We are sad to learn of the passing of Thomas “Rick” Hazen, former Senior Vice President of Competition Management at SMA.

Rick joined SMA (then SM&A) as a proposal manager in 1999 from Lockheed Martin in Moorestown, New Jersey. We remember him as one of our top capture and proposal professionals, associated with a notable list of successful wins for our clients, including Northrop Grumman’s win of the United Kingdom Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO) IDENT1 program, and Lockheed Martin’s win of the Airborne and Maritime/Fixed Station Joint Tactical Radio System (AMF JTRS) program.

He rapidly rose through the ranks at SMA, becoming a Director of Business Development, then a Vice President Account Executive, and Senior Vice President for Competition Management. Rick’s final role at SMA was Lead Client Relationship Manager for Lockheed Martin before his retirement in 2014.

Rick earned a BS in Electrical Engineering from Lehigh University and joined GE Aerospace, where he was a graduate of the GE Manufacturing Management Program and worked on the Phalanx CIWS program. He then moved to Lockheed Martin as Manager of Small Ship Business Development and Republic of China Programs, capturing and managing the Advanced Combat System (ACS) program. He was promoted within Lockheed Martin to Manager of International Business Development, Director of Advanced Surface Ship Business Development, Director of Arsenal Ship Business Development, and finally Director of Advanced Programs.

Rick earned his name from his somewhat headstrong grandmother. When he was born, she told his parents that they could name him anything they wanted, but that she was going to call him Rick…and it stuck.

We offer our condolences to his wife Amy, and sons, David and Eric.