QED-C Executive Director Celia Merzbacher Named a 2025 Fed 100 Winner

Insider Brief

• Celia Merzbacher, Executive Director of the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C), has been named a 2025 Fed 100 Award Winner for her leadership in federal technology.
• In 2024, she strengthened ties between federal agencies and the quantum industry by establishing shared strategies and communication pathways.
• Under her leadership, QED-C has expanded to nearly 250 member companies across 19 countries and serves as a trusted advocate for advancing quantum technologies.

PRESS RELEASE — The Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C) today announced that Executive Director Celia Merzbacher has been named a 2025 Fed 100 Award Winner. The Fed 100 Awards recognize the “best and brightest” for their exemplary work done in federal technology over the past year. 

As QED-C’s leader, Celia is recognized as a respected, credible, data-driven voice for the quantum technology community. In 2024, Celia went above and beyond to bridge the gap between federal agencies and the quantum industry by establishing a baseline of communication and understanding to inform the quantum strategies and roadmaps of both government agencies and private stakeholders.

“I am truly honored to have been selected as a 2025 Fed 100 winner,” says Celia Merzbacher. “Quantum technologies will fundamentally change computing and in the process will pose both opportunities and threats to the way government agencies operate and accomplish their missions. A key priority in executing the mission of QED-C is bringing government agencies together with industry to help accelerate the use of quantum technologies to address the needs of government, including in defense, health, finance, energy, and transportation.”

Celia has led QED-C since 2021. Under her leadership, the organization has grown to nearly 250 member companies from 19 countries. The consortium is a trusted voice of the quantum industry and empowers its members to advance quantum for broad benefits to the economy and national security.

For over 35 years, the Fed 100 program has honored individuals from government, industry, and academia who have dedicated themselves to producing outstanding work on behalf of the American public, according to GovExec, who runs the program. Fed 100 winners are selected for going far beyond the letter of their job descriptions to achieve remarkable impacts for government agencies and the American people.

Recipients will be featured in the NextGov/FCW Magazine and were honored at a gala celebration on April 3 in Washington, DC.