A former Raytheon Co. executive has been named director of defense procurement and acquisition policy.

Shay Assad has been serving as a senior civilian contracting official in the Marine Corps since June 2004. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he was formerly chief executive officer of Raytheon Engineers & Constructors, a defense contractor.

Assad replaces Dominic Cipicchio, who served as acting director since Deidre Lee left the post in August.

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Five Air Force mentor-protégé company teams won Nunn-Perry awards at the annual Department of Defense Mentor-Protégé Conference in Atlanta last month. The awards recognize outstanding efforts by DOD prime contractors and their small business protégés.

The Air Force mentor-protégé winners are:

Northrop Grumman Space Technology, Redondo Beach, CA,, and KW Microwave, Carlsbad, CA;

Raytheon Aircraft Company, Wichita, KS, and Product Manufacturing, Wichita;

AMEC Earth and Environmental, Chantilly, VA, and Echota Technologies, Maryville, TN;

The Boeing Company Integrated Defense Systems, St. Louis, and Precision Machine and Manufacturing, Grove, OK;

Earth Tech Inc., Richmond, VA, and ETI Professionals Inc., Lakewood, CO.

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Sathedia Bush has been named program manager of the Air Force Mentor-Protégé Program. She succeeds Eileen King, who is retiring.

The program has been transferred to the Air Force Outreach Program Office at Brooks City-Base, TX.

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The Senate has unanimously confirmed Eric M. Thorson as SBA inspector general.

Thorson, a Virginian, has been senior adviser for investigative operations and agency planning in the Office of Personnel Management. He previously served as a congressional staff member.