Ellen Lord, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment and 2020 Wash100 Award winner, has established a joint task force to handle the Department of Defense’s influx of requests for medical and personal protective equipment.
The DoD said Wednesday the Joint Acquisition Task Force will oversee requests from entities such as the departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services as well as the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Lord said that authorities under the Defense Production Act will manage funding for the task force and will work to mitigate reliance on foreign resources. The Pentagon has also created portals to encourage feedback from industry on manufacturing and technical assistance, she added.
“The task force will synchronize the DOD acquisition response to this crisis, working closely with all the services and defense agencies,” said Lord.”The task force will leverage DOD authorities for maximum acquisition flexibility to provide resilient capability in the current health crisis.”
According to Lord, the DoD is working with contractors, including small businesses, for emergency loan assistance matters. She noted that her office is also working with DHS to ensure continued operations of the defense industrial base.
About The Wash100
This year represents our sixth annual Wash100 Award selection. The Wash100 is the premier group of private and public sector leaders selected by Executive Mosaic’s organizational and editorial leadership as the most influential leaders in the GovCon sector. These leaders demonstrate skills in leadership, innovation, achievement, and vision.
Visit the Wash100 site to learn about the other 99 winners of the 2020 Wash100 Award. On the site, you can submit your 10 votes for the GovCon executives of consequence that you believe will have the most significant impact in 2020.
