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GSA Centers of Excellence, JAIC Leverage Data to Accelerate DoD AI Adoption; Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan, Anil Cheriyan, Bob De Luca Quoted
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GSA Centers of Excellence, JAIC Leverage Data to Accelerate DoD AI Adoption; Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan, Anil Cheriyan, Bob De Luca Quoted
GSA Centers of Excellence, JAIC Leverage Data to Accelerate DoD AI Adoption; Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan, Anil Cheriyan, Bob De Luca Quoted

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) have announced new innovations to leverage data as a strategic asset and advance AI across the DoD, through the Centers of Excellence (CoE) collaboration, the administration announced on Thursday.

"This next step paves the way for the DoD to improve how we manage and leverage data as a strategic asset," said Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan, director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient. "We appreciate the CoE's commitment to creating a collaborative environment that enables solutions for broader AI governance, technology acquisition strategies, and scaling AI solutions through the Joint Common Foundation."

JAIC stakeholders and CoE members have engaged in a series of human-centered design workshops to determine essential roles and responsibilities for managing data assets. The determination will shape a flexible governance framework to manage data holdings, including cybersecurity, healthcare, predictive maintenance and business automation.

“The CoE model gives us an opportunity to share experience gained from industry and federal partners with the JAIC, building on the successes of organizations that have come before us,” said TTS director Anil Cheriyan. “The AI journey is one we are taking together and it’s essential to get the fundamentals right. We are offering a pathway for agency partners to accelerate their own AI journey.”

Through implementing governance tailored specifically to AI initiatives, the partnership has created an innovative AI stance. The system integrates flexibility and interoperability of an enterprise-wide Joint Common Foundation expedite AI capabilities. 

CoE will accelerate IT modernization at federal agencies through securing private sector innovation and government services. It will also centralize the best practices and expertise for holistic transformation.

“In partnership together, the team has achieved significant milestones very quickly,” said CoE Executive Director Bob De Luca.“The efforts of the CoE are amplified by the JAIC’s focus on action and immense commitment to the mission, enabling us to gain momentum to scale AI within the DoD.”

About GSA

The mission of the U.S. General Services Administration is to deliver value and savings in real estate, acquisition, technology, and other mission-support services across the government. One of GSA’s four strategic goals is to improve the way agencies buy, build and use technology.

About JAIC

The mission of the JAIC is to accelerate the adoption and integration of AI in the Department of Defense to achieve mission impact – at scale. The JAIC serves as the focal point for the execution of the DoD's AI Strategy that supports the U.S. National Defense Strategy (2018). As the DoD center excellence for AI, the JAIC continues to attract the best and brightest people from across government, commercial industry, and academia to carry out its vision to transform the U.S. military through AI.

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Air Force Leaders Talk FY21 Budget Priorities at Senate Hearing; David Goldfein Quoted
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Air Force Leaders Talk FY21 Budget Priorities at Senate Hearing; David Goldfein Quoted
David Goldfein
David Goldfein

U.S. Air Force officials told senators at a hearing that the service seeks to prioritize efforts to establish a joint command-and-control system, dominate space and generate nuclear combat power in its $169 billion budget proposal.

The Air Force said Tuesday that USAF Secretary Barbara Barrett and Gen. David Goldfein, the service's chief of staff and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on the military branch’s priorities for its fiscal 2021 budget request.

Barrett outlined goals related to countering peer competitors like China and Russia. These include establishing the Joint All-Domain C2 battle management platform, sustaining the U.S. Space Force and modernizing the nuclear triad’s land and airborne units to include additional squadrons and B-21 long-range bomber aircraft.

“This budget, building on the last three, offers the most aggressive package of strategic trades we have made as a service in over two decades to achieve complete alignment with the National Defense Strategy and secures our nation’s military superiority over the next decade,” said Goldfein.

The Air Force noted that the proposed budget also covers the acquisition of modernized aerial refueling, transport, supersonic and surveillance aircraft.

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Gen. Paul Nakasone Prioritizes National Election Security
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Gen. Paul Nakasone Prioritizes National Election Security
Paul Nakasone
Paul Nakasone

Gen. Paul Nakasone, who leads U.S. Cyber Command and is a 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, considers election security as his priority and said federal agencies are ready to address potential foreign interferences, The Hill reported Wednesday.

He discussed this priority to a panel during a House Armed Services subcommittee hearing that took place Wednesday. The hearing focused on U.S. Cyber Command’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2021. Nakasone said his command and other agencies have been coordinating on election threats, making the 2018 elections seem like a "pickup game" in comparison with Tuesday's primary election.

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DoD Announces New CMMC Program to Launch in Spring 2020; Ellen Lord Quoted
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DoD Announces New CMMC Program to Launch in Spring 2020; Ellen Lord Quoted
DoD Announces New CMMC Program to Launch in Spring 2020; Ellen Lord Quoted
Hon. Ellen Lord

The Pentagon will hold a public hearing in late April or early May for its new cybersecurity contracting standards, Ellen Lord, under secretary of defense for Acquisition and Sustainment with Department of Defense and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, announced. The department will prepare to select third party auditors and implement the requirements in 10 pilot programs in spring 2020.

Concerning DoD’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program, Lord said her top priority has been “to communicate, communicate and communicate again” with industry, associations and Congress so that companies can understand their responsibilities to meet the government’s new cybersecurity standards.

The CMMC program is designed to ensure that any business working for the government can demonstrate it can defend its computer networks against adversarial cyber attacks. The DoD’s final version of the CMMC in has been expected to start implementing it this fall to secure its supply chain. “It is no secret we are at cyber war everyday,” she noted.

DoD has planned to select third party vendors, creating CMMC-related training material, promulgating rulemaking and completing an agreement with the newly established CMMC accreditation body that will certify auditors, Lord explained.

The undersecretary also noted that DOD’s initial CMMC work has caught the attention of contracting officials in other countries, and that the department is working with Canada, Australia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Italy, Sweden, Poland and others, as well as the European cybersecurity agency.

“All of the countries or groups are asking whether or not they can adopt our CMMC for their use,” said Ellen Lord, “which is exciting.”

Potomac Officers Club will host its CMMC Forum 2020 on April 2. Click here to register for the event.

DoD Announces New CMMC Program to Launch in Spring 2020; Ellen Lord Quoted

Katie Arrington, chief information security officer at the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and a 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, will serve as a keynote speaker at the CMMC Forum 2020. She will address the CMMC’s timeline, how the certification process could change and will provide a memorandum of understanding with a newly established CMMC accrediting body.

A full expert panel will include Ty Schieber, senior director of executive education and CMMC-AB chairman of the University of Virginia and Richard Naylor of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) among other members of the federal sector and industry.

Register here to join Potomac Officers Club for its CMMC Forum 2020 on April 2nd to learn about the impact DoD’s CMMC will have on cybersecurity practices, supply chain security and other aspects of the federal market.

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David Zolet, President and CEO of LMI, Receives Third Consecutive Wash100 Award From Jim Garrettson, CEO of Executive Mosaic
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David Zolet, President and CEO of LMI, Receives Third Consecutive Wash100 Award From Jim Garrettson, CEO of Executive Mosaic

David Zolet, President and CEO of LMI, Receives Third Consecutive Wash100 Award From Jim Garrettson, CEO of Executive Mosaic

Jim Garrettson, founder and CEO of Executive Mosaic, presented David Zolet, president and CEO of LMI, his fourth Wash100 Award as part of the 2020 selection. This mark’s the third consecutive Wash100 win for Zolet and LMI.

Executive Mosaic recognizes Zolet for driving revenue and expanding the company’s portfolio through innovative technology and capabilities. He secured a 2019 Wash100 Award for leading multiple acquisitions for the company and providing innovative solutions to government issues.

Zolet’s dedication to those missions have remained strong and led to a great deal of success for LMI. Most notably, LMI submitted $1.2B in proposals for contract awards in fiscal year 2019. The company earned $329M in revenue from those proposals, which represents an increase of 39 percent and 24 percent from FY17.

“Our organization has transformed profoundly over the past two years,” Zolet noted. “I am immensely proud of our workforce for its continued focus on serving customers and improving the business of government.”

Zolet also serves as a board member of AT&T’s First Responder Network Authority and assisted in the launch of a FirstNet cell site on Tilghman Island and at Bozman, Md.,in Aug. 2019 to provide expanded network coverage for residents, visitors and first responders.

In addition, LMI was named to the Military Times’ 2019 Top Veteran Employers List for the tenth consecutive time in May 2019. The list recognized LMI’s efforts to offer training programs and other resources for military and veteran recruitment.

Executive Mosaic congratulates LMI and David Zolet on his fourth 2020 Wash100 Award selection. His tireless efforts to drive revenue for the company and expand the company’s portfolio and capabilities through innovation have made Zolet a top executive in the government contracting sector.

About Wash100 

The Wash100 Award, now in its seventh year, recognizes the most influential executives in the GovCon industry as selected by the Executive Mosaic team in tandem with online nominations from the GovCon community. Representing the best of the private and public sector, the winners demonstrate superior leadership, innovation, reliability, 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.
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Kim Herrington, DoD Acting Principal Director of Defense Pricing & Contracting, to Give Keynote Address at Potomac Officers Club’s 2020 Procurement forum on March 19th
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Kim Herrington, DoD Acting Principal Director of Defense Pricing & Contracting, to Give Keynote Address at Potomac Officers Club’s 2020 Procurement forum on March 19th
Kim Herrington, DoD Acting Principal Director of Defense Pricing & Contracting, to Give Keynote Address at Potomac Officers Club’s 2020 Procurement forum on March 19th
Kim Herrington

Kim Herrington, acting principal director of defense pricing and contracting at the Department of Defense, will serve as a keynote speaker during Potomac Officers Club’s 2020 Procurement Forum on Thursday, March 19th.

Register here for POC’s  2020 Procurement Forum.

Herrington oversees contract pricing and procurement policy matters with DoD. He serves as the principal advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (USD (A&S)) on acquisition and procurement negotiation strategies for all major weapon systems programs, and major automated information systems programs.

He is responsible for assisting the USD (A&S) in the implementation of the Department’s operational priorities, including business reform initiatives to reduce operational costs and speed delivery to the warfighter. He oversees business enterprise initiatives related to pricing; domestic, international, and contingency contract policy for DoD, and associated e-business solutions; and DoD procurement regulations.

During his keynote address, he will discuss the short term and long term strategies  short term and long term strategies, acquisition innovation initiatives, commercial items acquisition, workforce initiatives, technology modernization and collaboration between government and industry.

In addition to Herrington, Soraya Correa with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Julie Dunne with General Services Administration (GSA) will serve as keynote speakers at the forum.As commissioner of federal acquisition service, Dunne oversees the delivery of the more than $65 billion of products, services, and solutions that enable federal agencies to efficiently accomplish their missions while saving taxpayer dollars.

Correa oversees the work of nine Heads of Contracting Activity that provide operational procurement services to DHS components, directorates and offices, as chief procurement officer. The speakers will further discuss how government contractors can maintain efficiency throughout procurement.

Kim Herrington, DoD Acting Principal Director of Defense Pricing & Contracting, to Give Keynote Address at Potomac Officers Club’s 2020 Procurement forum on March 19th

In addition to Dunne, the Procurement Forum 2020 will feature two other keynote speakers: Soraya Correa, chief procurement officer with the Department of Homeland Security, and Kim Herrington, acting principal director of Defense Pricing and Contracting with the Department of Defense (DoD).

Join the Potomac Officers Club and don’t miss out on the opportunity to hear public and private sector leaders discuss government AI programs and priorities, new initiatives and how to achieve enterprise AI. Register here for Potomac Officers Club’s 2020 Procurement Forum on Thursday, March 19th.

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Navigant Publishes Report Showing Lithium Ion Batteries Energy Storage Capacity; Ricardo Rodriguez Quoted
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Navigant Publishes Report Showing Lithium Ion Batteries Energy Storage Capacity; Ricardo Rodriguez Quoted
Navigant Publishes Report Showing Lithium Ion Batteries Energy Storage Capacity; Ricardo Rodriguez Quoted

Navigant Research, the research and development division of Guidehouse, has released a new report, providing a database of global energy storage projects in addition to a regional analysis of technology choice, capacity and market share for deployed projects and projects in the pipeline, the company reported on Thursday.

“Although pumped hydro storage (PHS) still accounts for 96% of installed energy storage capacity worldwide, Li-ion is the choice technology among project developers and system integrators,” says Ricardo F. Rodriguez, research analyst with Navigant Research. “The technology is expected to account for 85% of newly installed energy capacity.”

Navigant’s report noted that regulatory policy, government incentives, deployment mandates, grid modernization programs and declining technology costs created market conditions in which hundreds of energy storage projects were deployed around the world between 2018 and 2019. 

The report stated that, in the current growth market, Lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries have continued to be the primary power source in the transformation of the power grid, accounting for 85 percent of the newly installed energy storage capacity.

In addition to the growth of Li-ion, three types of storage projects typified deployments across the globe in 4Q 2019, including commercial and industrial applications located behind-the-meter (BTM), utility-scale battery storage projects that replace gas peaker plants and utility-scale storage projects assembled at large solar PV or wind generation facilities.

Navigant also reported on Energy Storage Tracker 4Q19, stating that it provides a comprehensive resource of global energy storage projects. The Tracker includes a database of 2,169 projects, including at least 64,664 individual systems. It also tracks the country, region, market segment, capacity, status, technology vendor, systems integrator, applications, funding, investment and key milestones of each project. 

In addition, the report has provided an analysis of the technology choice region for energy storage, analysis of the leading regions for energy storage capacity and projects and market share analysis for technology vendors for deployed projects and projects in the pipeline. 

About Navigant Research

Navigant Research, the dedicated research arm of Guidehouse, provides market research and benchmarking services for rapidly changing and often highly regulated industries. In the energy sector, Navigant Research focuses on in-depth analysis and reporting about global clean technology markets. 

The team’s research methodology combines supply-side industry analysis, end-user primary research and demand assessment, and deep examination of technology trends to provide a comprehensive view of clean, intelligent, mobile, and distributed energy.

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Jason Juranek Joins Red River as CFO to Provide Financial Leadership; Alan Dumas Quoted
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Jason Juranek Joins Red River as CFO to Provide Financial Leadership; Alan Dumas Quoted
Jason Juranek Joins Red River as CFO to Provide Financial Leadership; Alan Dumas Quoted

Red River has appointed Jason Juranek as chief financial officer (CFO) of the company to provide financial leadership and strategic vision, the company reported on Thursday. 

“Jason is a global technology veteran in both the public sector and commercial markets,” said Alan Dumas, Red River CEO. “He brings to Red River a wealth of experience in corporate finance coupled with deep expertise in managed services and as-a-Service financial models. We are thrilled to have Jason as part of our company.”

Juranek brings more than 20 years of comprehensive experience driving results in financial operations management and executing growth strategies to drive company value. He will oversee Red River’s financials with the the three major business lines: Managed and Support Services, Technology Solutions, and Consulting Services. 

Prior to joining Red River, Juranek served as chief executive officer of Globecomm Systems between Feb. 2016 and Feb. 2019. In the position, he led the acquisition of Speedcast and helped its customers design, integrate and operate complex global communication solutions. He also served as CFO for the company between March 2015 and Feb 2018. 

Juranek was the CFO of Harris CapRock Communications, a $700 million, 1,200- employee company where he delivered managed services for critical networks and managed a finance organization with teams in the United States, Brazil, Singapore and London. 

He has additionally served in a variety of senior finance management roles throughout his career, including financial manager at General Dynamics, senior financial manager at DynCorp and senior accountant with Fairchild Fasteners. 

“This is an exciting time to join Red River as it finds new and innovative ways to deliver technology transformation for its customers,” said Juranek. “I’m excited to join a strong, talented leadership team and support Red River’s continued growth.”

About Red River

Red River brings together the ideal combination of talent, partners and products to disrupt the status quo in technology and drive success for business and government in ways previously unattainable. Red River serves organizations well beyond traditional technology integration, bringing 25 years of experience and mission-critical expertise in security, networking, analytics, collaboration, mobility and cloud solutions.

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Ball Corp. Earns ASI Certification for EMEA Beverage Can Plants; Kathleen Pitre, Ron Lewis, Fiona Solomon Quoted
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Ball Corp. Earns ASI Certification for EMEA Beverage Can Plants; Kathleen Pitre, Ron Lewis, Fiona Solomon Quoted
Ball Corp. Earns ASI Certification for EMEA Beverage Can Plants; Kathleen Pitre, Ron Lewis, Fiona Solomon Quoted

Ball Corporation has earned the Aluminum Stewardship Initiative (ASI) Certification for its 23 Europea, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) beverage can plants, marking a major step toward sustainability, the company announced on Thursday. 

"As consumers seek more environmentally friendly products, they can have confidence in aluminium's strong sustainability credentials such as responsible sourcing. The certification, combined with our renewable energy investments, demonstrates Ball's commitment to a low-carbon, sustainable economy," said Ron Lewis, President, Ball Beverage Packaging, EMEA. 

Ball is the first beverage can manufacturer to meet ASI’s environmental, social and governance principles. Ball earned the certification by significantly reducing carbon emissions, which is now a standard across all of the company’s operations in the European Union, Serbia, and UK. The company has entered into an agreement for 100 percent renewable energy, across all of its operating branches in North America, by 2021. 

"We're responding to a greater desire from consumers, across Europe and around the world, for genuinely sustainable and infinitely recyclable packaging solutions," said Kathleen Pitre, Chief Commercial and Sustainability Officer, Ball Corporation.

The ASI certification is a multi-stakeholder initiative that provides assurance of responsible production, sourcing and stewardship of aluminium throughout its value chain. With the certification, Ball is able to meet consumers’ demand for greater sustainability across packaged goods.

The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative's scheme aims to do for aluminium what the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) did for paper and wood, making sustainability performance a mainstream, visible issue. With the award, Ball has achieved both ASI's Performance, and Chain of Custody (CoC) Standard certifications.

"We are very pleased to award ASI Certification to, Ball Corporation, the world's largest aluminium can maker and the first in its sector to have achieved this," said Dr. Fiona Solomon, Chief Executive Officer, Aluminium Stewardship Initiative. "The ASI's Performance Standard covers critical issues for the entire aluminium value chain."

About Ball

Ball Corporation supplies innovative, sustainable aluminum packaging solutions for beverage, personal care and household products customers, as well as aerospace and other technologies and services primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ more than 18,300 people worldwide and reported 2019 net sales of $11.5 billion. 

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Swedish Transport Administration Awards Jacobs Framework Contract to Provide Railway Strategic Consultancy Services; Donald Morrison, Peter Uneklint Quoted
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Swedish Transport Administration Awards Jacobs Framework Contract to Provide Railway Strategic Consultancy Services; Donald Morrison, Peter Uneklint Quoted
Swedish Transport Administration Awards Jacobs Framework Contract to Provide Railway Strategic Consultancy Services; Donald Morrison, Peter Uneklint Quoted

Jacobs has received a framework contract from the Swedish Transport Administration to provide strategic consultancy services for the administrations new high-speed railway lines to run between Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö, Sweden, the company announced on Thursday. 

"Sweden's vision for a new generation railway is an exciting opportunity to provide cleaner, faster transport capacity and connectivity in the regions, and stimulate economic development," said Jacobs People & Places Solutions Senior Vice President and General Manager, Europe, Middle East and Africa Donald Morrison.

Under the contract, Jacobs will provide technical advice and services across planning, system, design and delivery for three ongoing projects. The company will increase capacity and resilience of the railway system to improve connectivity between the cities.

The improvements will create more sustainable travel and freight transport, promote regional development and provide greater access to international markets. The Swedish Transport Administration has planned to develop the main lines between Stockholm-Malmö and Stockholm-Gothenburg, starting with the East Link for Järna-Linköping, Göteborg-Borås and Hässleholm-Lund. 

These initial projects have been estimated to cost $23.8 billion and will connect the southern parts of Sweden to create additional capacity and reduce inter-city journey times with fast and sustainable transport.

"Today, our main lines are overcrowded, and greater capacity will add to our sustainable transportation solutions," said Swedish Transport Administration program director, Peter Uneklint. "Expanding the railway network will bring Sweden closer together and create new opportunities for people and businesses. We are looking forward to applying Jacobs' global experience in high-speed rail to support us in finding the right solutions for Sweden."

In addition to Jacobs’ railway efforts in Sweden, the company has also been awarded a five-year contract to deliver technical and professional services, including geotechnical, civils and structures capability for Design Services Framework (DSF) to U.K. 's rail system in Feb. 2020.

The company will supply a variety of professional services to improve Network Rail, utilizing niche capabilities from a supply chain of 45 firms, including 25 small- and medium-sized enterprises. 

Network Rail’s venture includes two projects that Jacobs is currently supporting, The Western Rail Link to Heathrow and the Transpennine Route Upgrade, to enhance and renew the U.K.’s transportation systems. 

The framework contract allows Jacobs to continue to develop the company’s technology-driven solutions, including asset management, digital twin, strategic consultancy and major project and program delivery.

About Jacobs

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good. 

With $13 billion in revenue and a talent force of approximately 52,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of professional services including consulting, technical, scientific and project delivery for the government and private sector.

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