A LETTER FROM CERTUS LEADERSHIP

A handwritten letter on lined paper, held with a blue paperclip, dated 6/2/26, discussing a Perseus kickoff meeting, the long road to a project, and motivation for work, signed by Rick.

Meet Our leaders

  • Professional man with a beard wearing a navy blazer and white shirt, smiling against a plain white background.

    Richard Newkirk

    Chief Executive Officer

    Mr. Newkirk is an Air Force-trained leader with extensive experience spanning both the Department of Defense and industry. His comprehensive background includes project management, software development, testing operations, acquisition processes, and systems engineering, with a focus on delivering integrated, allocated, suitable, and operational solutions. He holds industry certifications in project management and Air Force acquisition, having supported numerous research initiatives and operational transition programs throughout his career.

    As the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Certus Innovations, Mr. Newkirk drives the firm's strategic vision and direction. He leads business development initiatives, shapes how and when opportunities are pursued, and cultivates the customer and partner relationships central to Certus's mission.

  • A smiling man in a suit with a light blue shirt, standing in front of a gray wall.

    Peter Scialdo

    President

    Mr. Scialdo is an innovative leader with a background in business operations, organizational development, and program execution. He holds an MBA from the University at Albany and, as a certified cloud solutions architect, his technical experience covers cloud advisory services, technology portfolio management, digital transformation, and security and governance frameworks.

    As the President of Certus Innovations, Mr. Scialdo oversees the internal operations and team infrastructure that enable Certus to deliver on its programs. He is responsible for the organizational functions that keep the company healthy and positioned to grow, from financial planning and talent acquisition to employee benefits and retirement programs. He focuses on building the people, processes, and structures that enable Certus to execute consistently and with care for its team.

GET TO KNOW OUR TEAM + MANTRA 

Founded by prior military service members who saw the need to provide our warfighters with practical solutions to meet their needs, Certus Innovations bring big expertise even as a scaling small business. 

Because of the real-word experience, our team is expert at identifying existing gaps with various branches of state and local public safety and private sector groups.

Our team has passion and pride for the output of work quality and offers a suite of solutions to provide straightforward, cost-effective products and services to all organizations. In addition, the team produces individualized custom pricing packages to ensure that the user purchases the best solution for their needs.

See how we build solutions