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PDDNI Stacey Dixon and HII’s Andy Green Named to 2024 Wash100 List
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PDDNI Stacey Dixon and HII’s Andy Green Named to 2024 Wash100 List

Executive Mosaic is pleased to welcome Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Dr. Stacey Dixon and Andy Green, an executive vice president of HII and president of the HII Mission Technologies division, to its Wash100 Class of 2024.

Each year, the Wash100 list recognizes the most influential, distinguished and promising executives in the U.S. federal government and the government contracting industry. These individuals are the ones to watch in the coming year as they continue to deliver positive impacts to critical government missions and initiatives.

Dr. Dixon earned her fifth consecutive Wash100 recognition this year for her important contributions to helping the U.S. intelligence community achieve information advantage. In 2021, Dr. Dixon won the Wash100 popular vote contest after receiving record-breaking votes and participation from the GovCon community. Read more about Dr. Dixon and why she was selected as a 2024 Wash100 Award winner here. 

Green secured his sixth Wash100 Award this year for his “leadership in advancing strategic growth through major contract wins and pushing innovation in support of warfighters,” according to his Wash100 profile. Under Green’s leadership, HII hit $5.4 billion in new contract awards and $2.8 billion in revenue during the third quarter of 2023, and the company secured key contracts with U.S. military branches and combatant commands. 

Vote for Dr. Stacey Dixon and Andy Green in this year’s Wash100 popular vote competition! Only one 2024 Wash100 winner can be the popular vote champion — who will it be? Cast your ten votes at Wash100.com today. 

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FCC’s Consumer Advisory Committee for 2024 to Zone In on AI Tech; Jessica Rosenworcel Quoted
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FCC’s Consumer Advisory Committee for 2024 to Zone In on AI Tech; Jessica Rosenworcel Quoted

The Federal Communications Commission is reviving its consumer advisory committee — known as the CAC — to address artificial intelligence and new issues impacting customer protection.

The agency announced Tuesday that the twelfth batch of the CAC will be comprised of 28 new and returning members, including co-chairs Claudia Ruiz, senior civil rights policy analyst at UnidosUS, and John Breyault, vice president of public policy, telecommunications and fraud at the National Consumers League.

The panel was relaunched amid growing concern over the exploitation of AI technologies to compromise consumer privacy. The 2024 members will convene for the first time on April 4.

“As AI rapidly advances, illegal calls utilize more sophisticated tactics, and too many communications tools potentially leave limited-English speakers behind, we are committed to actively engaging these challenges and opportunities today and looking into the future,” FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel explained. “I look forward to the work the committee will do and hearing their recommendations for now the Commission can advance these efforts to help and protect consumers.”

NASA Names University Teams Selected to Conduct Aeronautical Research
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NASA Names University Teams Selected to Conduct Aeronautical Research

Five additional university teams will participate in a NASA program to conduct real-world aeronautical research to help the agency develop next-generation aviation technologies.

Research teams from the University of California, Berkeley; Ohio University; The George Washington University; Cornell University; and the University of Washington, Seattle will submit proposals for the two lines of efforts of NASA’s University Innovation project, the agency said Wednesday.

UC Berkeley, Ohio University and GW were selected for the University Leadership Initiative, which provides $18 million in funding for the next three years to help the awardees build their multidisciplinary teams and create their agenda for aeronautics research.

Cornell University and the University of Washington, Seattle will participate in the new cycle of the University Student Research Challenge that offers a grant worth up to $80,000 for new research ideas to solve technical challenges in aviation.

“The idea is to give students, faculty and their partners the chance to conduct research – both physical and digital – that helps us realize our vision for 21st century aviation that is sustainable and offers more diverse air travel options,” said Koushik Datta, University Innovation project manager for NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate.

Arizona State University to Help Lead Semiconductor Supply Chain Diversification Initiative
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Arizona State University to Help Lead Semiconductor Supply Chain Diversification Initiative

The State Department Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs has awarded Arizona State University a $13.8 million cooperative agreement under the International Technology Security and Innovation, or ITSI, Fund to help lead a new initiative to diversify the global semiconductor supply chain.

ASU’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering will support the State Department in leading a new multi-regional initiative to boost the semiconductor assembly, testing and packaging capabilities in ITSI partner countries in the Americas and Indo-Pacific, the State Department said Tuesday.

The effort will focus on enabling ITSI partners to invest in the semiconductor sector and advance workforce capacity to create new talent pipelines.

The initiative is meant to equip workforce development programs to assist partner nations in building workforce skills necessary to advance technology and spur economic growth.

ITSI was created by the CHIPS Act of 2022 to provide the State Department with $500 million in funding over five years to develop secure and trustworthy telecommunications networks and diversify the semiconductor supply chain.

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Bradley Brooker to Assume General Counsel Role at FBI
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Bradley Brooker to Assume General Counsel Role at FBI

Bradley Brooker, a national security legal adviser with two decades of combined industry and government experience, has been named general counsel and head of the Office of the General Counsel at the FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

He will assume his new position in early March and oversee the bureau’s office that provides legal advice on investigative and administrative operations, the FBI said Tuesday.

Before his appointment, Brooker was deputy general counsel in the OGC and head of the FBI’s National Security and Cyber Law Branch.

In this role, he advised the FBI senior leadership team on the oversight, compliance and privacy programs related to national security, cyber threats, terrorism and espionage.

Prior to joining the FBI, Brooker served as principal deputy general counsel at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. He took on the position after serving twice as ODNI’s acting general counsel.

Earlier in his career, Brooker served as a law clerk for a judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and a judge in the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.

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CNAS EVP Paul Scharre on Large Language Models, Other Emerging AI Tech
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CNAS EVP Paul Scharre on Large Language Models, Other Emerging AI Tech

Top officials at the Department of Defense met with technology industry leaders at a four-day symposium that kicked off Tuesday in Washington to talk about the potential military applications of LLMs or large language models and other emerging artificial intelligence technologies, The Washington Post reported.

Paul Scharre, executive vice president at the Center for a New American Security, said the flexibility of LLMs to manage diverse tasks is one of the factors that has excited officials at the Pentagon.

“Most AI systems have been narrow AI,” Scharre, a former DOD official, said at the symposium. “They are able to do one task right. AlphaGo was able to play Go. Facial recognition systems could recognize faces. But that’s all they can do. Whereas language seems to be this bridge toward more general-purpose abilities.”

Scharre also noted that AI models of China are about 18 to 24 months behind U.S.-built AI systems.

“U.S. technology sanctions are top of mind for them,” he said. “They’re very eager to find ways to reduce some of these tensions between the U.S. and China, and remove some of these restrictions on U.S. technology like chips going to China.”

Craig Martell, head of DOD’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office and a 2024 Wash100 awardee, talked at the event and highlighted the role of industry in helping DOD develop its AI models.

U.S. Navy Capt. M. Xavier Lugo, mission commander of CDAO’s Task Force Lima, Shannon Gallagher, a Carnegie Mellon researcher and Nathan VanHoudnos, another Carnegie Mellon scientist, joined Martell and Scharre at the symposium to discuss LLMs and other AI technologies.

POC - 5th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit

Scharre will join a panel discussion at the Potomac Officers Club’s 5th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 21. Register to hear federal leaders and industry experts discuss the latest developments in the field. 

DOE Distributes $61M in SBIR, STTR Phase II Grants for Renewable Energy Projects
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DOE Distributes $61M in SBIR, STTR Phase II Grants for Renewable Energy Projects

The Department of Energy is financing 50 projects led by small businesses across 17 states with $61 million in grants to support clean energy generation and storage research and development.

The awards are given through DOE’s Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs and will focus on Phase II studies, the agency announced Tuesday.

DOE’s Office of Science chose projects that specialized in advanced materials and scientific instruments as well as renewable power conversion and storage.

The recipients of the grants include quantum computing developer ColdQuanta, Amethyst Research, Metrolaser, Robot Nose Corp., Amsen Technologies, Innosys and CapeSym.

Their proposals promise innovations such as a holographic microscope for studying microparticles in plants to improve their health and productivity, cost-effective production processes for polymer-based refractive X–ray optics and reinforced anion exchange membranes for solar and hydrogen power generators.

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NSA Cybersecurity Director Rob Joyce to Retire by End of March
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NSA Cybersecurity Director Rob Joyce to Retire by End of March

Rob Joyce, director of cybersecurity at the National Security Agency and a two-time Wash100 awardee, will retire from NSA after 34 years of service.

He will step down as head of the Cybersecurity Directorate, or CSD, and deputy national manager for national security systems by the end of March, NSA said Tuesday.

Joyce joined the directorate in 2021 after serving as NSA’s top cryptologic representative in the U.K.

His previous positions include special assistant to the president within the National Security Council, cybersecurity coordinator at the White House, acting homeland security adviser and head of the Tailored Access Operations at NSA.

David Luber, deputy director of NSA’s Cybersecurity Directorate, will succeed Joyce as head of CSD.

Luber, who has been with NSA for over three decades, previously served as executive director for U.S. Cyber Command.

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Cubic Awarded Navy Contract for KnightLink Systems Procurement
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Cubic Awarded Navy Contract for KnightLink Systems Procurement

Cubic‘s defense business has secured a $41.7 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract from the U.S. Navy to equip the Naval Air Systems Command’s MH-60 Sierra helicopter fleet with KnightLink full motion video system.

The company said Tuesday the KnightLink software is designed to support operational, flight test, laboratory aid and maintenance activities while its hardware comprises weapons replaceable assemblies and applicable cabling.

Cubic Defense will also deliver additional hardware, interim sparing and peculiar ground support equipment to NAVAIR to support KnightLink’s deployment. The move is aimed at enhancing operations and fleet operability.

According to a Department of Defense release, 72 percent of contract work will be conducted at the company’s Huntsville, Alabama-based facility and deliveries are expected to wrap up by September 2025.

“The KnightLink system for the MH-60S is a testament to the continued success of our low-rate production program and how the system enables mission capability at the highest level, thanks to robust hardware advancements that provide improved FMV acquisition and dissemination,” said Russ Marsh, vice president and general manager of secure communications at Cubic Defense.

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House Establishes Bipartisan AI Task Force
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House Establishes Bipartisan AI Task Force

The House has formed a bipartisan task force that will explore how Congress can help the U.S. maintain its innovative edge in the field of artificial intelligence while advancing guardrails that could help protect the country from emerging and current threats.

The new Task Force on Artificial Intelligence will be led by Reps. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., and Ted Lieu, D-Calif., and will come up with a report detailing recommendations, guiding principles and bipartisan policy proposals.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement published Tuesday the task force will be composed of members who represent key committees of jurisdiction and have AI expertise.

“As we look to the future, Congress must continue to encourage innovation and maintain our country’s competitive edge, protect our national security, and carefully consider what guardrails may be needed to ensure the development of safe and trustworthy technology,” the speaker added.

Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., each named 12 members to the recently formed AI task force.

POC - 5th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit

Register here to attend the Potomac Officers Club’s 5th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 21 and hear federal leaders and industry experts discuss the latest developments in the field.

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