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Army Looks to Deploy ‘Iron Dome’ Missile Defense Batteries by Year’s End; Bruce Jette Quoted
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Army Looks to Deploy ‘Iron Dome’ Missile Defense Batteries by Year’s End; Bruce Jette Quoted

The U.S. Army plans to field two Rafael-built Iron Dome air-defense weapon systems at Fort Bliss, Texas, by the end of 2020, Breaking Defense reported Friday. The Army designated Iron Dome as Interim Indirect Fire Protection Capability Increment 2 and intends to use the battery to defend against cruise missiles.

The first Iron Dome battery powers the Theater High-Altitude Air Defense weapon system, which works to defeat long-range aircraft and missiles. The second battery is slated for construction under the Air Defense Artillery School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

Bruce Jette, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology and a 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, told Breaking Defense that the service is encouraging Rafael to supply Tamir short-range missiles for an exercise next year to test battery ammunition for IFPC Increment 2.

The Israel-based company intends to work with Raytheon Technologies in an effort to expand the former's U.S. footprint, according to the report.

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Dave Dacquino of Serco Challenges GovCon Executive Community to Support DOL Veteran Apprenticeship Pilot Program
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Dave Dacquino of Serco Challenges GovCon Executive Community to Support DOL Veteran Apprenticeship Pilot Program

Dave Dacquino, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Serco Inc. and 2014 Wash100 Award recipient, and Doug Wagoner, president and CEO of LMI, have announced a challenge for fellow CEOs in the government contracting (GovCon) sector.

Dacquino and Wagoner co-authored a letter on Monday, along with Chris Brady of GDMS and Haywood Talcove of LexisNexis Special Services, who are both 2020 Wash100 Award recipients.

The letter urges notable leaders in the industry to participate in the Department of Labor’s Veteran Apprenticeship Pilot Program. The program aims to hire transitioning service members (TSMs). The two have aimed to have at least 200 veterans hired through the Apprentice Program.

The program will enable TSMs to leverage military technical skills and adapt them to the needs of civilian workplace through paid on-the-job training. DOL’s program builds upon the department’s efforts to expand access to apprenticeship opportunities and secure careers.

As part of the pilot, DOL has an apprenticeship program which has a team of apprenticeship placement counselors to provide one on one assistance to TSMs and spouses with finding and applying to apprenticeship programs.

To support this effort, your company can join the network of apprenticeship employers by providing industry-driven, high-quality career pathways to the TSMs and spouses. If you are interested in this DOL program, please either contact the apprenticeship pilot team at VETSapprenticeship@dol.gov or Michael.H.Anderson@serco-na.com.

The full contents of the outreach letter can be found below:

GovConExec CEOs CHALLENGE – SIGN UP YOUR COMPANY FOR VETERANS APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

Having recently honored our veterans during Veterans Day, we are asking for your company’s support for the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Apprenticeship Pilot Program that assists transitioning veterans with joining the civilian workforce. As CEOs, we see this as a great program to find talented and mature employees and to support our commitment as employers and fellow Americans to employ our Veterans. We are challenging GovConExec CEOs to commit to hiring transitioning service members through this Apprenticeship Program. It is our goal to have at least 200 veterans hired through the Apprentice Program by GovConExec companies.

The DOL Apprenticeship Program creates pathways into high-quality civilian careers for transitioning service members (TSMs) of the military.  The program allows TSMs to take the technical skills they learned while in the military and adapt them to the needs of civilian workplace through paid on-the-job training.  This pilot builds upon the DOL efforts to expand access to apprenticeship opportunities to help more Americans secure meaningful careers.

As part of the pilot, DOL has an apprenticeship program which has a team of apprenticeship placement counselors to provide one on one assistance to transitioning service members and spouses with finding and applying to apprenticeship programs.  The program is embedded at eight military installations. The apprenticeship placement counselors work in conjunction with employers to identify suitable apprenticeship opportunities across the United States.

Your company can join the network of apprenticeship employers by offering your industry-driven, high-quality career pathway to the transitioning service members and spouses. The transitioning military community boasts a proven strong work ethic, retention rates that out-perform those of their civilian counterparts and can diversify your workforce and enhance your workplace culture.

Already, over 100 companies have signed up to offer apprenticeship programs with great success.  We   encourage you to participate in this increasingly important program.  The process is flexible and can be tailored to your exact hiring needs. For example, Amazon’s Software Development Engineer Apprentice to learn the latest cloud computing technologies, Lockheed Martin’s Engineering apprenticeship, Wells Fargo Business Support Consultant Military Apprentice for introduction into the financial market, DCI Technology Solutions’ apprenticeship for digital marketing,  Excel Electric’s electrician apprenticeship, and Calibre Systems’ automotive technician apprenticeship.

For filling your IT career positions, there is a new program from SkillStorm to train and provide IT professionals at all levels.  The SkillStorm training program has hundreds of veterans interested in joining the program – you only need to commit to a number of openings you wish to fill and identify the specific IT skills desired.

This program enables transitioning service members, spouses as well as current veterans to start working in Level 1 helpdesk roles after 4 weeks of training, and through the training and mentorship program which runs for 3 years, achieve a technology certification in enterprise level software applications at the end of the year 3 period.  For more information on the innovative SkillStorm IT apprenticeship program, please reach out to Rick Dunham at RDunham@skillstorm.com.

GovConExec will publicly acknowledge your support of our veterans and their spouses if, by the end of the year, you commit to hiring veterans through an apprenticeship program.

We want to thank you for your interest and commitment to serving those that have selflessly served our country.

David J. Dacquino Haywood Talcove

Chairman and CEO CEO

Serco, Inc. LexisNexis Special Services Inc.

Chris Brady Doug Wagoner

President President and CEO

General Dynamics Mission Systems LMI

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Accenture Publishes Report Analyzing Cloud Initiatives & Strategy; Karthik Narain Quoted
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Accenture Publishes Report Analyzing Cloud Initiatives & Strategy; Karthik Narain Quoted

Accenture has published a new report, titled “Sky High Hopes: Navigating the Barriers to Maximizing Cloud Value,” to analyze businesses’ cloud investments, initiatives and strategy, the company announced on Monday. 

“Cloud-based transformation offers companies the most powerful way to reinvent their businesses, unleash the expertise and creativity of their people, enhance their sustainability efforts and create new stakeholder value,” said Karthik Narain, global lead, Accenture Cloud First. 

In its latest report, Accenture surveyed 750 senior business and IT professionals at large enterprises across 11 industries and 17 countries, finding that 37 percent of companies say they are achieving the full value expected on their cloud investments, with a two percent increase since Accenture’s original research report in 2018.

45 percent of business and IT leaders say they are “very satisfied” with their cloud outcomes, and 29 percent are completely confident that their organization’s cloud migration initiatives will deliver the expected value at the expected time. 

Accenture’s report highlights that, when businesses have gone more heavily into the cloud, outcomes are significantly better. Forty-six percent of high adopters report fully achieving their expected cloud benefits, compared to 36 percent of moderate adopters and 28 percent of low adopters.

“The reality is that not every company is unlocking the full potential value of the cloud. In fact, our newest report shows a surprisingly small two-year improvement in returns on corporate cloud initiatives, suggesting that a more thoughtful and holistic approach is needed,” Narain said.  

Accenture’s report found that 80 percent of business executives now look to cloud as a means of mitigating business uncertainty and lowering risk. In addition, 87 percent view cloud as a critical component of their strategy for achieving their corporate sustainability goals.

“Competing in the age of COVID-19 and beyond requires that companies implement a cloud-first strategy, in which every element of their business leverages the power of the cloud, right now,” Narain added. 

The findings also show that 54 percent of CEOs are completely confident in their organizations’ ability to deliver cloud initiatives with the expected value at the expected time, versus 34 percent of CIOs and 28 percent of CFOs. 

“The good news is that by taking a rigorous, outcomes-centric approach to devising a customized cloud strategy, partnering with the right experts and addressing challenges outside of the technology itself, such as upskilling their people to be more productive, businesses can achieve the results and return on investment they’re seeking,” Narain added.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Interactive, Technology and Operations services—all powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. 

Our 506,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities.

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AECOM Launches New Business Strategy & Appoints Executive Leadership; Troy Rudd Quoted
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AECOM Launches New Business Strategy & Appoints Executive Leadership; Troy Rudd Quoted

AECOM has launched a comprehensive strategy, called Think and Act Globally, to set the new standard of excellence in the Professional Services industry, the company reported on Monday. AECOM’s Board of Directors has increased the authorization in its existing stock repurchase program from $305 million to $1 billion, due to its confidence in its business and its strategy.

“Today’s announcements represent the next steps of our journey to set the new standard of excellence for the Professional Services industry,” said Troy Rudd, AECOM’s chief executive officer.

AECOM’s new strategy will extend the company’s global expertise and transform deliverables via integrating new technology and digital platforms. The strategy will advance AECOM’s position within the Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) industry.

“Over the past several years, our professionals have made great progress on our goal to create a higher-margin and lower-risk Professional Services business, and through this process we have identified several opportunities to extend our competitive advantages even further and take better advantage of our strengths,” Rudd added.

AECOM also announced the expansion of its Executive Leadership Team with the appointments of Todd Battley as chief strategy officer, Shirley Adams as chief human resources officer and Sarah Urbanowicz as chief information officer. The new executives will report to Rudd and are effective immediately.

“As part of our pursuit of this vision, I am excited to welcome Todd, Shirley and Sarah to our Executive Leadership Team, who I am confident will be tremendous leaders for our organization. The future for AECOM is bright and I am excited to see what we can accomplish when we come together unified under one goal of transforming our industry,” Rudd said.

About AECOM

AECOM (NYSE:ACM) is the world’s premier infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, energy and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges.

Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical expertise and innovation, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $13.2 billion in fiscal year 2020.

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AIS Names Sanju Bansal to Board of Directors; Larry Katzman Quoted
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AIS Names Sanju Bansal to Board of Directors; Larry Katzman Quoted

Applied Information Sciences (AIS) has appointed Sanju Bansal to its Board of Directors, the company reported on Monday.  Bansal has helped start and scale many leading companies in the Mid-Atlantic region, including MicroStrategy, Cvent, Clarabridge, CareJourney, Verato and others.

“We are thrilled to welcome Sanju to our Board… Sanju’s serial entrepreneur experience co-founding multiple companies, as well as his expertise as a director on numerous publicly traded and venture capital-backed boards, will foster our continued growth in the IT market,” said Larry Katzman, president and CEO of AIS.

Bansal will bring deep experience of  leadership and strategy in enterprise software, cloud, and data intelligence solutions, across Financial Services, Insurance, Healthcare and Life Sciences industries.

“It is an honor to have such a strong industry leader join our Board. Our team is recognized for its technical excellence and is comprised of the brightest and most passionate individuals in our industry,” Vishwas Lele, CTO and EVP of AIS added.

Bansal currently serves on the Board of Directors of two public companies: Perspecta and EverQuote. Bansal is also chairman of the Advisory Board for the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus.

“I am excited to join the AIS Board of Directors as the Company further accelerates its already impressive growth,” said Bansal. “AIS provides its customers – both Commercial and Federal – with unique and differentiated solutions as they migrate to the cloud and then scale their data intelligence in that environment. I am looking forward to working with the executive team as they take AIS to new heights.”

About AIS

Our mission is to serve as a trusted partner, efficiently delivering innovative solutions that maximize our clients’ technology investments. AIS specializes in helping large Commercial and Federal enterprises deliver transformative cloud solutions – across all three Microsoft cloud platforms – that decrease time to value, sunset legacy technology, and accelerate innovation.

Our expertise lies in the highly regulated environments leading migration and modernization, DevSecOps, security and compliance, custom app development, and data intelligence efforts, particularly as a leading Microsoft partner. AIS employs a global team of almost 700, headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with offices in Columbia, Maryland; Dayton, Ohio; Raleigh, North Carolina; Indianapolis, Indiana; Austin and San Antonio, Texas; and Hyderabad, India.

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Gen. John Hyten to Step Down as Joint Chiefs Vice Chair in 2021
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Gen. John Hyten to Step Down as Joint Chiefs Vice Chair in 2021

Gen. John Hyten, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a two-time Wash100 Award winner, is slated to retire from his role in late 2021, USNI News reported Friday.

Hyten, whose two-year term will expire on Nov. 21, 2021, will not seek renomination for the post, according to his spokesperson Maj. Trisha Guillebeau.

Hyten received Senate confirmation for his current role in September 2019 and assumed the position two months later. The fiscal year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act authorizes Hyten to apply for renomination to serve in an extended four-year term that will begin on Jan. 1, 2021.

“The next Vice Chairman will serve a four-year term. Gen Hyten will serve two years,” said Guillebeau. “The intent of Congress was to offset the Chairman and the Vice Chairman positions by two years.”

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Byron Adkins Joins DOI as Interior Business Center Director
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Byron Adkins Joins DOI as Interior Business Center Director

Byron Adkins Jr., a 17-year military and public service veteran, has been appointed to lead a Department of the Interior (DOC) center that provides human resources, procurement and financial management support to agencies.

As the Interior Business Center's director, he will be responsible for shared services delivery across the department and more than 150 other federal organizations. He will also supervise over 900 personnel tasked with providing business support services to customer agencies.

Adkins previously worked as director in the Department of Commerce Office of Facilities and Environmental Quality and as deputy director of the Agricultural Research Service's Eastern Business Service Center.

His career has also included time as a legislative assistant on Capitol Hill, an electrical engineer for the City of Richmond, Virginia, and a commissioned officer at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

He held a project manager role and supported the Army Research Development and Engineering Command during his private-sector stint.

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NRL Eyes Public-Private Collaboration to Support Quantum Info Research; Gerald Borsuk Quoted
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NRL Eyes Public-Private Collaboration to Support Quantum Info Research; Gerald Borsuk Quoted

The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) aims to promote collaboration between public and private sector organizations in support of its efforts to enhance quantum information science deployment. 

Two quantum collaboration meetings in November 2020 are intended to help NRL with its role as the QIS Research Center of the U.S. Navy, the lab said Friday.

At a two-day workshop, NRL and other members of the Washington Metro Quantum Network Research Consortium are looking into installing fiber optic communications cables to enable distributed entanglement of qubits between the state's participating institutions.

Representatives of NRL, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Army Research Laboratory, Laboratory for Telecommunications Sciences and U.S. Naval Observatory meet virtually on Nov. 16 and 17 to discuss the establishment of collegial research efforts among them.

The second conference on Nov. 23 will gather Navy scientists and engineers as part of the launch of the Naval Quantum S&T Working Group. Adam Black, NRL research physicist and one of the meeting presenters, will talk about his quantum sensing study.

Gerald Borsuk, associate director of research for the systems directorate of NRL, said the lab pursues QIST studies through its partnerships with other laboratories, academia, government and industry. "We hope these meetings build bridges within government and with academia and industry that lead to further interactions to bring quantum technologies to reality."

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NASA’s Deanna Lee on Agency Efforts to Centralize Procurement Ops
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NASA’s Deanna Lee on Agency Efforts to Centralize Procurement Ops

Deanna Lee, a project manager at NASA, has said the agency is launching a program aimed at streamlining acquisition operations at 11 NASA centers across the country, Federal News Network reported Thursday.

Lee told the publication in a prior interview that the NASA Office of Procurement’s Mission Support Future Architecture Program comes as part of efforts to prevent redundancy on contracts and share capabilities throughout the agency’s procurement hubs.

She noted that NASA's procurement office intended to centralize operations at the enterprise level and has “done a very good job of training and informing its staff” on product service lines.

“And so while the centers are aware of what contracting personnel work on each contract, there’s not a centralized database to have an enterprise wide visibility into those assignments,” Lee said.

Ninety-five of NASA’s acquisition workforce achieved certification in line with federal standards. Breakdowns in internal controls resulted in the remaining 5 percent not meeting the criteria for certification, according to Lee.

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Analyst Brad Curran: DoD to Increase AI Investments
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Analyst Brad Curran: DoD to Increase AI Investments

Brad Curran, industry principal for aerospace, defense and security at Frost and Sullivan, said he expects Department of Defense (DoD) to increase artificial intelligence spending on a faster rate compared to other information technology investments, National Defense Magazine reported Thursday.

The analyst said DoD is using AI across multiple areas of application on a growing rate, with recent large AI investments including $489 million in contracts awarded last year for AI programs.

Military areas including maintenance, logistics and intelligence use AI for predictive analytics, Curran noted.

He added that AI spending in the defense market will exceed the predicted 2 percent growth of other IT investments next year.

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