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CMS Official Rajiv Uppal Named Next IRS Chief Information Officer
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CMS Official Rajiv Uppal Named Next IRS Chief Information Officer

Rajiv Uppal has been selected as the next chief information officer of the Internal Revenue Service.

Uppal, who is currently part of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, will assume his new role in early 2024, the IRS said Wednesday.

At CMS, Uppal is serving as chief information officer and director of the Office of Information Technology. His work at the agency has covered a variety of areas related to IT, including investment planning, program management and strategic planning.

The incoming IRS CIO had also been part of the Department of Homeland Security and, before then, worked in multiple private sector organizations.

IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said the agency’s modernization thrust will benefit from Uppal’s professional background.

“Rajiv’s expertise inside the government, coupled with his work in the private sector, provides a unique skill set that will complement our strong Information Technology team at the IRS,” Werfel added.

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USAID Releases 1st Geospatial Strategy; Samantha Power Quoted
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USAID Releases 1st Geospatial Strategy; Samantha Power Quoted

The U.S. Agency for International Development underscored in a recently released Geospatial Strategy its overall goal of advancing the delivery of international programs through the use of geospatial data and technology.

The agency said Wednesday its first-ever Geospatial Strategy highlights four objectives, one of which is helping USAID gain expanded access to geospatial data and tools.

The other goals are strengthening USAID’s capacity to use geospatial insights for decision-making; integrating geographic information into its policies and practices; and providing global leadership in using geospatial tech for development and humanitarian assistance.

Currently, the agency and its collaborators use geospatial information for delivering improved responses to disease outbreaks, utilize satellite data for quantifying Amazon forest loss and employ custom maps for identifying areas of poverty in assisted countries.

“We have seen the power of geospatial technology to make USAID’s humanitarian and development assistance more effective – from creating interactive maps and dashboards to inform disaster response to using satellite imagery to analyze climate impacts,” said USAID Administrator Samantha Power. “Analysis of geospatial data allows us to uncover insights about local needs, make more informed decisions and better target life-saving assistance.”

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Federal Agencies Release Cybersecurity Advisory on Rhysida Ransomware Attacks
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Federal Agencies Release Cybersecurity Advisory on Rhysida Ransomware Attacks

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the FBI and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center have warned against a ransomware threat group targeting organizations from the government and private sectors.

In a joint cybersecurity advisory, the agencies outlined indicators of compromise of the Rhysida ransomware and provided early detection methods and techniques to prevent ransomware attacks, CISA said Wednesday.

Rhysida actors exploit virtual private networks, phishing campaigns and the Zerologon vulnerability to gain initial access and persistence within a compromised network.

The group has targeted organizations in education, healthcare, manufacturing, information technology and the government.

The CSA contains a set of mitigations aligning with the Cross-Sector Cybersecurity Performance Goals developed by CISA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology to help organizations reduce the likelihood and impact of Rhysida ransomware attacks.

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Jim Free to Succeed Bob Cabana as NASA Associate Administrator
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Jim Free to Succeed Bob Cabana as NASA Associate Administrator

Jim Free, associate administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate since 2021, has been promoted to associate administrator, succeeding Bob Cabana, who is retiring at the end of the year after two years in the position.

Free will serve as senior adviser to the NASA administrator and deputy administrator and oversee the heads of the agency’s 10 centers and five mission directorates, NASA said Wednesday.

He rejoined NASA as associate administrator of exploration systems development in 2021 after spending several years in the private sector.

His previous NASA career included roles such as deputy associate administrator for technical in the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate and director of the Glenn Research Center in Ohio.

Catherine Koerner will succeed Free as associate administrator of exploration systems development and assume responsibility for developing the Moon to Mars architecture.

Koerner previously served as program manager for the Orion spacecraft at the Johnson Space Center.

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cBEYONData’s Bryan Eckle Talks Leadership Strategy & Core Values
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cBEYONData’s Bryan Eckle Talks Leadership Strategy & Core Values

Since he began his career, Bryan Eckle has helped clients upgrade their financial management, procurement, budget and data analytics activities by implementing people, processes and technology. Now, as chief solutions officer of cBEYONData, he leads the company’s team of consultants in their work to improve operations for customers.

Eckle recently participated in an interview with the Potomac Officers Club, in which he highlighted his career inspirations, discussed his core values and shared his thoughts on the current government contracting environment.

In this excerpt from the interview, Eckle describes his strategy for building a successful team:

“It all starts with integrity – without trust, nothing else matters. From there, a client mission focus, adaptability, a continual improvement mindset and teamwork round out my top values. It’s not enough to simply write down values in a document or web page without going further. An organization must live these values in how it hires, incentivizes and makes decisions across all levels of the firm.”

For more on Eckle’s leadership approach, read the full Executive Spotlight interview on the Potomac Officers Club website.

Interested in participating in your own Executive Spotlight interview? This brand-building opportunity is an exclusive perk available to Potomac Officers Club members. To learn more about our membership options and discover which one is right for you, click here.

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Proposed Legislation Seeks to Empower Commerce, Transportation Departments to Authorize Novel Space Activities
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Proposed Legislation Seeks to Empower Commerce, Transportation Departments to Authorize Novel Space Activities

The National Space Council released on Nov. 15 proposed legislation that seeks to confer upon the Department of Transportation and the Department of Commerce the power to authorize novel commercial space activities, which are not covered by the current regulatory regime, SpaceNews reported Wednesday.

Under the present rules, through the Federal Aviation Administration, the DOT oversees human space flight in terms of launches and reentry. Under the proposed rules, the DOT’s oversight extends to commercial space stations and other human space flight missions, including those to other celestial bodies.

The proposed rules also authorize the DOT to regulate in-space transportation missions, like the delivery of items to the surface of the moon.

For its part, the DOC oversees regulation of commercial remote sensing under the present rules. The proposed rules expand the DOC’s authority to cover uncrewed spacecraft and other missions not covered by the DOT.

The DOC would also be responsible for coordinating space traffic, according to a report by Space.com. The DOC would assume this work from the Department of Defense.

Regarding the proposed legislation, Deputy Secretary of Transportation Polly Trottenberg commented, “The FAA remains committed to ensuring novel in-space activities occur safely and efficiently.”

For his part, Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves said, “This legislation ensures that our government will build a regulatory environment that supports commercial expansion to benefit all Americans.”

Congress OKs Stopgap Measure to Keep Government Operational Through Early 2024
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Congress OKs Stopgap Measure to Keep Government Operational Through Early 2024

A continuing resolution is now headed to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature after being passed by Congress to prevent a government shutdown and extend federal operations through early 2024, Reuters reported Wednesday.

The Senate voted 87-11 to approve the stopgap funding measure a day after the House cleared the legislation by a 336-95 vote.

The bill would extend funding through Jan. 19 for veterans benefits, military construction, agriculture, transportation, housing, urban development, water and energy programs and the Food and Drug Administration.

Meanwhile, funding for defense and all other federal operations would end on Feb. 2 under the measure.

In late September, House and Senate lawmakers passed a stopgap bill to keep federal agencies operational at current funding levels through Nov. 17.

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Bipartisan Senate Bill Aims to Drive AI Research, Accountability
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Bipartisan Senate Bill Aims to Drive AI Research, Accountability

Six members of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee have proposed a bipartisan bill that seeks to create a framework to foster innovation in the field of artificial intelligence and improve security and accountability when it comes to developing and operating AI in high-impact applications.

The proposed AI Research, Innovation and Accountability Act of 2023 would direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology to perform research to drive the development of standards that would provide provenance information for online content and help detect and understand emergent properties in AI tools.

“This legislation would bolster the United States’ leadership and innovation in AI while also establishing common-sense safety and security guardrails for the highest-risk AI applications,” Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said in a statement published Wednesday.

Thune introduced the measure with Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; Roger Wicker, R-Miss.; John Hickenlooper, D-Colo.; Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.; and Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M.

The bill would require critical-impact AI organizations to self-certify their compliance with standards prescribed by the Department of Commerce, direct companies to field critical-impact AI to conduct detailed risk assessments and ask NIST to come up with recommendations to agencies for technical, risk-based guardrails on “high-impact” AI platforms.

The legislation would also direct the Commerce Department to create a working group to offer recommendations for the development of consumer education initiatives for AI systems.

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DOD Discloses Results of 6th Annual Financial Audit; Mike McCord Quoted
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DOD Discloses Results of 6th Annual Financial Audit; Mike McCord Quoted

In the sixth annual audit of its consolidated financial statements, the Department of Defense reported that seven of the 29 component agencies received unmodified audit opinions and one secured a qualified opinion.

DOD said Wednesday the consolidated fiscal year 2023 financial audit led to a disclaimer of opinion.

“Auditing the Department’s $3.8 trillion in assets and $4.0 trillion in liabilities is a massive undertaking but the improvements and changes we are making every day as a result of these audits positively affect every soldier, sailor, airman, marine, guardian, and DoD civilian,” said Mike McCord, under secretary of defense (comptroller)/chief financial officer and a previous Wash100 awardee.

According to the department, the U.S. Marine Corps, the DOD Office of Inspector General and the Defense Information Systems Agency Working Capital Fund have yet to receive the results of their financial audits and all other components secured disclaimers of opinion.

DOD evaluated audit progress across the areas of business operations, workforce modernization, enhanced public confidence, reliable networks and quality decision-making.

The department noted that it resolved its fund balance with Treasury material weakness and addressed in FY 2023 three improper payment programs that are designated as high priority.

DOE Invests $444 Million in 16 Projects to Advance CO2 Safe Storage Infrastructure
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DOE Invests $444 Million in 16 Projects to Advance CO2 Safe Storage Infrastructure

The Department of Energy has selected 16 projects across 12 states to receive over $444 million in funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help reduce carbon emissions from industrial operations and power plants.

The awardees will support the Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise initiative and focus on developing and expanding large-scale, commercial carbon storage projects that could securely store 50 million or more metric tons of carbon dioxide for 30 years, DOE said Tuesday.

Nine projects will receive CarbonSAFE Phase II awards to improve procedures to conduct technical, economic and community assessments for potential carbon dioxide storage complexes.

DOE selected seven projects for CarbonSAFE Phase III awards for detailed site characterization, planning and permitting.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said DOE is investing in “responsible carbon storage infrastructure” to address climate change challenges while “revitalizing local economies and delivering cleaner air to the American people.”

The National Energy Technology Laboratory will manage the selected projects.

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