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Capgemini’s Bill Webner and DARPA’s Stefanie Tompkins Join Wash100 Ranks
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Capgemini’s Bill Webner and DARPA’s Stefanie Tompkins Join Wash100 Ranks

On Friday, Executive Mosaic recognized Bill Webner, chair, president and CEO of Capgemini Government Solutions, and Stefanie Tompkins, director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, for their 2024 Wash100 Award wins.

The esteemed Wash100 Award annually highlights the most impactful figures in the government contracting industry. To choose these executives, Wash100 puts its nominees through an intense selection process that looks at the past accomplishments and ongoing influence of each leader.

Webner was inducted into Wash100 for the first time this year. He assumed his current position in February 2023, and has since led Capgemini Government Solutions’ innovation endeavors. One area in which Webner has shined is 5G, which he has spoken extensively about, and he has also zeroed in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Click here to read his full profile.

Tompkins’ 2024 win marks her third, and this year, she was honored for advancing numerous DARPA research initiatives. With Tompkins at the helm, DARPA made progress in multiple artificial intelligence and quantum-focused projects, including the Optimization with Noisy Intermediate Quantum devices program, which made a key breakthrough in quantum research. Read her full profile here.

The annual Wash100 popular vote contest has returned! Visit Wash100.com to cast your votes for Webner and Tompkins as your favorite 2024 winners.

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IARPA Awards 6 Research Contracts Under Aerosol Detection Tech Development Program; Sherrie Pilkington Quoted
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IARPA Awards 6 Research Contracts Under Aerosol Detection Tech Development Program; Sherrie Pilkington Quoted

The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity has awarded contracts to six corporate and academic organizations to research and develop technologies that could help detect and identify harmful aerosols in challenging environments as part of a multiyear program.

The Pursuing Intelligent Complex Aerosols for Rapid Detection program, also known as PICARD, intends to advance the development of standoff and in situ sensing systems to detect complex aerosols in pollutants, dust, pollen, wind and volcanic ash, IARPA said Wednesday.

“Identifying the chemicals in aerosol particles is a particularly hard problem due to dynamic environmental conditions and the way the chemicals mix and mold themselves into unique structures. For example, dust on the surface of a water droplet will change what the sensor sees,” said Sherrie Pilkington, PICARD program manager at IARPA.

The awardees are Detect-ION, Signature Science, Virginia Tech, University of Colorado Boulder, SRI International and Leidos.

The contracts were awarded through a competitive broad agency announcement.

“Resulting technology from PICARD will enable the Intelligence Community to more rapidly and accurately detect dangerous chemical aerosols, which will markedly improve the mitigation of chemical threat agents and help protect personnel and U.S. citizens,” added Pilkington.

The Naval Research Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will perform test and evaluation work on the PICARD program, which is expected to run for 42 months.

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FCC to Vote in March on Proposed Framework to Address Wireless Coverage Gaps; Jessica Rosenworcel Quoted
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FCC to Vote in March on Proposed Framework to Address Wireless Coverage Gaps; Jessica Rosenworcel Quoted

The Federal Communications Commission will hold an open meeting on March 14 to vote on a proposed regulatory framework that seeks to promote collaboration between wireless providers and satellite operators and provide satellite connectivity to smartphone users in remote and underserved areas.

FCC said Wednesday the proposed framework intends to deliver supplemental coverage from space to address wireless coverage gaps.

“By taking advantage of satellite connectivity, we can enhance our smartphones and get rid of ‘dead zones,’” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.

The framework would authorize satellite operators to manage space stations on a licensed radio frequency spectrum allocated to terrestrial service providers and on an interim basis, establish a requirement that calls for terrestrial providers to use an emergency call center or location-based routing to route SCS 911 calls to a Public Safety Answering Point.

“This groundbreaking framework will ensure continued U.S. leadership and establish a clear and predictable regulatory approach to these partnerships in support of innovation and competition,” Rosenworcel stated.

In March 2023, the commission first proposed a licensing rule to authorize space-based connectivity in mobile devices.

POC - 2024 Space Summit

Hear government leaders, space experts and industry executives discuss the latest space technologies, commercial investments and urgent issues facing the space domain at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Space Summit on March 5. Register here.

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Ronald Moultrie to Step Down as Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence & Security
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Ronald Moultrie to Step Down as Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence & Security

Ronald Moultrie will step down from his post as under secretary of defense for intelligence and security at the Department of Defense following his nearly three years of stay as a counselor and key member of the Pentagon’s senior leadership team.

“[Moultrie] has shown a far-sighted approach to complex intelligence issues, built a rapport with domestic and international intelligence leaders, and established stewardship of our Defense Intelligence and Security Enterprise,” Defense Secretary Loyd Austin said in a statement published Wednesday.

The under secretary was sworn in on June 1, 2021, and has, since then, served as the principal adviser to Austin on intelligence, counterintelligence and security matters. He has authority, control and direction of all DOD intelligence and security organizations, including the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and National Reconnaissance Office.

Highlighting Moultrie’s contributions, Austin, a previous Wash100 awardee, said, “His achievements include the designation of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security as the Principal Staff Assistant for law enforcement; advancing the Department’s ability to provide insights into adversary capabilities via the Foreign Language Roadmap; and initiating a landmark review of the Department’s credibility assessment program.”

Moultrie brings to his under secretary post over three decades of experience holding senior leadership positions throughout the DOD and the national intelligence community. He was a senior member of the CIA Senior Intelligence Service, senior executive officer assisting the director of national intelligence and senior adviser to the Navy secretary.

“Ron has left a mark on this department through his 44 years of public service,” said Austin. “Our department and our intelligence and security enterprise are measurably more capable of tackling tomorrow’s challenges because of Ron’s distinguished service.”

Moultrie will step down at the end of February.

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DISA’s Robert Skinner Discusses Information Superiority at AFCEA Event
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DISA’s Robert Skinner Discusses Information Superiority at AFCEA Event

Ensuring that capabilities are constantly available to warfighters and whoever else needs them is crucial to the U.S. military achieving and sustaining information superiority over adversaries, according to Defense Information Systems Agency Director and Joint Force Headquarters-Department of Defense Information Network Commander Lt. Gen. Robert Skinner.

DISA said Wednesday that Skinner, a three-time Wash100 awardee, made the remarks at AFCEA WEST 2024, during a Feb. 14 panel titled, “Do We Have the Tools and Technologies We Need to Enable Information as a Warfighting Multiplier?”

Technologies like data transport modes, the cloud and various applications come together to provide decision-makers the information they need to choose a course of action before the adversary does, Skinner explained.

The DISA chief also highlighted the importance of partnerships, which facilitate the development and acquisition of services and capabilities that enable information superiority.

“I’ve talked about how partnership is key, and it’s partnership not just within the department or with the federal government; it’s with industry; it’s with academia,” Skinner said.

The Air Force official discussed the need for technology, personnel and processes to be harmonized and for legacy systems to be integrated seamlessly, noting, “We need to be able to have the same capabilities no matter what network we’re operating on, no matter what classification level.”

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NTIA Asks for Industry Input on Impact of Increasing Accessibility to AI Model Weights; Gina Raimondo Quoted
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NTIA Asks for Industry Input on Impact of Increasing Accessibility to AI Model Weights; Gina Raimondo Quoted

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is seeking public feedback on the risks and benefits of “open-weight” artificial intelligence models.

NTIA on Wednesday issued a request for comment to aid in the development of policies on AI models with widely available weights, which are numerical values that help determine the strength of an AI system’s neural network.

The agency is interested in industry input on the benefits of closed AI models in comparison to varying openness of such designs. It also wants to understand the consequences of making AI model weights more open, in terms of innovation, competition, trustworthiness, equity and national security.

“AI is an accelerator – it has the potential to make people’s existing capabilities better, faster, and stronger. In the right hands, it carries incredible opportunity, but in the wrong hands, it can pose a threat to public safety,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Today, NTIA is inviting public feedback about how widely available access to model weights may impact our society and our national security. This is an important piece of the President’s Executive Order and an early step toward ensuring safety, security, and trust in these systems.”

The Potomac Officers Club will gather officials from CIA, the Department of Homeland Security, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and other government entities to participate at its fifth annual Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 21. Register now to join experts and leaders in discussing the future of AI in government contracting.

POC - 5th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit
FAA Invites Industry Input on Planned Aerospace Rulemaking Committee for Launch, Reentry Licenses
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FAA Invites Industry Input on Planned Aerospace Rulemaking Committee for Launch, Reentry Licenses

The Federal Aviation Administration is inviting industry experts to give recommendations regarding its plan to form a new aerospace rulemaking committee for securely reviewing and approving flight launch and reentry licenses.

The agency announced Wednesday that the new committee SpARC will help prepare FAA-licensed launch and reentry operators comply with Part 450 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

The plan to create a new committee was triggered by the surge in FAA license applications from commercial space operators in 2023. Last year, the number of licensed commercial operators tripled to 124 compared to that in 2020. They are expected to increase by more than twofold by 2026.

The agency has increased the number of staff working on the applications, developed several guidelines and created an electronic portal to facilitate the submission process.

“The SpARC input will help us reduce the burden on commercial space transportation applicants and licensees and enable the FAA to process applications and make safety determinations with greater expediency,” remarked Kelvin Coleman, associate administrator for FAA’s commercial space transportation division.

FAA’s Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet in April to discuss the Part 450 requirements for launch and reentry licensing.

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DOE to Provide Kairos Power $303M to Support Development of Hermes Nuclear Reactor
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DOE to Provide Kairos Power $303M to Support Development of Hermes Nuclear Reactor

Kairos Power has entered into a technology investment agreement with the Department of Energy to put into effect the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program risk reduction award, which the nuclear technology company received in 2020.

Kairos said Wednesday that, under the agreement, the DOE will provide up to $303 million on a performance-based, fixed-price milestone basis to enable the design, construction and commissioning of the company’s Hermes demonstration reactor, for which a construction permit has already been issued by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Mike Laufer, Kairos Power co-founder and CEO, described the technology investment agreement as an “innovative contract” that will facilitate the completion of the Hermes project. “This agreement incentivizes efficiency, drives performance, and establishes credibility to deliver,” Laufer added.

For her part, Office of Nuclear Energy Assistant Secretary Kathryn Huff said, “The Hermes reactor is an important step toward realizing advanced nuclear energy’s role in ushering forward the nation’s clean energy transition.”

Hermes is meant to result in the development of the Kairos Power Fluoride Salt-Cooled High Temperature Reactor, an advanced piece of nuclear technology powered by tri-structural isotropic particle fuel in combination with low-pressure fluoride salt coolant.

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New Executive Order Seeks to Strengthen Cybersecurity of US Ports, Vessels, Waterfront Facilities
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New Executive Order Seeks to Strengthen Cybersecurity of US Ports, Vessels, Waterfront Facilities

President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed an executive order that seeks to enhance the U.S. Coast Guard’s authority to address and respond to cyberthreats facing vessels, harbors, ports and waterfront facilities.

The EO directs mandatory reporting of cyber incidents involving any vessel, port or harbor to the FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Captain of the Port, or the Officer of the Coast Guard, the White House said Wednesday.

The new policy will provide the Coast Guard with authority to inspect vessels and waterfront facilities as well as control the movement of any vessel that poses a cyberthreat to the country’s maritime infrastructure.

According to a White House fact sheet, the Coast Guard will release a maritime security directive on cyber risk management measures for Chinese-built ship-to-shore cranes at U.S. commercial strategic seaports as part of efforts to ensure the security of the U.S. maritime infrastructure’s digital ecosystem.

Crane operators and owners must conduct several actions on such cranes and related operational and information technology systems.

POC - 2024 Cyber Summit

Join the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Cyber Summit on June 6 and hear cyber experts, government and industry leaders discuss the latest trends and the dynamic role of cyber in the public sector. Register here!

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Kathleen Hicks: DOD Investing in Secure AI Development to Realize CJADC2 Goals
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Kathleen Hicks: DOD Investing in Secure AI Development to Realize CJADC2 Goals

Kathleen Hicks, deputy secretary of defense and a 2024 Wash100 awardee, said the Department of Defense is investing in the responsible development and deployment of artificial intelligence technologies to help realize its Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control, or CJADC2, initiative.

Speaking at the Advantage DOD 2024: Defense Data and AI Symposium, Hicks said the Pentagon is scaling data and AI technologies through cloud computing contracts, network infrastructure, data integration and rapid acquisitions of commercial software.

“All of this is helping to realize Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control. Of course, CJADC2 isn’t a platform, or a single system. It’s a fusion of concepts, technologies, policies, tools, and talent that’s advancing how we command and control forces with key allies and partners,” the four-time Wash100 Award recipient said.

According to Hicks, DOD has delivered its initial iteration of the CJADC2 initiative representing a minimum viable capability combining software applications, live data integration, real-world networks and cross-domain operational concepts to provide decision advantage to warfighters.

“That’s the beauty of what software can do for hard power. Delivery doesn’t take years or a decade. Our investments in data, AI, and compute are empowering warfighters today,” she said.

POC - 5th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit

Join the Potomac Officers Club’s 5th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 21 to hear more about cutting-edge AI innovations from government and industry experts. Register here!

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