Talor, Ivey, Bluestone Capital Partners VPs

Chris Taylor and Mike Ivey have been hired as senior vice presidents for Bluestone Capital Partners, an investment bank specializing in middle-market aerospace, defense, IT, and professional services companies.

Taylor formerly was president of the $250 million technical services business unit of VT Group Inc., the North American defense and government services operations of Babcock International Group plc, a $4 billion, publicly-traded company headquartered in the United Kingdom. He previously served as VT Group's vice president of corporate development with responsibility for its strategic growth initiatives in the U.S., including overseeing all merger and acquisition activity.

Ivey joins Bluestone after serving as a senior financial executive with leading public and private equity-backed companies in the defense and federal services arena. Most recently he was vice president of finance for NetStar-1, Inc., a Lake Capital portfolio company that provides IT and management consulting services to the federal government. Prior to NetStar-1, Ivey was vice president of finance with Anteon International Corporation, an active acquirer in the federal sector that went public in 2002 and was itself acquired by General Dynamics for $2.1 billion in 2006.

The firm, founded by John Allen and Susan Gabay, is based in Tysons Corner, Virginia. Details, www.bluestonecapitalpartners.com.

Proposals For Urban Watershed Grants Sought

As part of the Urban Waters Initiative, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is making available up to $600,000 in a targeted watershed grant for an eligible entity to establish and manage a national-scale, competitive urban watershed small grant program, and provide urban watershed technical services. EPA’s Urban Waters Initiative will help communities access, restore and benefit from their waters and the surrounding land.

The urban watershed small grant program and the watershed technical services funded under the EPA grant will promote "community stewardship by increasing the capacity of local watershed groups and local communities. Better understanding of their urban watersheds will lead to better decision making, and improved restoration and protection efforts in the future."

Questions must be received by May 6, 2010 and proposals must be received by EPA by May 19, 2010. The selection of the successful applicant will be announced this summer. More information on the Targeted Watershed Grants Program, http://www.epa.gov/twg.

Information about EPA's Brownfields Program at http://www.epa.gov/brownfields.