Scouting America presented Amentum CEO John Heller with its 2026 Mike Daniels Technology Good Scout Award on Thursday to a room packed with top government contractors.
As luminaries like CACI CEO John Mengucci and former Perspecta CEO and current board member mainstay Mac Curtis — who have both won the award previously — looked on, Heller was recognized for his support of Scouting and tech innovation. The luncheon, abuzz with chatter about the latest federal developments (including the recent election), was held at the sleek Capital One Hall in Tysons Corner, Virginia.
“What makes John different—unique, especially in a post-COVID world—is he shows up physically and mentally prepared,” said introducer, fellow West Point graduate and retired Army Maj. Gen. Charles Anderson.
“Years ago, we had a contract with the mission of providing logistical and training support of U.S. Army operations in Afghanistan. John, our CEO, would visit, not on the internet, but boots on the ground. John made it a point to visit his employees no matter where they were on this planet or what conditions they faced,” Anderson continued.
The Good Scout Technology Luncheon only comes but once a year; Potomac Officers Club events are a monthly way to stay connected with the GovCon industry and stay up to speed on federal technology priorities. Register now for POC’s final two summits of 2026: the Homeland Security Summit on Nov. 10 and the Healthcare Summit on Dec. 3. Don’t miss these prime networking and learning opportunities!
What Is the Mike Daniels Technology Good Scout Award?
For nearly three decades, the award has honored exceptional leaders in the tech sector who embody the values of the organization:
- Duty to God and country
- Duty to others
- Duty to self
“The more I thought about this award, the more I realized just how much Scouting’s values align with the principles I learned at West Point,” Heller shared when accepting the prize. “Duty, honor, country. Those three words have stayed with me throughout my life and career. They shaped how I think about leadership and what it means to serve something bigger than yourself.”
Recipients also display the 12 points of the Scout Law:
Trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
Past recipients, in addition to Mengucci and Curtis, include former SAIC CEO Toni Townes-Whitley (2025), LMI Chairman and former CEO Doug Wagoner (2021) and MANTECH Chairman and former CEO Kevin Phillips (2020). All of the aforementioned leaders, including Heller, are recipients of Executive Mosaic’s Wash100 Award.
The award was renamed after its founder, Mike Daniels, the former board chair of CACI and LMI and GovCon staple, who passed in 2025.
Who Is John Heller & Why Did He Win the 2026 Technology Good Scout Award?
Heller is a U.S. Army veteran who has served at some of the most notable organizations in the GovCon industry, including Engility, PAE, Harris Corporation and Deloitte.
He has overseen multi-billion dollar business combinations as Amentum CEO, including the merger with Jacobs’ critical mission solutions arm.
Heller is a 10-time winner of the Wash100 Award. See below for Executive Mosaic’s video interview with Heller from 2023.
The Amentum CEO concluded his remarks at the luncheon on a high note: “I am grateful to be recognized by an organization whose values are so closely aligned with the principles that have guided me throughout my life.”
Who Was in the Room for Heller’s Ceremony?
As per usual for this annual event, attendees were surrounded on all sides by impressive, high-achieving GovCon industry members.
Notable faces included, but were not limited to, The Carlyle Group Operating Executive Larry Prior; former Ultra I&C CEO Jon Rucker; Blue Delta Capital Partners Co-Founder Mark Frantz and General Partner Kevin Robbins; former Under Secretary of the Air Force and current CACI Board Chair Lisa Disbrow; and Edgewater Federal Solutions’ Tom Ferrando and Andrea Snader.
