Ray Bazzi
Ray founded Diriga after two decades in defense technology and staffing. He has worked with prime contractors, intelligence community clients, and special operations support programs across the southeast. His experience spans program management, business development, and talent strategy for classified programs.
Before Diriga, Ray led recruiting operations for a defense staffing firm where he built cleared talent pipelines across Fort Liberty, Tampa, and Hampton Roads. He saw firsthand how generalist staffing approaches failed defense programs — and built Diriga to solve that problem.
Specialization: Executive search, intelligence community staffing, TS/SCI programs
Hub coverage: Tampa, Orlando, Fort Liberty
Credentials: 20+ years defense industry experience
Sarah Mitchell
Sarah specializes in cybersecurity and IT infrastructure roles requiring TS/SCI and polygraph clearances. She has sourced and placed over 200 cleared cybersecurity professionals across NSA, DIA, and prime contractor programs in the past five years.
Before joining Diriga, Sarah worked in technical recruiting for a cybersecurity consulting firm, where she developed deep networks within the intelligence community workforce. She understands the nuances of NIST frameworks, RMF accreditation roles, and the specific certifications that programs require.
Specialization: Cybersecurity, TS/SCI Poly cleared roles, ISSO/ISSM placements
Hub coverage: Hampton Roads, Colorado Springs, San Antonio
Credentials: CompTIA Security+ (for technical screening credibility), 8 years cleared recruiting
James Carter
James is a former Army intelligence NCO who transitioned into defense recruiting after 10 years of active-duty service. His military background gives him firsthand understanding of the roles he staffs — from all-source analysis to C4ISR maintenance to SOF mission support.
James focuses on the Fort Liberty and Tampa corridors, where his personal network includes hundreds of transitioning service members and veteran defense professionals. He is particularly effective at sourcing for special operations support programs and intelligence analysis teams.
Specialization: SOF support, C4ISR, intelligence analysis, military-to-contractor transition
Hub coverage: Fort Liberty, Tampa / MacDill AFB
Credentials: Former Army 35F (Intelligence Analyst), 10 years active duty, 6 years defense recruiting
Lisa Park
Lisa leads Diriga's healthcare IT and engineering recruiting practices. She has built cleared talent pipelines for military health system modernization programs, aerospace engineering teams, and defense platform engineering programs.
Before Diriga, Lisa spent seven years in healthcare recruiting, followed by three years in aerospace engineering staffing. This dual background makes her uniquely effective at sourcing for the intersection of healthcare, engineering, and security clearances — a niche where qualified candidates are exceptionally scarce.
Specialization: Healthcare IT, aerospace engineering, cleared medical professionals
Hub coverage: Huntsville, San Antonio, Colorado Springs
Credentials: 10 years combined healthcare and engineering recruiting experience