HGC
Expertise
Whether your team is new to orals, or seasoned professionals, HGC coaches quickly assess the ability of each team member to bring out the best in each presenter. We do it all, while creating a collaborative team-building environment that enhances delivery (because we all know that at the end of the day, orals is a group interview for a job). HGC SMEs bring added value to your proposal process, offering full lifecycle services, from storyboard and messaging development, slide management, scripting, team rehearsals, individual coaching and performance, and video orals coaching.
Meet Our Staff
Deborah Hurley
President, Executive Orals Coach
Deb Hurley is a pioneer of federal orals coaching and has spent more than 30 years helping leaders show up calm, credible, and compelling in the moments that matter most. She shaped many of the modern best practices for live, virtual, and scenario-based orals. Deb’s coaching is deeply human, skill-based, and tailored, transforming subject matter experts into trusted advisors.
- Executive presence and leadership coaching
- FEDSIM and scenario-based orals (live, virtual, video)
- Story development, scripting, and real-time response
Xander Brown
Director of Growth & Engagement
Xander connects strategy to action and potential to performance. He works at the intersection of business development, capture, and orals to help teams understand not just how to win, but why they win. Xander brings clarity early, aligning leadership and pursuit teams around a story that carries from capture through orals.
- Growth strategy and capture integration
- Early-stage positioning and story shaping
- Aligning BD, capture, and orals into a single motion
Lezlie Dana
Senior Orals Coach
Lezlie turns complex, technical content into clear, persuasive stories evaluators can follow and score. With a background in acting, directing, and marketing, she helps presenters sound natural, confident, and compelling. Her work weaves teams together, clarifies messaging, and brings the human voice out of even the most technical solutions.
- FEDSIM, scenario, and virtual orals
- Persuasive storytelling and message clarity
- Personalizing scripts and delivery
Ingrida Petersons
Senior Orals Coach
Ingrida sharpens content for how it will actually be evaluated. A former proposal manager, she quickly identifies what will score and builds scripts that are clear, concise, and differentiating. Teams rely on her to bring structure and evaluator focus when time is tight.
- FEDSIM scripting and win themes
- Evaluator-focused story development
- Planning, timing, and delivery coaching
Krista Streips
Senior Orals Coach, Agile Orals, Video Production
Krista helps federal pursuit teams perform with clarity, confidence, and control when it matters most. With deep experience supporting high-stakes evaluations, including complex scenario-based orals for FEDSIM and other innovation-driven agencies, Krista prepares teams to think on their feet, communicate under pressure, and stay grounded in the room.
Her coaching blends presence, structure, and execution. Krista works with every presenter to understand what to say, and how to say it in their own voice.
- Scenario-based, FEDSIM, OTA/CSO, demo, and video orals coaching
- Story flow, messaging clarity, and presenter alignment
- Real-time QA/QC, timing discipline, and team support
Benson Rowland
Senior Orals Coach
Ben delivers end-to-end orals leadership, guiding teams from kickoff through delivery. With more than 30 years of experience, he brings calm, structure, and momentum to high-stakes pursuits. Teams trust Ben to keep them focused and fully prepared.
- FEDSIM orals (live, virtual, video)
- Full lifecycle orals leadership
- Scripting, editing, and Q&A coaching
Sonja Jones
Senior Orals Coach
Sonja helps teams surface their true differentiators and communicate them with clarity and confidence. A former proposal manager, she blends strategic insight with one-on-one coaching. Her work ensures strong solutions are understood and trusted.
- Orals scripting and compliance
- Differentiator and win-theme development
- Individual presenter coaching
Juliette Clark
Senior Orals Coach
Juliette aligns orals with the broader pursuit story. With experience across all phases of BD, she ensures slides, talk tracks, and solutions tell one cohesive narrative. Her coaching turns features into meaning and visuals into story.
- Story alignment across the pursuit
- Slide and talk-track development
- Orals coaching and message clarity
Sumedha Bahri
Orals Coach
Sumedha specializes in building confident voices. As a public speaking trainer and attorney, she helps hesitant presenters sound natural, credible, and compelling. Her coaching transforms anxiety into presence.
- Delivery-focused orals coaching
- Persuasive speaking and script editing
- Q&A and scenario-based preparation
Mike Cole
Senior Graphic Designer
For more than 30 years, Mike has been turning hand-drawn scribbles from napkins into detailed, professional graphics. His background in creating innovative and dynamic designs, makes your deliverables look clean and professional while emphasizing the detail that your presentation/bid requires.
Specialties:
- Image conceptualization and design
- Proposal graphic development
- Extensive FEDSIM experience
Jenn Cendejas
Director of Operations and Contracts
Jenn is the operational backbone of Hurley Group Consulting. She brings rigor, clarity, and calm to every engagement, managing contracts while orchestrating schedules, communications, and workflows across the firm. Jenn translates strategy into execution, keeping teams aligned and focused so coaches can deliver high-impact orals and proposal support.
- End-to-end contract oversight, compliance, and risk awareness
- Coordinating schedules, priorities, and internal workflows
- Visual structure and consistency across client materials