Tidal “Ty” McCoy


Mr. McCoy, currently serves as the Chairman, Space Transportation Association, Vice Chairman of the Cyber, Space, Intelligence Association, Vice Chairman of the Defense Forum Foundation, Chairman of the TW McCoy Foundation, Executive Committee of the Institute of World Politics (accredited university), President of The Kingsley Group (real estate development and investing), as a Board Member of other organizations, and a Member of the Board of Advisors of P E Systems, Inc and Blue Ridge Networks.

Mr. McCoy was the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Washington Capital Partners, LLC, a Venture Capital firm focused on early stage investing in technology companies that seek breakthroughs in business models, products, processes, and management. He placed investments in some fifteen companies, leading the firm’s efforts in discovery, due diligence, negotiations, governance, milestones, alliances, path to market, recruitment and exits. Prior experience in private equity before founding Washington Capital Partners included: Founder, Vice Chairman, and Chairman of the Investment Committee of the George Washington National Bank of Alexandria and served as an Advisor on an $ 890M acquisition in Joint Venture with the Carlyle Group that returned $ 670M on a $ 190M investment to Thiokol Corp and the same $ 670M to the Carlyle Group (in three years) in their Joint Venture purchase of Howmet. He also arranged the discovery, vetting and transactional activity of SAIC’s purchase of Network Solutions (domain name federal monopoly) for $ 4M in Mar95 (sold by SAIC in Mar2000 for $ 7.5Billion after tax return).

Previously, Mr. McCoy was Vice President for Government Relations for Thiokol Propulsion where he developed an effective and comprehensive government relations program that considerably strengthened Thiokol as an aerospace company within the NASA and Defense contractor community. His efforts on behalf of the Company with Congress and the then-serving administration resulted in creating opportunities for Thiokol to successfully compete for strategically significant NASA business that led to a period of unprecedented growth and value-creation for the Company. He was a key participant in the
formulation of the Thiokol strategy for developing a new, large solid rocket motor to deflect and defeat proposals for an expensive and potentially dangerous liquid rocket motor alternative for the Space Shuttle; and led the strategy for a team where Thiokol was a major subcontractor in winning a multi-billion dollar Minuteman ICBM Contract. He also served as President, Thiokol Technology, the inventor of the automobile airbag (he was not the inventor himself but assisted in its movement to market).

Earlier, Mr. McCoy served as Acting Secretary, Acting Under Secretary, and Assistant Secretary for Manpower, Reserve Affairs, and Installations and later Assistant Secretary for Readiness Support (Installations, Logistics, and Readiness). As the Senior Assistant Secretary he was the longest serving senior Presidential Appointee during the modernization and rearmament of the USAF during the Reagan Administration (81-88). During this time, he served on the Air Force Systems Acquisition Review Council, the final review authority prior to approval by Secretary of the Air Force for all major acquisition programs (multi-hundred and multi-billion dollar programs), which reviewed the management, cost, schedule, and performance of systems. In this capacity, he oversaw some $50B in appropriated funds. His responsibilities included recruitment, training, promotion policies, diversity, morale, ethics, retirement, housing, energy, environment, construction, readiness, and many other matters through direct and constant contact with civilian and Air Force colleagues, and as Acting Secretary, the supervision of the USAF.

Other previous positions of service include Member of the Professional Staff, Senator Jake Garn and the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee; Director of Policy Research, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy; Scientific Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Engineering and Systems; Deputy Assistant and Staff Assistant to the Secretary of Defense; Member of the Professional Staff, National Security Council, The White House; CIA Officer, and Combat Commander, United States Army.

Mr. McCoy received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering from the United States Military Academy, West Point, in 1967, and a Master’s Degree in Business Financial Management from George Washington University in 1975. He was awarded medals for service as a combat unit (nuclear) commander in Germany, the Bronze Star for his service in the Republic of Vietnam, and other military medals while on active duty as an officer in the United States Army; and, the three highest DOD civilian awards, Medals for Extraordinary Service to Department of Defense by two different Secretaries of Defenses and the Secretary of the Air Force.