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Scott Kupor Confirmed as New OPM Chief
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Scott Kupor received Senate confirmation for the OPM director role

The Senate on Wednesday voted 49-46 to confirm Scott Kupor, managing partner at venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, to be the next director of the Office of Personnel Management.

Federal News Network reported that Kupor will take over responsibilities from Charles Ezell, who has been serving as acting director of OPM since January.

According to FNN, Kupor will be in charge of advancing the Trump administration’s proposed changes to the federal workforce. OPM has initiated several changes, including updating performance management standards, revising the rules concerning federal probationary periods and adding a new Schedule Policy/Career employment classification.

Designing a Talent Recruitment & Management System for Federal Employees

In April, Kupor appeared before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and said that if confirmed for the post, he said he would design and establish a “talent recruitment, development and management system that empowers federal employees to provide the best services to all Americans – one in which innovative thinking and efficiency drive decision-making and personal growth opportunities.”

In his prepared remarks, he told lawmakers that he will work with Congress, the president and government agencies to get the fiscal house in order.

Kupor also highlighted the importance of incentives, accountability, communication, leadership, culture and transparency during his confirmation hearing. 

Who Is Scott Kupor?

At Andreessen Horowitz, Kupor was responsible for the firm’s growth initiatives, investor relations team and growth-stage companies in the bio and healthcare industries.

Before joining the venture capital firm, he served as vice president and general manager of software-as-a-service at Hewlett Packard.

Prior to HP, the newly confirmed OPM director worked at Opsware, where he held executive management roles, including senior VP of global field operations, VP of financial planning and VP of corporate development.

The author of the book “Secrets of Sand Hill Road: Venture Capital and How to Get It” sits on the boards of several companies, including Cedar, Formation Bio, Foursquare, Headway, Labster, SnapLogic, Talkiatry, Tanium and Ultima.

Kupor holds a bachelor’s degree in public policy and a law degree from Stanford University.

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Senate Confirms Preston Griffith as Under Secretary of Energy
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Preston Griffith was confirmed as the new under secretary of energy

The Senate voted 54-43 to confirm the nomination of Preston Griffith, a former special assistant to the president for international energy and environment policy, as under secretary at the Department of Energy. The vote occurred on Wednesday with three senators casting no votes.

Who Is Preston Griffith?

Prior to President Donald Trump’s nomination, Griffith spent over four years at FTI Consulting, where he was the managing director for the past two years and the senior director before that. The executive also served as managing director and senior adviser to the CEO for energy at the International Development Finance Corporation. He advised on investments and developments in the energy market while coordinating with various government agencies to garner support for the DFC’s initiatives.

Griffith concurrently served in the White House as special assistant to the president and senior director for energy and environment at the National Security Council and National Economic Council. Before that, he was with the Energy Department as acting assistant secretary and principal deputy assistant secretary, providing advice to the secretary, deputy secretary and other senior DOE officials on the development and implementation of foreign energy policies and other issues.

Earlier in his career, Griffith was heavily involved with the Republican Party, helping the campaigns of several politicians.

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Hegseth’s Memo Directs Military to Equip Warfighters With US-Built Drones
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DOD Secretary Pete Hegseth’s memo seeks to bolster U.S. military drone dominance

Pete Hegseth, secretary of the Department of Defense and a 2025 Wash100 awardee, has released a memorandum outlining DOD’s approach to driving U.S. military drone dominance.

In early June, President Donald Trump signed and issued an executive order that seeks to strengthen U.S. leadership in the development and commercialization of unmanned aircraft systems.

Defense Secretary Rescinds DOD Policies That Hindered Drone Production

In the July 10 memo, Hegseth wrote that DOD is “going above and beyond” the EO by overturning several policies that limited drone production and access.

“I am rescinding restrictive policies that hindered production and limited access to these vital technologies, unleashing the combined potential of American manufacturing and warfighter ingenuity. I am delegating authorities to procure and operate drones from the bureaucracy to our warfighters,” Hegseth noted.

Breaking Defense reported that the defense secretary is rescinding several Pentagon policies, including the 2022 “Exception to Policy Requirement for Blue Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems” memo that details conditions where a governmentwide commercial purchase card can be used to buy small drones and a 2021 memo that provides procedures for the operation and procurement of drones to implement the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act’s Section 848.

Pentagon’s Threefold Approach to Driving US Military Drone Leadership

According to Hegseth, DOD will approve hundreds of American products for procurement by the U.S. military to strengthen the U.S. drone manufacturing base.

“Leveraging private capital flows that support this industry, our overt preference is to Buy American,” he added.

The Pentagon will equip combat units with low-cost drones produced by American engineers and artificial intelligence experts to advance a “technological leapfrog.”

“Drone dominance is a process race as much as a technological race. Modern battlefield innovation demands a new procurement strategy that fuses manufacturers with our frontline troops,” Hegseth noted.

The DOD official highlighted the need for training and called on senior officers to address the “bureaucracy’s instinctive risk-aversion” to budgeting, training and weaponizing.

“Next year I expect to see this capability integrated into all relevant combat training, including force-on-force drone wars,” he added.

Hegseth noted that the department is now investigating the investment methods outlined in the EO to address the need for drones.

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NASA Names Instruments for Integration Into Artemis Lunar Terrain Vehicle
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NASA identifies tools for integration into the Artemis Lunar Terrain Vehicle.

NASA has selected three instruments that will be deployed to the lunar surface. Two of the instruments will be attached to the Artemis Lunar Terrain Vehicle during its mission to explore the moon, while the remaining will be used on a future orbital mission, NASA said Thursday.

The LTV is part of NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to send astronauts back to the moon for the first time in over 50 years. The LTV can carry two astronauts or operate remotely without a crew to achieve more of the space agency’s science and exploration goals.

“The science instruments selected for the LTV will make discoveries that inform us about Earth’s nearest neighbor as well as benefit the health and safety of our astronauts and spacecraft on the Moon,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.

Selected Artemis Lunar Terrain Vehicle Instruments

The first instrument, called the Artemis Infrared Reflectance and Emission Spectrometer, will look for minerals and volatiles, such as water, ammonia or carbon dioxide on the moon. It will capture spectral data overlaid on visible light images of both specific features of interest and broad panoramas to discover the distribution of minerals and volatiles across the moon’s south polar region.

The second, the Lunar Microwave Active-Passive Spectrometer, will look beneath the lunar surface and search for possible locations of ice. The tool will use a spectrometer and a ground-penetrating radar to measure temperature, density and subsurface structures to more than 131 feet below the surface.

Combining the data from AIRES and L-MAPS will provide a picture of the lunar surface and subsurface components to support human exploration and reveal more information about the history of rocky worlds in our solar system.

NASA also selected the Ultra-Compact Imaging Spectrometer for a future orbital mission. The instrument will provide regional context for LTV discoveries and map the moon’s geology and volatiles.

“With these instruments riding on the LTV and in orbit, we will be able to characterize the surface not only where astronauts explore, but also across the south polar region of the Moon, offering exciting opportunities for scientific discovery and exploration for years to come,” said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration in NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.

The space agency has been working with Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost and Venturi Astrolab to complete their preliminary design reviews of their proposed LTVs. A final decision on which design will be deployed for the demonstration mission will be made in the coming months.

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AUVSI Adds WingtraRAY to Green UAS Cleared List
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The WingtraRAY has been added to the the AUVSI's Green UAS Cleared List.

The WingtraRAY has been added to the Green UAS Cleared List of the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International, or AUVSI. In a press release issued Thursday, AUVSI said that the inclusion of the drone to the list means that it complies with cybersecurity and National Defense Authorization Act supply chain regulations under the Department of Defense and Executive Order 14307, “Unleashing American Drone Dominance.”   

What Is the WingtraRAY?

The WingtraRAY is a drone built for survey professionals and is designed to handle high-demand operations. The drone can fly safely over people, capture detailed maps with high-quality sensors, and make it easy to manage and use the data it collects.

What Is the Green UAS Cleared List?

The Green UAS Cleared List helps industry stakeholders determine if a commercial drone is safe and secure to use. When a non-military drone on the list gets a military sponsor, it can also be part of the Department of Defense’s Blue UAS list, which is the military’s official list of approved drones. Manufacturers of individual drone parts can also be reviewed and considered for inclusion on the Blue UAS list if they share their information with AUVSI.

Remarks From AUVSI’s Casie Ocana

Commenting of the addition of WingtraRAY to the list, Casie Ocana, vice president of public affairs and certifications at AUVSI, said, “With the WingtraRAY now Green UAS cleared, surveyors, government agencies, and contractors have access to a secure, high-performance platform ready for deployment today, not months or years down the line. It’s another step forward in our mission to build a resilient, trusted uncrewed systems ecosystem.”

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House Legislators Propose Nunn-McCurdy Reform to Address Budget Overruns at DOD
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The bipartisan Nunn-McCurdy Reform Act of 2025 is designed to address budget overruns at DOD

Reps. John Garamendi, D-Calif., and Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., have proposed updates to a decades-old law to minimize overspending at the Department of Defense.

The Nunn-McCurdy Reform Act of 2025 would require the Pentagon to report to Congress if a major acquisition program exceeds its projected costs and, potentially, minimize excessive spending.

What the Nunn-McCurdy Reform Act of 2025 Might Improve

The Nunn-McCurdy Act was passed in 1982 under then-President Ronald Reagan. It tasks the DOD to notify Congress whenever a major acquisition program goes 15 percent over its baseline cost estimate. Once project spending goes past 25 percent of the cost estimate, the defense secretary will not only notify lawmakers but also terminate the program.

However, the law in its present form reportedly rarely ever leads to project cancellations.

“The defense secretary has the unilateral authority to just recertify a program and keep it moving, without really having to do anything to address the root causes,” explained Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, director of government affairs at Project on Government Oversight, which is an organization that investigates corruption and abuse of power.

If the Nunn-McCurdy Reform Act of 2025 is passed, it would restrict funding for projects that frequently go over budget.

“In the reform proposal, if a program hits two critical breaches, then it’s just canceled automatically. Congress can choose, if it wants, to reauthorize the fund, reauthorize the program, and reappropriate the funds to continue the program,” Hedtler-Gaudette added.

The reform also aims to shorten the time the Pentagon would be required to report cost breaches and increase transparency by mandating the defense secretary to publish cost growth reports on the DOD website.

In addition, the bill would designate major acquisition programs comprising two or more end items that are projected to cost over $500 million as separate sub-components.

“For years, far too many wasteful projects have gone forward without accountability, costing taxpayers billions upon billions of dollars, despite clear laws requiring them to report cost overruns to Congress,” commented Garamendi. “The Nunn-McCurdy Reform Act finally does what the original law was meant to do.”

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AFRL Seeks Input on Potential $950M Advanced Cyber Effects for Strategic Operations Contract
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AFRL seeks industry input on a potential $950 million Advanced Cyber Effects for Strategic Operations contract

The Department of the Air Force’s Air Force Research Laboratory has started conducting market research for a potential $950 million Advanced Cyber Effects for Strategic Operations, or ACESO, contract.

AFRL Seeks Input on Potential $950M Advanced Cyber Effects for Strategic Operations Contract

Get the scoop on top air and space defense efforts such as the Advanced Cyber Effects for Strategic Operations initiative at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Air and Space Summit on July 31.

Advanced Cyber Effects for Strategic Operations Contract Details

According to the advanced research announcement posted on SAM.gov Thursday, AFRL seeks to develop prototypes of cyber technologies that will be integrated into operational Department of Defense platforms to strengthen cyber warfare capabilities.

The pre-solicitation notice also indicated that the total funding for the project is $950 million. Individual awards are not expected to exceed 60 months and will be valued at $10 million to $50 million, with the possibility of reaching $100 million.

AFRL plans to award the project to multiple contractors. Interested vendors have until July 10, 2030, to submit their responses.

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4 Leading DOD Cyber Officials in 2025
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Discover more about these visionary cybersecurity officials serving in DOD in 2025

DOD cyber officials serve on the front lines of safeguarding the U.S. against an increasingly complex and persistent range of cyber threats. As adversaries develop advanced cyber capabilities aimed at compromising military systems, critical infrastructure and national security, these officials serve as the strategic and operational leaders guiding the nation’s defense in cyberspace.

These esteemed public servants oversee the development and execution of cyber strategies, ensuring the resilience of DOD networks and directing efforts to detect, deter and respond to malicious cyber activity. Their leadership is essential to maintaining secure communications, protecting sensitive data and ensuring the operational readiness of U.S. forces.

These leaders were selected for shaping and influencing national cybersecurity strategy and policy, overseeing critical operations and directly defending DOD networks. They were chosen for their consistent accomplishments in cyber and their leadership, innovation and vision.

Discover more about their work, which forms a vital pillar in the broader defense of the nation’s digital and physical security.

Learn about cutting edge cyber defense strategies at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Navy Summit on August 26! Discover the latest cybersecurity requirements at the Consolidating the Digital Frontier: Modernizing Navy IT for a Unified Ecosystem panel. Be the first to hear about new business opportunities during a keynote address by Vice Adm. Karl Thomas, deputy chief of naval operations for information warfare, N2N6, and director of naval intelligence. Sign up today for this can’t-miss GovCon event for cybersecurity professionals! 

4 Leading DOD Cyber Officials in 2025

David McKeown

Department of Defense

McKeown, performing the duties of DOD deputy chief information officer for cyber and chief information security officer, is leading an effort to improve the cybersecurity posture of weapon systems across DOD combatant commands, according to Breaking Defense.

A two-time Wash100 Award winner, McKeown believes these cybersecurity assessment scorecards will provide mission-focused risk ratings highlighting vulnerabilities without overwhelming operators. Rather than broad assessments, the scorecards aim to pinpoint “red” areas of concern, helping warfighters understand how attacks could affect operations. 

“[The combatant commands] need to know the risks that they’re incurring across all of those systems,” McKeown said during the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Cyber Summit in May. “We do an analysis of a weapons system, and we publish it, but I don’t think the combatant commands really understand the impacts of their mission. So we’re going to try to drive in more mission impact analysis.”

The initiative includes wargame scenarios where personnel practice missions without compromised cyber functions. Scorecard development involves collaboration between the CIO office, the Strategic Cybersecurity Program, and acquisition and sustainment divisions. The effort aligns with the broader objective of achieving zero trust systems by 2035.
 

4 Leading DOD Cyber Officials in 2025

Laurie Buckhout

Department of Defense

Buckhout is performing the duties of both the assistant secretary and deputy assistant secretary of defense for cyber policy. She has established herself as a leader in electronic warfare, cyberspace and electromagnetic spectrum through her 30 years of experience in government, defense and industry.

In her written testimony to a House panel on May 16, she stressed that adversaries like China, Russia, Iran and North Korea are increasing their cyber sophistication, posing threats to critical infrastructure, military readiness and global stability. Buckhout emphasized the importance of implementing zero trust architecture, improving real-time cyber situational awareness and strengthening command and control for cyber operations.

Some of her key priorities include enhancing cyber resilience across weapons systems, investing in a skilled cyber workforce, integrating commercial innovation and aligning acquisition with secure-by-design principles. She highlights the need for close collaboration between DOD, Congress and industry to ensure the U.S. maintains a competitive advantage in cyberspace.

Buckhout is a retired U.S. Army colonel with 26 years of global service, including leading a battalion-level task force during the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003. Following her military retirement, she founded Corvus Consulting, a strategic firm focused on cyberspace and electronic warfare.

She previously served as president of the Association of Old Crows, the international electronic warfare organization, and worked as a special government employee for the Department of Commerce.

The Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Navy Summit on August 26 is a unique opportunity to grow your GovCon cybersecurity business. Strike up opportunities for collaboration with other GovCon titans at the Zero Trust and Beyond: Securing the Navy’s Information Environment panel. Learn Navy Chief Information Officer Jane Rathbun’s FY 2026 budget priorities during her keynote address. Check out the latest offerings from leading sponsors such as SAIC, ManTech and Fortress. Secure your seat now for this action-packed GovCon event!

4 Leading DOD Cyber Officials in 2025

Lt. Gen. Paul Stanton

Defense Information Systems Agency

Stanton is leading a transformation of the DOD Information Network, or DODIN. In January, he issued a DODIN command operational framework execution order that empowers commanders and directors across 45 DODIN areas of operations, encompassing some 3.5 million endpoints, to manage defensive cyber operations locally.

Stanton believes this decentralization will enhance risk management, prioritize critical applications and data and move the cyber defense posture from reactive “whack‑a‑mole” tactics to proactive and even offensive campaigning, according to Federal News Network. The initiative leverages data analytics and AI to accelerate threat response and offensive readiness.

Stanton serves in a dual-hatted role as DOD Cyber Defense Command, or DCDC, chief and Defense Information Systems Agency director. As DCDC chief, he leads coordinated efforts across the DOD to secure, operate and defend the DODIN. He sets DODIN operational priorities, guides threat-informed planning and strategic initiatives and oversees the command and control of daily network operations, cybersecurity measures and defensive cyber activities.

In his role as DISA director, Stanton oversees a global workforce of over 20,000 military personnel, civilians and contractors. This team delivers critical communications support to the president, secretary of defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff and combatant commanders. DISA provides joint, interoperable command and control capabilities serving more than 200,000 warfighters in over 150 countries.

4 Leading DOD Cyber Officials in 2025

Lt. Gen. William Hartman

National Security Agency

Hartman is serving in a dual-hatted role as acting CYBERCOM chief while performing the duties of National Security Agency director and Central Security Service chief.

Hartman is proposing a streamlining of U.S. Cyber Command to have it more resemble U.S. Special Operations Command. In May testimony to a House panel, Hartman said his office evaluated three models—an independent cyber service, siloed service-specific cyber units, and a SOCOM-style structure—and favored the latter for improved interoperability and efficiency, according to Breaking Defense.

Hartman is a big supporter of prioritizing partnerships in effective proactive cyber defense. He believes CYBERCOM gains an asymmetric advantage in protecting the U.S. by synchronizing with other agencies and collaborating with international allies through small deployment teams.

Hartman is a proponent of teaming with allies on cyber, emphasizing that collaboration with smart foreign counterparts demonstrates U.S. commitment to cybersecurity and yields effective defense outcomes. Hartman believes partnerships across government and industry are critical to scaling global cyber operations as demand for such engagements is increasing.

4 Leading DOD Cyber Officials in 2025
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Sean Duffy Named Interim NASA Administrator
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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has been named NASA's interim chief

Reuters reported Wednesday that President Donald Trump appointed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy as interim NASA administrator.

“Sean is doing a TREMENDOUS job in handling our Country’s Transportation Affairs … He will be a fantastic leader of the ever more important Space Agency, even if only for a short period of time,” the president said on Truth Social.

In May, Trump withdrew the nomination of billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman for the top post at the space agency. Isaacman is a close ally of SpaceX Founder and CEO Elon Musk.

Who Is Sean Duffy?

In January, Duffy was sworn in as the 20th secretary of the Department of Transportation after the Senate voted 77-22 to confirm his nomination.

Duffy served in Congress for 10 years as the representative for Wisconsin’s 7th District. The Republican served on the House Financial Services Committee and helped address local transportation concerns through his co-chairmanship of the Great Lakes Task Force.

Before serving as a congressman, he spent a decade as the district attorney of Ashland County in Wisconsin.

After leaving Congress, the Wisconsin native hosted the Fox Business show “The Bottom Line with Dagen and Duffy.”

The DOT secretary and NASA’s acting administrator has a marketing degree from St. Mary’s University and a juris doctorate degree from William Mitchell College of Law.

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Senate Confirms Bryan Bedford as FAA Head
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The Senate confirms Bryan Bedford as FAA administrator.

The Senate voted 59-43 to confirm Bryan Bedford, the current CEO of Republic Airways, as the next Federal Aviation Administration head. The vote occurred on Wednesday, with Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., as the only Democrat who voted in favor of Bedford despite objections from her colleagues about his past positions on pilot training hours.

According to a report from Politico, Democrats expressed concerns about Bedford’s previous attempts to secure an exception to the FAA’s rule requiring pilots to have 1,500 hours of training before they can operate commercial jets.

Who Is Bryan Bedford?

Bedford brings decades of experience as an airline executive, including in some of the largest regional airlines in North America. He has led Republic Airways since 1999, during which he played a key role in helping the carrier grow from $85 million in revenue to more than $1.3 billion, Fox Business reported. Before joining Republic Airways, Bedford was the chief executive of Mesaba Airlines and Business Express Airlines.

In 1997 and 2004, he was named Airline Executive of the Year by Regional Airline World.

Bedford, who holds multi-engine and instrument pilot ratings, earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from Florida State University.

Following his confirmation as FAA head, he will replace Chris Rocheleau, who has been serving as the agency chief in an acting capacity since Jan. 29, when a U.S. Army helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet collided, resulting in the death of 67 individuals.

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