About J3
The Story of J3
Over fifteen years ago, Jeannie Jones-Ledford, President & Chief Executive Officer set out on a mission—to transform how public and private sector organizations leverage technology to drive efficiency, strengthen security, and accelerate digital transformation. With a vision rooted in innovation, integrity, and execution, she founded J3, a company that would become a trusted partner in Data driven solutions. Jeannie’s journey began with a deep passion for problem-solving and a relentless belief in IT innovation to reshape industries.
Early in her career, she saw firsthand the challenges organizations faced—outdated systems, inefficiencies, and security vulnerabilities—and she knew that the right technology could solve these problems. But more importantly, she recognized that successful transformation required more than just technology; it needed expert strategy, agility, and a commitment to delivering real impact.
Determined to make a difference, Jeannie built J3 from the ground up, earning SBA 8(a) certification and establishing the company as a Woman-Owned business. Under her leadership, the J3 team of experts has become more than just a technology company—it is a catalyst for change, helping organizations confidently navigate the evolving technology ecosystem earning the company the prestigious USDA REE Small Business of the Year award.
Mrs. Jones- Ledford holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Bennett College. Throughout her career she has obtained various certificates of knowledge showing her zest for pursuing continuous education and staying abreast of current disciplines in her field of work. She is a member of Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), The National 8(a) Association, and The American Council for Technology (ACT) and Industry Advisory Council (IAC). She has certifications in Artificial Intelligence (AI) from UiPath and attended American University Industry Focus Groups on Change Management and Program Management.
Mrs. Jones-Ledford received the USDA Research, Education, and Economics (REE) Small Business of the Year award and was recognized as a 2024 Leading for IMPACT Women in Leadership Conference Award winner.
She currently lives in Ashburn, VA with her husband Derrick Ledford and their miniature Schnauzer “Harper”. Mrs. Ledford has passionately supported multiple charitable events and causes throughout her lifetime.
Our Leadership Team
Peter F. Cipriano, Chief Information
Cipriano brings over 25 years of experience to J3 and is highly recognized as a global Subject Matter Expert for Secure Digital Services. Throughout his career, he has held senior-level roles at Unisys and IBM. In addition, he has used his expertise to transform U.S. Federal agencies, the global public sector, including Intelligence agencies and commercial clients, to modernized digital service-based organizations. During his most recent role at Unisys, Cipriano played a significant part in building the Unisys Regulated Business strategy.
Additionally, Peter will oversee the company’s IT strategy for internal and external customers, which includes leading CIO Advisory Services, Business and IT Performance Management and Professional Development offerings. Recognizing the expansion of the Federal Government’s Cyber requirements due to recent security exploitations such as Log4j and SolarWinds, Cipriano will build on the stellar assessment and compliance capabilities of J3 to meet new Zero Trust requirements. Adding to his impressive credentials, Cipriano is an established innovator with four patents and five publications in data center and cloud services, which he earned during his tenure at IBM.
Ayesha Nichols, Chief Contracts officer
As Chief Contracts Officer for J3 , Ayesha Nichols maintains a keen eye on customer satisfaction, contract management, and project operations. She is the single point of contact for all J3 contractual matters. Working collaboratively with all departments she oversees the life cycle of client contracts to ensure compliance and risk mitigation. In addition, Ms. Nichols directs J3’s project operations, making quality work performance and on-time deliverables each project’s top priorities.
Ms. Nichols has more than 20 years of management experience in the federal government, commercial, and non-profit sectors. Prior to coming to J3, she held various leadership positions at DB Consulting Group for more than 15 years. There she helped guide strategic objectives related to contract management, quality management, and project operations.
She is a member of the National Contract Management Association (NCMA) and with this alliance she can stay current with contract related methodologies, practices, and resources. In 2010, she received a Master of Science in Project Management and demonstrates this level of knowledge in her direction of all J3 contracts. Much earlier and at the beginning of her career in 1999, she obtained her Doctor of Law credentials that lends to her success as a contract administration subject matter expertise.
When Ms. Nichols is not reviewing contracts or project deliverables, she is crocheting or caring for the bounty of plants at her home.
Originally from Denver, Colorado, she now resides in Baltimore, MD.
Breona Russell, Sr. HR Manager
Sr. HR Manager Breona Russell is the first addition to our Human Capital team. Breona has HR experience in Federal Contracting, Education and State Government spaces. With 10+ years of management expertise, Breona’s passion of coaching and development inspired her pursuit of her MBA with an HR concentration. Her desire to assist firms by fostering the best talent and building strong organizational culture is what inspired her interest in J3.
Breona believes in J3’s mission to be the leading solution for government and commercial organizations and its vision to be a trusted success partner for all customers aligned. Building and implementing strong workplace policies along with employee professional development plans is Breona’s overall goal. This plan will support employees to deliver their best performance and results for our clients to increase productivity. Another important initiative for Breona is employee engagement, with a concentration on work-life balance, mental health advocacy and overall wellness. As she believes these programs help to reduce employee stress and define company values.
In Breona’s spare time she enjoys spending much needed time with family and friends, traveling and her new favorite hobby weightlifting!
