Alex Mikhelson is a director with Baker Tilly’s government contractor solutions practice. He supports the firm’s clients with their numerous challenges from Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) business systems reviews to audit support to one-off unique issues, Alex brings more than 17 years of experience to the practice. Alex sets clients up for success by assisting with a wide spectrum of government contracting and grant compliance challenges from business system reviews, contract pricing, termination for convenience proposals, indirect rate structuring to audit and investigation support and resolution.
Alex understands the interconnectedness of the six DFARS business systems and the impact that they have on each other. He is also the practice's resident specialist on government property and related challenges. Alex assists clients with drafting and reviewing business system procedures, conducting contractor self-assessments, preparing, and responding to the results of business system audits and reviews by DCAA and DCMA. He maintains deep industry connections with stakeholders in the government property management field on the government, contractor, and vendor sides often collaborating and contributing on thought leadership.
- Performed DFARS business system reviews and assessments
- Drafted property manuals for contractors to comply with the requirements of FAR 52.245-1 and related DFARS clauses
- Supported audit responses including, specific audit methodology challenges, alternative support strategies in cases lacking specific supporting documentation, liaison with government auditors
- Prepared and reviewed contractors incurred cost proposals from small to large businesses
- Successfully resolved a contractor’s incurred cost audit questioned costs totaling $75 million with a settlement of $600,000
- Develops and implements policies and procedures for a not-for-profit company that manage their consortium’s project proposal, cost analysis and cost reimbursement processes
- Led a team supporting a startup contractor through successful award of an $88 Million fixed price contract subject to TINA consisting of preparing a flexible pricing model, writing the basis of estimate, developing unique pricing approaches, providing proposal audit support
- Led the cost analysis group for a cooperative award recipient repairing rapport with the government compliance officer through the quality of reviews, revamped proposal process to reduce award times from 180 days to 60 days, coordinated proposals between large traditional contractors and small business startups
- Successfully supported multiple clients on termination for convenience proposals through identification of previously overlooked termination costs, developing solid pricing strategies and methodologies to withstand DCAA audit, building financial models and proposal support documentation
- Certified Public Accountant in Pennsylvania
- National Property Management Association (NPMA)
- National Contract Management Association (NCMA)
- National Defense Industry Association (NDIA)
- American Bar Association (ABA)
- Mikhelson, Alex. “Consolidation of DoD Government Property Clauses…and then some” Baker Tilly Insights, March 2024
- Mikhelson, Alex, D.J. Halpaus, Derek Boyd, and Joseph McCaffrey. “The new Raytheon case: mental gymnastics defining “work” and policy “bright-lines." Baker Tilly Insights, January 2023
- Mikhelson, Alex and D.J. Halpaus. “Getting Past the Impasse on Allowable Costs” Contract Management Magazine, Vol 63. No. 11, November 2022
- Mikhelson, Alex and Ruckdaschel Tom. “What’s the low-down on flowdown?” NPMA The Property Professional, Vol 33, No. 6, December 2021
- Mikhelson, Alex and Ruckdaschel Tom. “Two Sides of the Same Coin: Contractor Purchasing and Property Management Systems.” Contract Management Magazine, Vol. 61, No. 8, August 2021
- Mikhelson, Alex and Ruckdaschel Tom. “Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.245-9, ‘Use and Charges’: A Clause in Search of a Cause.” Contract Management Magazine, Vol. 61, No. 1, January 2021
- Mikhelson, Alex and Ruckdaschel Tom. “Back to Basics: The Interconnectedness of the DFARS Business Systems.” The Property Professional. vol. 32, no. 4, August 2020
- Mikhelson, Alex. “DOD’s government property approach: reinventing the wheel by spinning it again.” Baker Tilly Insights, June 2020
- Flickinger, Jennifer and Mikhelson, Alex. “COVID-19 Crisis: NASA to its contractors – “We get it.” Baker Tilly Insights, April 2020
- Mikhelson, Alex. “Government Property Management Systems: From Obscurity to Center Stage.” Baker Tilly Insights, January 2020
