- John Heller is honored for technology leadership and STEM advocacy
- Past honorees include Jack London, Nazzic Keene and Doug Wagoner
- Registration remains open for the Nov. 5 luncheon honoring Heller
Scouting America’s National Capital Area Council has selected Amentum CEO John Heller as the recipient of the 2026 Mike Daniels Technology Good Scout Award.
Heller will receive the award Thursday, Nov. 5, at the council’s annual luncheon at Capital One Hall in Tysons, Virginia.
There’s still time to join top executives, innovators and changemakers from the Greater Washington technology community as they celebrate Heller and the values of integrity, leadership and service that unite scouting and the tech industry. Visit the council’s Technology Good Scout page for registration details and sponsorship opportunities, and secure your seat to support local scouts and help shape the next generation of leaders.
What Is the Mike Daniels Technology Good Scout Award?
The Technology Good Scout Award recognizes leaders in the National Capital Region’s technology community who reflect the values of Scouting America. Mike Daniels founded the award luncheon in 1997. The council renamed the award in his honor in 2025, following his passing.
Daniels was the former board chairman of CACI and LMI and also held leadership roles at DARPA, Network Solutions and SAIC. The council recognized him as a lifetime achievement honoree in 2017.
According to the council, proceeds from the luncheon support scouting and STEM programs across the National Capital Area. This year’s event carries the theme “Scouts in Action,” which highlights the service work of scouts and the shared commitment of scouting and the technology sector to building a better future.
Why Is John Heller Receiving the Good Scout Award?
The council selected Heller for his leadership in the technology and engineering fields, his dedication to STEM education and his commitment to developing future leaders, particularly in the National Capital Region.
Heller said scouting fosters integrity, leadership and service, values that build strong communities and fuel innovation and progress. He said Daniels embodied these qualities throughout his career.
“It is a true honor to receive an award that bears his name,” Heller said.
The Amentum CEO added that the company is committed to advancing STEM education and empowering future leaders to tackle the challenges of tomorrow. He shared the recognition with his team, crediting their dedication and passion for inspiring the company’s work.
Who Is John Heller?
Heller is the CEO of Amentum, a role he has held since 2022, and a 10-time Wash100 Award winner. He leads the Fortune 500 engineering and technology company’s roughly 50,000 employees in more than 70 countries. Amentum supports the U.S., allied nations and commercial companies in space exploration, nuclear energy, national security and critical digital infrastructure.
He previously served as president and CEO of PAE and held senior leadership roles at Engility, Harris and Netco. A West Point graduate, Heller began his career as a U.S. Army logistics officer and later worked as a management consultant at Deloitte.
Who Are the Past Good Scout Award Recipients?
Heller follows a list of honorees from government, academia and the GovCon industry. Former SAIC CEO Toni Townes-Whitley received the award in 2025. She was preceded by CACI CEO John Mengucci in 2024, Maximus CEO Bruce Caswell in 2023 and LMI Chairman and former CEO Doug Wagoner in 2022. In 2021, former SAIC CEO Nazzic Keene became the award’s first female recipient.
MANTECH Chairman and former CEO Kevin Phillips received the honor in 2020, and former Perspecta CEO Mac Curtis in 2019. Earlier honorees include former Maximus CEO Richard Montoni in 2017, former CIA and NSA Director Michael Hayden in 2016, former Inova executive Todd Stottlemyer in 2015 and former CACI CEO Ken Asbury in 2014.
Former George Mason University President Alan Merten received the award in 2012. Before him came former LMI President and CEO Nelson Ford in 2011, former SAIC CEO Walt Havenstein in 2010 and former QinetiQ North America CEO Duane Andrews in 2009.
Richard Knop, former co-head of BB&T Capital Markets’ government and defense group, was the 2007 honoree. He followed the late Alion Science and Technology CEO Bahman Atefi in 2006 and Wood Parker, former president of the Northrop Grumman IT sector’s federal enterprise solutions business unit, in 2005. The late CACI Executive Chairman Jack London received the award in 2004.
The award’s earliest recipients include Mark Warner, then governor of Virginia and now a U.S. senator, in 2003, former Rep. Tom Davis in 2002, former Virginia Secretary of Technology Donald Upson in 2001 and MicroStrategy Co-Founder Michael Saylor in 2000. Before them came Morino Institute Founder Mario Morino in 1999 and former Virginia Gov. James Gilmore in 1998. The council presented the first award in 1997 to the late SAIC founder Bob Beyster.
