bingham boasts 16 years of expertise in government operations and contract management, specifically supporting DOE programs and national labs. His skills in process design, audit, and program oversight have made him a recognized leader in operational strategies, improving efficiency, and aligning business practices with organizational goals to enhance client value.

Director of Contracts

Laura Freeman

As Director of Contracts, Laura Freeman is integral part of the Business Operations Services & Support (BOSS) Team. In addition to Laura’s ability to work in AST’s fast-paced environment, she has over 35 years of experience as a senior contract professional in both the Private and Public Sectors.   As a former Government Contracting Officer, she uses her extensive knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and other agency regulations and skills to #EMPOWER the AST contracts department.

Vice President

Dean Groetzinger

Dean has over 40 years of Project Management experience, 10 of which have been with AST. Through his time at AST, he has managed multimillion-dollar contracts and has supported AST across all areas of work supporting DOE, proving himself to be a committed company advocate.  Dean is a critical and influential part of AST’s continued success across his contracts, which has afforded AST the ability to leverage strong past performance to further expand within DOE.

CEO

Arria Hines

Arria established a supportive family oriented culture that enables our staff to deliver personalized, trusted solutions. After driving the program success of large Government services and commercial firms, she co-founded AST and lead the company into being one of America’s fast-growing privately held companies. Her leadership in establishing AST’s proven performance has been recognized with numerous awards.

President

Bill Hunt

Bill Hunt harnesses 25+ years of federal leadership—fostering high-performing teams and forging strategic partnerships to deliver innovative solutions that power missions across energy, environment, intelligence, and defense.

Chief Financial Officer

Brandon Lesher

As Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Mr. Lesher is primarily responsible for the financial operations and activities of AST. Utilizing his leadership and management skills, he also serves as the Executive Lead for AST’s Business Operations Support (BOS) team.

Business Development, Sr. Account Manager

Steve Mapp

Steve brings 15+ Years of experience as a team-oriented, goal-driven professional who understands the rigorous collaboration and multiple elements which strengthen and sustain business growth in the Defense and Civilian Agency Market.

Director of Human Resources

Anna Meleady

As AST’s Director of Human Resources, Anna Meleady works closely with staff & supervisors to oversee AST’s Human Resources Department. Anna also monitors AST’s compliance in an ever changing & evolving Human Resources landscape. Anna’s ability to strengthen the link between people and strategy, as well as manage and motivate is invaluable as AST continues to develop human resources support services and the administrative infrastructure necessary to support long-term growth and success.

Project Management Officer (PMO) Director – Mission Support

Shelly Montgomery

As the Project Management Officer (PMO) Director of AST’s Mission Support, Shelly Montgomery oversees the project management process and ensures projects are executed effectively and efficiently. One of Shelly’s most treasured asset is her ability to spark connections between individuals and generating forward momentum to “get things done”. Shelly has over 20 years of leadership experience in both the commercial and government arena.

Director of Public Relations

Stephanie Pethtel

Stephanie Pethtel joined Allegheny Science & Technology in March of 2016 and serves as the Director of Public Relations where she designs and implements marketing strategies that cultivates relationships with media, engages target audiences and boosts awareness.  She also maintains the internal communications creating a cohesive corporate culture for a  staff that is located across the country.  When asked what her favorite role at AST is, she said it is the fast-pace of the company and the variety of tasks she tackles daily – there is always something fun and exciting happening!

Chief Technology Officer

Jamie Rose

Mr. Rose is a visionary leader with 27+ years of experience in software development and government contracting. As a founding team member, he has spearheaded groundbreaking DOE projects and fuels AST’s innovation engine—driving bold, secure, high-impact solutions across energy, technology, and national security missions.

Corporate Recruiter

Dalton Whitaker

As AST’s Corporate Recruiter, Dalton Whitaker leverages years of industry experience to shape the company’s future by identifying top talent aligned with AST’s values and goals. With deep expertise in federal sector recruitment, Dalton is dedicated to building strong teams that drive success, innovation, and long-term growth, focusing on fostering a thriving workforce.

Director of Strategic Engagement

Melanie White

Melanie White brings 25+ years of experience across the federal, state, and commercial sectors specializing in growth within Appalachia. A skilled project manager and problem-solver, she excels at forming strategic relationships, fostering long-term partnerships, and effectively managing a wide range of engagements with client-centric focus.

Julie works in the Vehicles Technologies Office with the Battery and Electrification research group. She has supported several efforts for the Office including their international collaborations on electric vehicle deployment, various USDRIVE teams, cross-program initiatives with Office of Electricity and the Grid Modernization and interagency efforts on battery development and cybersecurity. READ MORE Meet AST Expert, Julie. Liz works on the Algae Team in the Bioenergy Technologies Office, which is part of DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). In her role, Liz offers technical support to the Algae Team in a variety of ways ranging from long-term strategic planning down to project monitoring of current DOE-funded algae projects. READ MORE Meet AST Expert, Liz. Matt utilizes and manages the Program Information Collection System: Nuclear Energy (PICS:NE), a web-based Program Management tool utilized by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Through this system, Matt provides continuous and direct financial, analytical, and program management support to the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) and momre. READ MORE Meet AST Expert, Matt.

Giving Back

The AST team is dedicated to supporting the communities in which we live and work. Through corporate sponsorships, client events, and community engagement, we have participated in or supported activities like:

  • Race to Beat Cancer 5K

  • Salvation Army Angel Tree Program

  • United Way

  • Coding & Cyber Summit

  • Robotics Alliance

  • DOE National Science Bowl

  • IMACS hosted solar eclipse party

  • NASA STEM Day in the Park

  • Educational Resource Center

  • Robotics competition

  • New LEGO League

  • Habitat for Humanity

  • Girls on the Run

  • Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

  • DC Audubon Society

  • Stream Day

  • American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES)

  • Multiple Sclerosis Society

  • Homes for Our Troops

  • St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital

  • Girls Who Code