This strategic move marks a pivotal moment in QDSS’s growth, advancing the development of emerging talent and accelerating technological innovation.
“We are excited to partner with the University of Cincinnati. This collaboration is a key step in our ongoing commitment to advancing cutting-edge technologies and recruiting the next generation of engineers for the aerospace and defense industries. By collaborating with some of the brightest minds in engineering, we look forward to developing groundbreaking solutions that will redefine mission-critical and safety-critical industries,” says Chad Iverson, General Manager of Operations at Quest Defense.
Ryan Hays, executive vice president and chief innovation and strategy officer for UC, sees a strategic advantage to having QDSS at 1819: “UC is home to the second-oldest aerospace engineering program in the country, and a growing number of our faculty work on defense-related research, so this new partnership with Quest Defense holds immense promise for everyone involved.”
QDSS is headquartered in Blue Ash, OH with offices in Minneapolis, MN and Scottsdale AZ. They plan to use their third-floor suite in 1819 to enhance their innovation efforts and scale their talent development pipelines.
QDSS will assume more than 700 square feet of space previously occupied by the Village Life Outreach Project, which relocated to a different space within 1819 earlier this year. Hays explains, “We’re always looking for new ways to maximize the footprint of the building. We want to see as many creative collisions as possible—because that’s where the magic happens for innovation communities.”
About Quest Defense Systems and Solutions
At Quest Defense Systems and Solutions, we don’t just build technology — we engineer the future. From next-generation aerospace solutions to cutting-edge defense systems, we tackle the toughest, mission-critical challenges that keep people safe and push the boundaries of innovation. This is where problem-solvers, innovators, and visionary thinkers come together to shape the future. With over 25 years of aerospace and defense engineering expertise, our commitment to delivering high-quality, transformative solutions sets us apart — not just as an industry leader, but as a driving force for impactful change. Together, we’re not just leading the industry—we’re revolutionizing it.
About 1819 Innovation Hub
The 1819 Innovation Hub is the nerve center of the Cincinnati Innovation District. The first innovation district in Ohio, the CID launched in 2020 as a historic partnership among JobsOhio, the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. The CID seeks to accelerate the growth of talent, innovation, research, commercialization and entrepreneurship across the region.
Media Contact
Dipika Pillay: [email protected]
Chris Hardgrave joined Quest Defense in April 2024 as Vice President for Strategic Accounts. He is responsible for sales, growth, and development of strategic relationships for new business development efforts in the Aerospace and Defense sector. Chris works in the Washington, D.C. office.
Steve Gerber is President and CEO of QuEST Defense Systems and Solutions business and is responsible for providing the leadership and growth of this venture.
Pete Messerle is a Client Partner within the Sales Organization, with the focus of partnering across his customer’s organizations to understand their strategic and tactical needs. He then works with key stakeholders at Quest and the client to build customized service solutions, built on the foundation of low drag execution and full ownership & transparency of deliverables.
As the Quality Manager and Management Representative of Quest Defense, Stuart is responsible driving Business Excellence throughout the company. He maintains and improves the Quality Management System ensuring compliance to AS9100, customer requirements, and enabling continuous improvement innovations.
Ryan is the Facility Security Officer for Quest Defense, supporting the organization’s compliance with the National Industrial Security Program (NISP) and other Department of Defense and federal security initiatives. Ryan has a background in personnel and physical security, working with both GE Aerospace and the U.S Navy, where he continues to serve as a reserve law enforcement officer (Master-at-Arms).
As Chief Engineer for Quest Defense, Jon is responsible for ensuring that sound engineering processes are maintained and followed by our employees working in a diverse set of services and disciplines across all verticals. In this role he also leads Quest Defense’s efforts to develop new methods and technologies to help grow the business through innovation, as well as building and promoting the technical reputation of the company in the public sphere.
Jeff Fischer serves as a board member for Quest Defense Systems and Solutions business. Additionally Jeff is the Operations Leader for the Quest Global Aerospace and Defense Industry.
Chad joined Quest Global in 2006, specializing in advanced modeling and simulation for multiple verticals and customers and becoming a technical lead for computational fluid dynamics. He has held several leadership positions within the delivery organization since his joining, leading multiple teams through periods of high growth and developing many new innovative services and solutions. Before taking on ownership of Operations for Quest Defense, he managed the Cincinnati Modeling & Simulation Center of Excellence.
As the President of Quest Global, Bob is responsible for establishing and maintaining senior customer relationships, catalysing new business development, and overseeing innovative and transformational deals. In this role, he also assists in building relationships with strategic acquisitions for the company.
Joe supports Special Missions across Quest Global to include key client contract negotiations, strategic business solutions, M&A, and culture endeavors.
John Thackrah is the founding Principal of Sextant Solutions LLC, an aerospace, maritime and government acquisition consultant.
Frank Kendall is an independent consultant to defense industry firms and non profit research organizations. He is a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, a Senior Advisor to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and a member of th e Council on Foreign Relations. Among other industry positions, he is a member of the board of directors of Leidos Corporation and of Leonardo Electronics USA Inc. From 2012 to 2017, Mr. Kendall served as the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, T echnology and Logistics (AT& after serving as the Principal Deputy Under Secretary from 2010 2012. Mr. Kendall has over 45 years of experience in engineering, management, defense acquisition, and national security affairs in private industry, governmen t, and the military.
Page Hoeper is a private consultant, corporate director, and venture capitalist. Since leaving government service, Mr. Hoeper has focused on corporate governance and board service. He chairs the boards of OnPoint Technologies, Inc., 501c(3) venture capital fund established by Congress to focus on emerging commercial technologies of interest to the U.S. Army, and Quest Defense Systems & Solutions, a provider of engineering services to the U.S. defense industry.