TRIBUTE TO BARRY GOSNELL

On 2026-07-14, Senator Katie Boyd Britt (R-AL) delivered a floor speech titled "TRIBUTE TO BARRY GOSNELL" in the Senate.

TRIBUTE TO BARRY GOSNELL

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S3933-S3934] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] TRIBUTE TO BARRY GOSNELL Mrs. BRITT. Mr. President, I am honored to recognize Mr. Barry Gosnell, an exceptional public servant, business leader, and innovator whose more than four decades of leadership in government and industry have strengthened our national defense, advanced technological innovation, and fostered economic growth throughout the Tennessee Valley and beyond. A longtime leader at Redstone Arsenal, Mr. Gosnell devoted 28 years of civilian service to advancing engineering excellence, innovation, and mission effectiveness in support of the American warfighter. Most recently serving as deputy director of the Software Engineering Directorate, he helped lead one of the Army's most vital technical organizations through a period of remarkable growth and transformation. As a principal architect of that success, Mr. Gosnell played a central role in the directorate's 40-percent increase in business revenue, reaching $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2012, while the organization expanded to more than 3,000 government and contract engineers supporting some of our Nation's most important defense programs. Before serving as deputy director, Mr. Gosnell led the Acquisition and Technology Engineering Division for 14 years and earned a reputation as a [[Page S3934]] trusted and highly capable executive leader. During his tenure, he oversaw the reassignment of engineers and technical personnel to establish two new divisions, strengthening organizational capability and increasing government engineering capacity by 15 percent. Over the course of his leadership, he simultaneously served in multiple demanding roles, including deputy director, fire support division chief, head of special projects, and oversight of critical business management functions, reflecting the confidence his superiors and colleagues consistently placed in his leadership. Following his distinguished government career, Mr. Gosnell continued his service to the defense community through his leadership at COLSA Corporation. As chief executive officer, he has overseen one of the most successful periods in the company's history. Under his guidance, COLSA achieved record growth, generating more than $400 million in new revenue during 2024 and 2025 alone. Despite significant industry-wide challenges resulting from Federal contract reviews and reductions in professional services spending, COLSA remained resilient and well- positioned for continued success. Mr. Gosnell fostered a culture of collaboration, accountability, and open communication, empowering leaders throughout the organization to contribute ideas and pursue innovative solutions. He strengthened strategic partnerships across the Huntsville and Eglin defense communities, resulting in increased prime contract awards and valuable teaming opportunities. Recognizing the importance of disciplined growth, he established rigorous business development processes that enhanced corporate performance and maintained a strong pipeline of future opportunities. He also helped position COLSA at the forefront of emerging technologies by leading the company's expansion into uncrewed systems, assembling highly skilled teams and helping bring innovative commercial drone technologies to market. Throughout his tenure, he remained steadfastly focused on long- term growth while ensuring that every decision reflected the four values established by COLSA's founder, Dr. Frank J. Collazo: teamwork, integrity, people, and customer satisfaction. Mr. Gosnell's career has been defined by innovation and forward- thinking leadership. He played a pivotal role in advancing the use of game-based technologies for military training and recruiting, helping bring to life the groundbreaking America's Army program, which reached more than 10 million registered users and became one of the most widely recognized online military engagement tools in the world. His vision in leveraging emerging technology helped modernize how the Army communicates with and inspires future generations of servicemembers. His contributions to cyber security and systems engineering have likewise left a lasting mark. Mr. Gosnell was instrumental in developing Software Engineering Directorate capabilities to secure critical operational and training systems against evolving cyber threats, strengthening the Army's information assurance posture during a period of rapidly increasing digital risk. He also played a central role in expanding systems integration laboratory concepts to aviation platforms, enabling improved interoperability, enhanced testing, and significant cost savings across multiple Army airframes, including the AH-64 Apache, UH-60 Black Hawk, CH-47 Chinook, and other mission- critical platforms. Throughout his distinguished career, Mr. Gosnell consistently demonstrated an unwavering commitment to strengthening America's defense capabilities while fostering technical excellence within government and industry alike. His work in missile defense systems testing, aviation interoperability, cyber security, business leadership, and organizational development has had an enduring impact, directly supporting the readiness of our armed forces and the strength of Alabama's defense industrial base. I am pleased to join my colleagues and the citizens of Alabama in expressing our sincere gratitude to Mr. Barry Gosnell for his extraordinary leadership, innovation, and faithful service to the U.S. Army, the defense community, and our Nation. His career stands as a testament to excellence in public service, principled leadership, and a steadfast commitment to those he serves. Mr. Gosnell is truly an outstanding American. ____________________