Last evening, the Ritz Carlton in Tysons Corner, Virginia became the center of the government contracting world, as over 900 business owners, founders and executives gathered to celebrate the achievements of their companies and offer a sportsman-like recognition for their competitors.

The 9th annual Greater Washington GovCon Awards highlight the efforts of the public-private partnerships that not only help government achieve its missions; the awards celebrate companies and individuals who exceed those missions.

Presenters and award recipients show off their celebratory side (click for more photos from the event).

"Our nation faces unprecedented economic and fiscal challenges and rarely, if ever, has the political environment been so challenging and often distressing," said Stan Soloway, President and CEO of the Professional Services Council (PSC). "What this suggests strongly is that it has never been more important for companies and government alike to genuinely communicate and collaborate...to work together to find new and better ways to drive innovation and performance."

Attendees also dug deep into their pockets to donate to the evening's cause, Homes for our Heroes, a charity that provides specially-adapted homes for severely wounded American service heroes at no cost. By the end of the evening, attendees had donated $65,000 to the cause, and an associated raffle gave one attendee a VIP weekend at the exclusive Nemacolin Woodlands Resort.

This year's dinner and gala event saluted four Contractors of the Year, three Executives of the Year and two Public Sector Partners of the Year. Here's a list of this year's recipients:

Hall of Fame Inductee: Dr. J. Robert Beyster, Founder, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC)

Contractor of the Year (less than $25 million): CPS Professional Services, LLC

Contractor of the Year ($25-75 million): Agilex

Contractor of the Year ($75-300 million): Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc.

Contractor of the Year (greater than $300 million): Vangent

Executive of the Year (less than $75 million): Dolly Oberoi, C2 Technologies, Inc.

Executive of the Year ($75-300 million): Chris Torti, Jorge Scientific Corporation

Executive of the Year (greater than $300 million): Paul Cofoni, CACI International, Inc.

Public Sector Partner(s) of the Year: Michelle Foster, Deputy Director, Tactical Operations Center, Department of Veterans Affairs and Dan Gordon, Administrator, Office of Federal Procurement Policy

Micheal Mullen is a senior editor for GovWin.com. You can reach him at michealmullen@govwin.com, or follow him via Twitter @idiottech.