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DMI Names Tracy Hobiena GM of State and Local Government; CEO Sunny Bajaj Quoted
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DMI Names Tracy Hobiena GM of State and Local Government; CEO Sunny Bajaj Quoted

Tracy Hobiena, a 20-year sales, consulting and management veteran, has been appointed general manager of state and local government at DMI.

The Bethesda, Maryland-based digital transformation services company said Monday that in her new role, effective immediately, Hobiena will be responsible for overseeing all business aspects of DMI’s state, local and education clients.

Sunny Bajaj, CEO and founder of DMI said of Hobiena, “Her leadership and experience running state and local programs will help us grow and expand our next-gen technology partnerships while focusing on the digital challenges our government and education clients are facing.”

Hobiena will leverage her experience in the information technology industry serving state and local government customers to help expand DMI’s position in the state and local government market.

She joins DMI from Smartronix, where she served most recently as director of state, local and education cloud program delivery. Her previous experience at Smartronix includes holding positions within the company’s client executive team and quality assurance division.

Prior to her time at Smartronix, Hobiena founded and served as principal consultant for Intrepid Performance Partners. Previously, Hobiena also held multiple senior level positions at Sun Microsystems. 

Hobiena’s philanthropic efforts include serving as a founding member of the volunteer group Coalition Against Childhood Cancer.

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Fleet Readiness Center East & Partners Achieve Laser Shock Peening Verification of F-35B Jet
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Fleet Readiness Center East & Partners Achieve Laser Shock Peening Verification of F-35B Jet

Fleet Readiness Center East, the F-35 Joint Program Office and industry partners have concluded verification of the F-35B Lightning II aircraft’s laser shock peening process.

This process is designed to strengthen an aircraft’s frame without modifications that require additional material, Naval Air Systems Command said Thursday.

FRCE built a $6 million facility dedicated to laser shock peening in August 2019, then subjected an F-35 jet to the procedure for the first time in June 2020.

“The laser shock peening modification is essential to extending the life of the F-35B STOVL variant, and the ability to complete this procedure successfully allows FRC East to support this critical workload,” said Col. Thomas Atkinson, FRCE commanding officer.

Lockheed Martin, Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies and Northrop Grumman served as the military’s industry partners to achieve this milestone.

FRCE serves as the primary site for the F-35B’s depot-level maintenance activities. F-35B is the Lightning II’s variant built for short takeoff-vertical landing.

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Space Force Partners With Universities to Support Workforce Training, Research Efforts
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Space Force Partners With Universities to Support Workforce Training, Research Efforts

The U.S. Space Force is collaborating with academia under its University Partnership Program to achieve dominance in the space domain, protect U.S. space assets from adversarial threats, and ensure the stability of the outer space environment.

The University of Texas at Austin is the latest addition to the set of universities that established strategic partnerships with the Space Force under the UPP initiative to support the recruitment and training of a diverse workforce, Alcalde reported Saturday.

The university will help the Space Force train the next generation of recruits and support the military branch with research and innovation, according to Seth Wilk, the director of defense research advancement in UT’s Office of Vice President of Research.

Wilk said that UT would also help address workforce shortages by familiarizing students in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program with emerging research topics that will be beneficial to landing jobs at the Department of Defense.

The Space Force is more interested in developing a technology-focused workforce to counter hacking and jamming attacks on satellite communications, secure communications between satellites and build enhanced surveillance tools.

The UPP effort also includes the University of North Dakota, the University of Southern California, Georgia Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Purdue University, the University of Colorado Boulder and Colorado Springs, UT El Paso, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and the University of Texas system.

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Moe Khaleel to Oversee National Security Sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
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Moe Khaleel to Oversee National Security Sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Moe Khaleel, formerly deputy for projects at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, will lead ORNL’s National Security Sciences Directorate as an associate laboratory director.

He will provide oversight across projects in areas including cybersecurity, grid security, autonomy, manufacturing, biosecurity, nuclear security and nonproliferation, ORNL said Thursday.

Khaleel oversaw the largest portfolio within DOE’s Office of Science in his most recent role as deputy for projects. He also helped ORNL meet department-imposed requirements as interim deputy for science and technology.

His former leadership for DOE’s Energy and Environmental Sciences helped the directorate expand its workforce and impact across additive manufacturing, cyber-physical security and biosecurity.

“I am excited about working with the NSSD staff at the forefront of addressing national security challenges, and I look forward to the accomplishments we are going to make,” Khaleel said.

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Bob Busey Joins i-Link Solutions as VP of Operations and Federal Services
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Bob Busey Joins i-Link Solutions as VP of Operations and Federal Services

Bob Busey, Jr., formerly a 25 year veteran with Raytheon Technologies, has been named the vice president of Operations and Federal Services for i-Link Solutions, Busey recently announced via LinkedIn.

Previously, Bob Busey served for the last 25 years in multiple senior leadership roles with Raytheon Technologies. Most recently, Busey was the director of Program Management for the company’s Intelligence and Space (I&S) business. 

In addition, Busey also held a long tenure as the director of Unmanned and Mission Management Solutions between July 2015 and earlier this year when he joined the company’s I&S business unit. Busey first joined Raytheon as the manager of Subcontracts and Purchasing in April 1997. 

Over his more than thirty year career in the federal sector, Busey has extensive experience as a business executive in operations, program management and supply chain management with a broad range of skills including civil and federal government contracting, procurement, R&O management, capture management, program and supplier risk analysis and a lot more.

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L3Harris Streamlining Four Business Segments Into Three; CEO Christopher Kubasik Quoted
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L3Harris Streamlining Four Business Segments Into Three; CEO Christopher Kubasik Quoted

L3Harris Technologies announced on Monday that the company is realigning the organization of its core businesses into the following three focused segments: Integrated Mission Systems, Space and Airborne Systems and Communication Systems.

“Our business segments will continue to lead market innovation in their focus areas, fueling advanced solutions for the toughest operational challenges,” said Christopher Kubasik, vice chair and CEO of L3Harris as well as a three-time Wash100 Award winner. “Our customers and partners know L3Harris brings to bear cutting-edge capabilities to tackle some of our most complex national security problems,” he added.

L3Harris began a portfolio shaping process in 2019 with an emphasis on high-growth, technology differentiated businesses that enabled the new, streamlined structure. In the last 30 months, the company has established itself as a trusted prime defense contractor for top-tier U.S. and international missions, including space solutions, autonomous operations, and resilient communications.

“Our intent remains clear: Be THE trusted disruptor for U.S., allied, and partner national security endeavors,” Kubasik explained. “This lean approach will deliver resilient, innovative, end-to-end solutions that propel timely mission success for our customers.”

About L3Harris Technologies

L3Harris Technologies is an agile global aerospace and defense technology innovator, delivering end-to-end solutions that meet customers’ mission-critical needs. The company provides advanced defense and commercial technologies across space, air, land, sea, and cyber domains. L3Harris has approximately $18 billion in annual revenue and 47,000 employees, with customers in more than 100 countries.

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Redhorse Receives Investment From Blue Delta; John Zangardi Named CEO
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Redhorse Receives Investment From Blue Delta; John Zangardi Named CEO

Blue Delta Capital Partners, a McLean, Virginia-based venture capital firm, has made a minority investment in Redhorse to enable the technology services contractor to accelerate growth initiatives.

John Zangardi, who assumed the role of president at Redhorse in June 2020, has been named CEO of the company, Redhorse said Monday.

“I am excited for this tremendous opportunity to collaborate across the portfolio of Blue Delta companies. This investment will accelerate our mission to deliver data analytics and AI based solutions to our national security and federal customers,” Zangardi told GovConDaily.

Prior to Redhorse, Zangardi worked at Leidos as senior vice president of business initiatives and strategic partnerships for the company’s civil group.

His government career included time as chief information officer at the Department of Homeland Security, acting CIO at the Department of Defense and deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, information operations and space. He also served in the U.S. Navy and retired as a naval flight officer.

Redhorse also announced other leadership changes and appointment of members to the newly created board of directors:

Bryan Pruden, vice president of finance and accounting at Redhorse, will transition to the role of chief financial officer.

David Inmon, founder and formerly CEO of Redhorse, has been appointed chairman of the company’s board of directors.

Renny DiPentima, a member of Blue Delta’s advisory board and former president and CEO of SRA International; Chris Torti, a general partner at Blue Delta; and Zangardi will also sit on Redhorse’s board as members.

“We are excited to play a part in helping Redhorse Corporation realize its full potential not only through Blue Delta’s investment, but through direct strategy and leadership input on the Board of Directors,” said DiPentima.

Redhorse has been providing data science, mission enablement and digital transformation support to federal government clients since 2008.

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SPA Australia VP Mary Hill Awarded Bronze Commendation from Australian Defense Force; CEO William Vantine Quoted
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SPA Australia VP Mary Hill Awarded Bronze Commendation from Australian Defense Force; CEO William Vantine Quoted

Systems Planning and Analysis (SPA) announced on Monday that Mary Hill, vice president and general manager for SPA’s Australia business unit, has been awarded a Bronze Commendation from the Australian Defence Force (ADF). 

“We are incredibly proud of Mary and her success in building a strong partnership with the ADF and we look forward to continuing to provide the ADF with objective, responsive, and trusted support to address their most challenging issues,” said Dr. William Vantine, SPA president and CEO. 

The Bronze Commendation recognized Mary Hill’s invaluable contributions to the ADF during a farewell event after serving for four years in Canberra as SPA’s general manager of Australian Operations. She received the award from Air Vice Marshall Steve “Zed” Roberton. 

Roberton commended Hill for her efforts and achievements in the delivery of SPA’s analytical products to the Australian Defense Force from the past three years. He specifically recognized Hill’s contributions and leadership towards the modernization of the ADF’s capabilities. 

“We congratulate and thank Mary for all she has achieved and wish her the greatest success in her new role as VP, Australian Programs & International Integration, where she will help oversee SPA’s growing international presence in Europe as well as Australia,” Dr. Vantine added.

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Derek Tournear: SDA Seeks to Accelerate Delivery of Capabilities Via Spiral Development Model
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Derek Tournear: SDA Seeks to Accelerate Delivery of Capabilities Via Spiral Development Model

Derek Tournear, director of the Space Development Agency and a 2021 Wash100 Award winner, said SDA uses the spiral development model to deliver “good enough” capabilities to warfighters every two years. 

He described the model as “profound” and noted that the framework could be used across the board, including activities that capitalize on commercial investments. 

Tournear told Government Matters in an interview published Sunday that “good enough” means making “sure that we can get the capability that industry can produce in the hands of the warfighter as rapidly as possible.”

He said SDA has a warfighter council that meets every six months and vets requirements. Through the council, the agency presents what it will deliver to combatant commanders over the next couple of years. 

“We go around the room to make sure if we provide this capability in the next two years, will that affect your fight and your ability to respond to a threat. When the answer comes back ‘yes,’ that’s what we know that’s good enough and we’ll push forward in that,” Tournear said.

“We have thresholds that we try to meet and objectives that we strive for to essentially add capabilities. But if we need to dump those objectives off to meet the minimum viable product on schedule, we’ll do that,” he added.

Apart from spiral development, Tournear said SDA’s other main pillar is proliferation or hundreds of satellites in a constellation.

He said SDA is in the draft phase of solicitation for 28 missile tracking space sensor satellites, which would provide “single satellite global coverage” to help detect and track hypersonic glide vehicles and traditional ballistic missile threats.

Tournear also offered updates on communication satellites SDA plans to procure to enhance tactical data link connectivity by 2024 and the agency’s transition to the U.S. Space Force.

Space Acquisition Forum

GovCon Wire’s Space Acquisition Forum on Jan. 19 will feature Tournear as one of the speakers to share his insights on military acquisition reform and modernization efforts.

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Women to Play Key Role in Future Crypto Governance; Carole House Quoted
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Women to Play Key Role in Future Crypto Governance; Carole House Quoted

Women are playing a role in cryptocurrency-related policy development and enforcement as the current administration and Congress work to advance innovations in the space while preventing the use of the virtual currency in facilitating ransomware payments and other illegal activities, Nextgov reported Thursday.

“I just see women kind of owning crypto, especially on the government fronts like in a really wonderful way across the agencies, whether it’s the IRS or all the different components of Treasury that are looking at virtual currency because there’s a lot that look at it from different perspectives,” said Carole House, director of cybersecurity at the White House National Security Council.

“There’s always women in the room. It is something where I think that diversity generally, and that particular aspect of diversity is continuing to grow and it’s just really encouraging to see,” House added.

Those women leaders reporting on cryptocurrency governance include Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen; Katherine Bradbury, senior sanctions policy adviser at the Department of the Treasury’s office of foreign assets control; and Michele Korver, digital currency counsel at the Department of Justice’s criminal division.

POC - Digital Currency and National Security Forum

On Jan. 27, the Potomac Officers Club will bring together distinguished government and industry leaders to offer the GovCon community an insight into the national security aspect of digital currencies. 

POC’s Digital Currency and National Security forum will feature National Cyber Director Chris Inglis and Juan Zarate, global co-managing partner and chief strategy officer at K2 Integrity, as speakers.

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