ICEAA - Key Persons
Ms. Minkiewicz is a software measurement expert dedicated to finding creative solutions focused on making software development professionals successful. She has over 37 years in the software cost estimating industry researching all aspects of the software development process and providing thought leadership to the software community. Ms. Minkiewicz is the Director of Cost Research at Unison Cost Engineering (formerly PRICE Systems, LLC). In this role, she leads the cost research activity for the TruePlanning® suite of cost estimating products and related services that Unison Cost Engineering provides.
Ms. Minkiewicz is a software measurement expert dedicated to finding creative solutions focused on making software development professionals successful. She has over 40 years in the software cost estimating industry, researching all aspects of the software development process and providing thought leadership to the software community. Ms. Minkiewicz is the Director of Cost Research for Unison Cost Engineering (formerly PRICE Systems). In this role, she leads the cost research activity for the TruePlanning® suite of cost estimating products and related services that Unison Cost Engineering provides.
Ms. Minkiewicz has an MS in Computer Science from Drexel University and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Lehigh University. She has published many articles on software measurement and estimation in Software Development, Crosstalk, and the Journal of Software Technology and has been a contributing author for several books including "Systems Cost Engineering" (Glower, 2010), "The Closed Loop: Implementation Guide for Activity Based Budgeting" (CAM-I, 2004) and "IT Measurement: Practical Advice from the Experts" (Addison Wesley, 2002). Her research is frequently cited in technical papers and presentations, and she holds a patent for research conducted into the estimation of object-oriented software.
She frequently presents at industry conferences on many topics associated with hardware, software and systems estimation and has received numerous best paper awards for her research papers. She is a member of the International Cost Estimating and Analysis Association (ICEAA), Military Operations Research Society (MORS) and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers(IEEE) and has served on committees setting standards and best practices for estimation, measurement, and benchmarking with the Software Engineering Institute (SEI), Project Management Institute (PMI), the International Cost Estimating and Analysis Association (ICEAA), and The Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing International (CAM-I). In 2012, Ms. Minkiewicz received the ISPA Frank Frieman Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to the estimation community. She was also inducted into the Drexel Alumni Circle of Distinction in 2012.
Job Titles:
- Certified Cost Estimator / Analyst
- Senior Operations Research Analyst for the Air Force Cost Analysis Agency
Ms. Pullen is a Senior Operations Research Analyst for the Air Force Cost Analysis Agency (AFCAA), Information Technology Division at the Hanscom Air Force Base Operating Location. She leads several Independent Estimates and serves as the lead of a multi-service Working Agile Working Group. Previously, Ms. Pullen worked for Tecolote Research, Inc. as cost lead in multiple program offices and for Northrop Grumman performing cost studies and authoring sections of the original Cost Estimating Body of Knowledge.
Ms. Pullen is a Distinguished Graduate of the Masters in Cost Estimating and Analysis program from the Naval Postgraduate School. She received her Bachelors of Business Administration with honors from James Madison University.
Ms. Pullen is a Certified Cost Estimator/Analyst has been a member of ICEAA for 20+ years. Her involvement includes Region 1 Director, conference presenter, track chair, exam proctor, New England chapter secretary, nominating committee, and member of the ICEAA abstract review team.
Carol Dekkers, President of Quality Plus Technologies, Inc., brings over 25 years of expertise in guiding companies and government agencies towards success in software measurement. From 2020 to 2021, she served as the lead author for the emerging ICEAA Software Cost Estimating Body of Knowledge (CEBoK-S) and recently held the position of Director at Large on the ICEAA Board of Directors.
Ms. Dekkers is a distinguished author, having written several seminal textbooks on software measurement, including "The IT Measurement Compendium: Estimating and Benchmarking Success with Functional Size Measurement," "Program Management Toolkit for Software and Systems Development," and "Practical Software Project Estimation," 3rd edition. Additionally, she has contributed nearly 100 peer-reviewed journal articles. As a frequent speaker at industry conferences, Carol covers a range of topics such as software cost estimating, measurement, international standards, quality, and technical communication. Since 1994, she has been a contributing expert and project editor for the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in software and systems engineering standards. In February of this year, Carol will be honored as one of Consulting Magazine's Global Leaders in Consulting 2023 for Excellence in Pro Bono. She is a past president of IFPUG, the current chair of the industry standards committee, and has held volunteer leadership roles with the American Society for Quality (ASQ) and the Project Management Institute (PMI).
Carol is running for the Region 3 Director position, and as a Florida resident, looks forward to working with our regional Chapters: Greater Alabama, Atlanta, Central Florida and Northwest Florida.
I am currently the ICEAA Board President, actively involved in the ICEAA workshop planning for over a decade, a CCEA® with 20 years of Department of Defense acquisition cost estimating experience. In addition to serving on the Workshop committee as chair/co-chair for many years, I have held three positions on the International Board, first as Secretary for the 2019-2021 board, the Executive Vice President for the 2021-2023 Board, and most recently as President for the 2023-2025 Board and believe I can help continue to push ICEAA forward with another term as President. I have spent my career supporting Navy, Air Force, and Army programs with various aspects of project management, strategic planning, and cost estimating support. At SPA (previously MCR), I teach our internal training classes for cost estimating, have not only pushed to get more of our analysts certified but have also helped with the CEBoK study for the CCE/A exam, and have been a vocal advocate for ICEAA involvement with all Cost Estimators. I graduated in 2005 from Virginia Tech with a B.S. in Applied Computational Mathematics. I currently live in a suburb of Tampa, Florida with my husband, 2 sons, and 2 dogs.
Job Titles:
- Cost Analyst at ITA International
Courtney Gray is a cost analyst at ITA International and has been serving in ICEAA leadership positions at both the Chapter and Association level for the past six years. She currently holds the title of Committee Chair for the 2025 Professional Development and Training Workshop, Vice President of the Washington Capital Area Chapter, and Deputy Chair of the Federal Cost Estimating Leadership Alliance. Last year, Courtney served as the Chair of the Association Awards and Deputy Chair of the Workshop Committee in addition to moderating the second annual "Women in Cost Estimating" session in Minneapolis. From 2019 to 2023, she served as Secretary of the Washington Capital Area Chapter.
In her various leadership roles, Courtney has placed high importance on recognition and the sense of community that ICEAA provides. After reading a survey response from a previous Workshop in which someone expressed difficulty with making connections earlier in the week, she pioneered the idea of the "Monday Night Mixer," which debuted at last year's Workshop and received overwhelmingly positive feedback. Held during the evening of arrival day, this event offered first-time attendees and solo travelers the opportunity to play icebreaker games and make new friends before the Workshop officially began.
Courtney is adamant about making every ICEAA member feel welcomed and valued. One of her greatest initiatives over the past six years has been improving the Chapter Awards process and, more recently, the Association Awards process. In 2024, she created a list of FAQs and tips for improving award nominations, which was published and advertised on ICEAA website. Leading up to the 2025 awards season, she was tasked by the Executive Committee with refining the criteria for certain categories, implementing measures to promote fairness when ranking nominations, and documenting the entire awards process for the sake of transparency and continuity.
Communication and engagement are two of Courtney's top priorities. She is currently spearheading an effort to create and disseminate lists to employers on a habitual basis of all ICEAA members and certificants within their own organizations. While automated reminders are sent to individuals when their membership or certification is due for renewal, these emails are frequently blocked by spam filters, causing a lapse that may go unnoticed for a long time. Giving these companies/agencies who maintain a large presence in ICEAA a glimpse of their workforce's statuses should help increase memberships and certifications as well as facilitate accountability.
After spending six years on her Chapter Board, Courtney has decided to run for Region 2 Director, where she feels she can make an even greater impact serving the cost community. With her experience interacting with both the local and international boards, she believes that she would be an ideal candidate for acting as a liaison between them. She plans to take an active role in attending meetings with the Chapter Boards in her region and checking in periodically with their Presidents to answer questions and ensure they have the proper support from ICEAA to best serve their constituents.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the 2022
- Chairman of the 2023
Kellie Benefiel (CCEA®) is a senior consultant with over 18 years of experience in the field of operations research and cost estimation. Kellie has worked for the US Army, GSA, and the FAA serving in recent years as an expert in cost estimation and program management. From 2019-2023, she served as Region 5 Director on the 2021-2023 ICEAA International Board of Directors as well as the CEBoK Principal, and she served as Executive Vice President from 2023-2025. She has a BS in Applied Mathematics, a BS in Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, and an MS in Data Analytics from CWU. She is currently an Associate Director at Cobec Consulting as well as an adjunct professor at Central Washington University and a doctoral candidate, IT - Data Science, at City University of Seattle.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Professional Development
My professional career began as a civilian working as a Mathematical Statistician for the U.S. Census Bureau. I performed statistical analysis on housing data, as well as participated in human capital study. I transitioned into cost estimating in 2008, where I began supporting the Marine Corps in developing life cycle cost estimates. During my career as a cost estimator, I have had the pleasure of additionally supporting the Army, NASA and Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In 2020, I transitioned into data science after becoming interested in incorporating coding and advanced techniques into cost studies. I spent time developing introductory Machine Learning courses for the Army and DHS and taught these courses to students.
I took a short break from the cost community in 2022 to explore my interests in data science. I worked in the financial sector and was immersed in the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance. I expanded my knowledge of data analytics and data science by understanding best practices in managing AI models and products. I focused on assessing bias and fairness in AI models that were being used to impact decision-making within the bank.
In the fall of 2022, I decided to return to cost community in a data science role when I joined Tecolote. I support the Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) office's Enterprise Visibility and Management of Operating and Support Costs (EVAMOSC) program, as well as the Air Force Cost Analysis Agency. Within my primary roles, I leverage a variety of analytical tools to enhance the quality of available data. I lead the anomaly detection effort for EVAMOSC and guide a team of data scientists in running multiple scripts to assess the quality of data within the EVAMOSC data warehouse.
I hold a MS degree from Rochester Institute of Technology in Applied Statistics and dual BS degrees in Mathematics/Statistics from the University of Georgia.
I currently serve as Technical Manager for Tecolote Research, Inc., supporting their Arlington Operations and leading tasks across the Federal Aviation Administration and multiple components within the Department of Homeland Security, with 12 years of experience in cost estimating. After completing my BS in Statistics from Virginia Tech, I began my career working as an actuarial assistant and data analyst at Ace Private Risk Services in Salem, Virginia. Upon relocating to Washington DC, I found my way to Tecolote Research, Inc. where I began doing cost estimates for the Marine Corps, then subsequently providing support for the Navy and Department of Homeland Security. Along the way, I developed an affinity for ACEIT, the cost estimating suite developed and maintained by Tecolote Research. I was then offered a role as a certified instructor on the ACEIT Training team, and have been conducting regular ACEIT trainings since 2018. Being able to share my enthusiasm for the ACEIT suite with analysts across our industry is consistently one of the most rewarding facets of my career. Additionally, I enjoy taking an active role in helping our analysts obtain ICEAA certifications, as well as participating in Tecolote's Analyst Training Program cost class curriculum. When not cost estimating and teaching cost estimating, I serve on the condominium board for my HOA, leading and preparing numerous filings with the District of Columbia. In my free time, I also enjoy trying out local restaurants, doing jigsaw puzzles, and spending time with my family, friends, and cats.
Job Titles:
- Australia Region Director
I Mohammad Rahimi, am a CCEA-certified cost estimator with over 10 years of experience spanning both the private and public sectors. I am also the Director and co-founder of Capital Costing Services, a boutique consultancy specialising in cost estimation and finance consulting services for the public sector, based in Canberra, Australia. I am interested in the Regional Director role for Australia.
Job Titles:
- Senior Cost Analyst at Quantech Services Inc
Patrick Casey is a Senior Cost Analyst at Quantech Services Inc. with over six years of experience supporting the Department of Defense (DoD). Patrick's professional journey began with a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of New Hampshire in 2018 and certifications in SAFe Agilist, AWS Cloud Practitioner, and Function Point Analysis. Throughout his career, Patrick has applied his expertise to software cost estimation, cloud transformation, economic analysis, and data analytics, using advanced tools such as SEER-SEM, ACEIT, and PowerBI. Recognized for his contributions, Patrick has earned awards including Quantech's Analyst of the Year (2021) and ICEAA's Best Paper Award in the Strategy, Soft Skills, & Trending Topics Track (2024). He is a passionate educator, having created and delivered training on various technical topics, and he continually seeks innovative solutions to complex cost challenges.
Job Titles:
- Vice President for Estimating at the Boeing Company
Richard Hartley is the Vice President for Estimating at The Boeing Company. He leads a diverse team responsible for preparing program and independent cost estimates, bid and proposal cost volumes, and affordability and optimal cost analysis for nearly all Boeing development, production, and sustainment contracts. He is also responsible for all company-wide cost estimating policy, procedures, and supporting infrastructure. Hartley supports Boeing commercial and government programs and serves as the principal Boeing representative for government, customer, audit, and industry cost estimating and pricing issues and initiatives.
Prior to joining Boeing in October 2020, Hartley served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller, where he oversaw the budgeting, cost estimating and financial operations of more than $160 billion in annual resources that support Air Force priorities. Additionally, he was responsible for the professional development of more than 12,000 military and civilian members of the Air Force financial management community.
Previously, Hartley was the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (and Acting Assistant Secretary) for Installations, Environment and Energy, responsible for the formulation, review and execution of plans, policies, programs and budgets to meet Air Force installations, energy, environment, safety and occupational health objectives, and the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Requirements, responsible for development and integration of the Air Force's over $750 billion resource allocation plan, known as the Future Years Defense Plan (FYDP).
Hartley began his career in 1985 as a cost analyst and industrial engineer in the Naval Air Systems Command. In 1992, he moved to the Air Force where he served in a variety of positions at the Air Force Cost Analysis Agency and Directorate of Cost Analysis in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Cost and Economics. In 1997, he joined the National Reconnaissance Office, where he entered the Senior Intelligence Service in 2000. In 2003, he returned to the Pentagon to serve as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Cost and Economics in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller.
Hartley holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Syracuse University and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.
Mr. Bosmans is lifetime ICEAA member and has served as Southern California chapter vice president (4 years) and chapter Director at large (4 years). He also performed as the Nominating Committee Chair (ie - Election Lead) for the last two SoCal Chapter elections. In addition, thanks to the generous support of SAIC/Leidos, Tom's Team also hosted ICEAA SoCal Chapter workshops at the El Segundo and San Diego Leidos locations.