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Dan Jacobs Named Acting CTO at OPM
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Dan Jacobs Named Acting CTO at OPM

Dan Jacobs, an information technology and cybersecurity specialist, has assumed the role of acting chief technology officer at the Office of Personnel Management, he announced in a LinkedIn post.

The executive will leverage his skills and experience in digital services, innovation management, IT governance and low-code development as he serves as the agency’s CTO on an interim basis.

Jacobs joined OPM as principal solutions architect in 2022.

Prior to OPM, he spent five years at the General Services Administration, where he served as director of cloud adoption and cybersecurity and cybersecurity coordinator.

His government career includes time as a senior security architect at the State Department, director of cybersecurity at the Defense Media Activity and deputy director and information assurance division chief at the U.S. Army.

Jacobs’ military involvement extends to a five-year stint in the U.S. Marine Corps. In the private sector, Jacobs was a security systems analyst at Northrop Grumman and tactical communications engineer at CACI International.

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FDA Seeks Comments on Draft IT Strategy
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FDA Seeks Comments on Draft IT Strategy

The Food and Drug Administration has started soliciting feedback on specific goals and objectives outlined in its draft information technology strategy.

The FDA Information Technology Strategy has six goals: creating a shared OneFDA ecosystem; strengthening IT infrastructure; modernizing enterprise services and capabilities; sharing data for mission outcomes; adopting artificial intelligence and mission-driven innovations; and cultivating talent and leadership, according to a Federal Register notice published Tuesday.

Under the first goal, the strategy’s objectives include enhancing communication and collaboration, optimizing investments and promoting transparency.

To strengthen IT infrastructure, specific objectives include accelerating cloud adoption, implementing zero trust approach, ensuring service availability and providing flexible infrastructure offerings. 

FDA is asking interested stakeholders to describe how the IT strategy will impact their industry, identify gaps in the strategy’s goals and objectives and state the challenges and risks they foresee in implementing the strategy.

Comments are due Oct. 30.

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Army’s Enterprise & Data Divisions Team Up for Unified Information Architecture
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Army’s Enterprise & Data Divisions Team Up for Unified Information Architecture

The U.S. Army Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems is collaborating with the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army to move forward with the transition of the branch’s enterprise data architecture from fabric to mesh framework.

PEO EIS and the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Data, Engineering and Software are laying the foundations of the Unified Data Reference Architecture, which is expected to improve the management of massive amounts of information at the service branch.

The data mesh will provide a decentralized platform allowing teams across the Army to take control, ownership and responsibility of their respective data products.

The integrated architecture will serve as a layer connecting different systems and services, which will result in easier sharing, consolidation and virtualization of their information.

The project is led by DASA(DES) software systems architect Dan Andrew and PEO EIS Chief Information Officer Mike Chappell. Their plan is to share information between the two offices so that UDRA can produce real-world case studies, which can be beneficial to the Army acquisition workforce.

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Core4ce CEO Talks Career Background & Leadership Strategy
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Core4ce CEO Talks Career Background & Leadership Strategy

Jack Wilmer currently serves as CEO of Core4ce, where he works to deliver the company’s cybersecurity offerings to federal organizations. He has extensive experience in the public sector, having served within the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security and White House Officer of Science and Technology Policy, and has also held roles in additional private sector companies.

Wilmer recently participated in an interview with the Potomac Officers Club, in which he discussed his career background, reflected on his accomplishments and shared his core values.

In this excerpt from the interview, Wilmer details his approach for building a strong team:

“At Core4ce, we began with the relatively straightforward premise that we want to work with people whom we trust and respect, and we realized early on that valuing trust and respect internally would help us build stronger relationships with our customers. We really want to be that partner that our federal customers can rely on to deliver on our commitments, and I think we’ve succeeded in that. It is also really important for our team members to understand our vision as a corporation and their role in advancing the mission. We host quarterly all hands meetings to provide transparency into corporate performance, openly address any challenges and discuss pathways to growth within the organization. Because we have so many experts across a range of technical disciplines and at the corporate level, we’ve built an environment in which there are a lot of opportunities to learn from one another and for our team members to advance in their careers.”

To learn more about Wilmer’s leadership strategy and values, read the full Executive Spotlight interview on the Potomac Officers Club website.

Do you want to participate in your own Executive Spotlight interview? Join the Potomac Officers Club to take advantage of this brand-building opportunity and gain access to many more perks. To browse our membership options and discover which one is right for you, click here.

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Metron Books DARPA Contract for Compact Radar Systems Development; J. Van Gurley Quoted
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Metron Books DARPA Contract for Compact Radar Systems Development; J. Van Gurley Quoted

Metron, Inc. has received a $2.1 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Strategic Technology Office to help develop compact radar systems.

Under the Beyond Linear Processing award, Metron will experiment with new, nonlinear and iterative signal process approaches to create radar systems that are lighter, smaller and more cost effective than their predecessors, the Reston, Virginia-based company announced on Tuesday.

“Metron is proud to be supporting DARPA’s efforts to deliver cutting-edge innovations for next-generation radar solutions,” said J. Van Gurley, president and CEO of Metron.

“We are pleased to continue our collaboration with DARPA to deliver innovations that enable greater capabilities for the operating forces,” he added.

The BLiP project is divided into two phases, the first of which includes the development, analysis and evaluation of end-to-end radar signal-processing chains in a software test bed that allows end-to-end detection, localization and tracking for multiple targets in complicated environments. Metron will work alongside Duke University and Azure Summit Technology to deliver algorithms, theoretical analysis and the software testbed for this first stage of evaluation.

Phase 2 centers full-scale field implementations, and will use an operational civil radar for real-time testing. During this portion of the process, Metron will work to transition the testbed prototype into a high-performance computing implementation using GPU computational hardware for field testing.

“We are excited to provide our team’s technical expertise in the areas of sensing, signal processing, tracking and software development to accelerate DARPA’s goals for the BLiP program,” stated Dr. Kristine Bell, a distinguished fellow at Metron.

She said that improvements in radar system performance enabled by advanced signal processing and high-performance computing will pave a path for the use of smaller radar packages across air, sea and land applications.

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DHS Garnering Public Feedback on Scientific Integrity Directive
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DHS Garnering Public Feedback on Scientific Integrity Directive

The Department of Homeland Security has made a draft version of its Scientific Integrity Directive available to the public for review and comment, according to Daniel Cotter, senior adviser and scientific integrity official at the DHS Science and Technology Directorate.

Cotter said in a column posted on the DHS website that the release of the draft is the third step in a process prescribed by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to help various agencies formulate their own scientific integrity policies in line with the Biden administration’s efforts to restore public trust in government by basing policymaking on the best available science and data.

Cotter explained that work on the directive began in 2021, with an interim draft being submitted just this past March to the OSTP for review. According to Cotter, the current commenting phase is critical because it allows the public to help ensure the accountability of government agencies.

The DHS official went on to say that comments will be accepted through Oct. 20 and that the final version of the directive will be released in fiscal year 2024.

DHS Garnering Public Feedback on Scientific Integrity Directive

The Potomac Officers Club will host the 2023 Homeland Security Summit on Nov. 15. You can view the speaker lineup and agenda by clicking here and register for the event by clicking here.

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DOD to Establish Energy Storage Systems Campus; Laura Taylor-Kale Quoted
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DOD to Establish Energy Storage Systems Campus; Laura Taylor-Kale Quoted

The Department of Defense will establish an energy storage systems campus aimed at accelerating the transition and development of next generation batteries to support an enlarged domestic capacity for critical materials.

The Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, through its Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization office, selected the University of Texas at Dallas for the three-year, $30 million project, DOD said Monday.

Establishing the campus is among DOD initiatives under the Scaling Capacity and Accelerating Local Enterprises program, which was launched to drive commercial investment and create sustainable technology markets to support national security efforts.

“The SCALE initiative is built on robust research that indicates market pull is needed to transition innovative technologies into new domestic industrial base capability and capacity,” said Laura Taylor-Kale, assistant secretary of defense for industrial base policy. “Our approach of aggregating demand across national security and commercial markets will generate that market pull, drastically reducing timelines to transition and scale emerging technologies.”

The energy storage systems campus has three complementary objectives. Aside from the earlier mentioned goal of advancing next-gen battery development and production, it seeks to optimize current lithium ion-based battery performance and ensure the availability of battery’s raw materials.

It is expected to stimulate more than $200 million in private capital and bring together businesses, universities and trade schools to generate jobs and upskill domestic workforce.

Noteworthy Federal Sales Executives Improving Public Services in 2023
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Noteworthy Federal Sales Executives Improving Public Services in 2023

Federal sales require unique qualifications for products and services needed by various government industries, such as defense, healthcare, intelligence, civilian, and homeland security. Through government contracting, agencies work with federal sales executives and contract leaders to purchase solutions that improve public services and boost industry growth.

 

What are the duties and responsibilities of a federal sales executive?

A federal sales executive handles all the sales activities of an organization with the federal government. Their duties and responsibilities encompass setting sales targets, converting sales leads, conducting market research, exploring new growth opportunities, riding on trends and customer demands, and fostering healthy relationships with existing and new clients.

Take a look at the noteworthy federal sales executives who play crucial roles in the government’s purchase of goods and services to improve public services across local, state, and federal sectors.

 

Federal Sales Executives Improving Public Services in 2023

Note: The following list features esteemed industry leaders selected based on a comprehensive evaluation of their accomplishments, including their strategic vision, demonstrated impact on the industry, innovative contributions, and leadership prowess. However, this is in no way an exhaustive list. The industry is filled with talented professionals making significant contributions, warranting close attention for their achievements and potential impact.

 

Aaron Butler, Vice President of Sales at ID Technologies

Aaron Butler, Vice President of Sales at ID Technologies
Image from ID Technologies

Aaron Butler possesses comprehensive sales qualifications with capabilities in Salesforce, outside sales, account management, and other professional services. He brings in over 15 years of experience in the field, taking on the role of Vice President of Sales at ID Technologies, a CACI Company, in April 2022.

Butler holds a long-standing tenure at ID Technologies, initially joining as a Federal Account Executive for the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security in January 2017. Throughout his stay, he has developed specialties in federal civilian sales, law enforcement, government programs, and accounts. 

 

Craig Herman, Chief Revenue Officer at Aware, Inc.

Craig Herman, Chief Revenue Officer at Aware, Inc.
Image from from www.citybiz.co

Craig Herman has been serving as the Chief Revenue Officer at Aware, Inc. since August 2022. He supervises the revenue generation efforts of the enterprise’s flagship biometrics solutions development across the public and private sectors. One of Herman’s significant contributions was leading Aware’s software subscription growth, boosting the company’s year-to-year revenue by 6%.

Boasting over two decades of sales experience, Herman assumed various sales positions for leading companies, such as Four51.com, ExactTarget, Localytics, 360insights.com, and 3Play Media. His exhaustive industry expertise earned him valuable executive membership at Pavilion, where he actively contributed his skills in marketing, SaaS, and lead generation. 

 

Steve Jacyna, Director at Carahsoft Technology

Steve Jacyna, Director at Carahsoft Technology
Image from LinkedIn

Steve Jacyna has been a critical sales member of Carahsoft Technology since July 2007. He started as an Account Executive, where he gained insights in market potential development, lead generation qualification, and close sales for two years. Jacyna’s initial experience in accounts propelled him in his career, taking on roles such as Account Manager and Team Lead.

As the Director at Carahsoft Technology since January 2014, Jacyna holds a range of sales responsibilities, specializing in the development, expansion, and facilitation of targeted sales and marketing activities. He utilizes his wide range of expertise in government proposal writing, go-to-market strategy creation, and product development. Hence, providing public and commercial customers with the hardware and software required by organizations.

 

Thomas Stamos, Regional Vice President of Federal Sales at Zscaler

Thomas Stamos, Regional Vice President of Federal Sales at Zscaler
Image from LinkedIn

Since January 2020, Thomas Stamos has held the position of Regional Vice President of Federal Sales at Zscaler. He has been an influential figure in the federal market, having over 25 years of service in solving the toughest problems of various government agencies concerning modernization and transformation.

Stamos’ earlier experience in federal sales includes serving as the Named Account Manager and National Account Manager at EMC and Veritas Software, respectively. He focuses on the federal sector which expanded his sales capabilities, serving in senior leadership positions at FBR Capital Markets, Symantec, and Cisco Systems.

 

Matt Parsons, Vice President of Civilian Sales at RavenTek

Matt Parsons, Vice President of Civilian Sales at RavenTek
Image from LinkedIn

Matt Parsons currently serves as the Vice President of Civilian Sales at RavenTek, assuming the position in January 2021. Previously, he was the company’s Director of Federal Civilian Sales for more than a year. It was there where he actively shared his industry knowledge in enterprise storage, cloud computing, and virtualization.

Before joining RavenTek, Parsons undertook various duties in marketing, accounts, and data architecture for companies. These included the Corporate Executive Board, Appian, IronBrick, Packet360, Presidio, and Oracle. More recently, he managed federal and commercial accounts as the Major Account Executive and Major Account Manager at Riverbed Technology and Dell, respectively.

NIST Publishes Guidance on De-Identifying Government Datasets
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NIST Publishes Guidance on De-Identifying Government Datasets

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has released guidance on removing identifiers from government datasets to limit disclosure risks to specific individuals.

NIST Special Publication 800-188 aims to guide government agencies in using de-identification tools, techniques and processes to reduce privacy risks associated with collecting and publishing government data, the agency said Thursday.

Authored by experts from NIST and the U.S. Census Bureau, the guidance outlines practices for traditional de-identification approaches and formal privacy methods. The guidance also addresses other methods for making government datasets with sensitive information available to researchers and the public.

NIST recommends that agencies evaluate their goals and assess the potential privacy risks posed by releasing de-identified data before using de-identification techniques.

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Jennifer Fain Nominated for FDIC Inspector General Post
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Jennifer Fain Nominated for FDIC Inspector General Post

President Joe Biden has nominated Jennifer Fain, most recently deputy inspector general at the Export-Import Bank of the U.S., to serve as IG of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Fain provided oversight of EXIM’s operations, programs and team of auditors and analysts for nearly three years as acting IG, the White House said Friday.

The certified internal auditor previously served as assistant IG for audits and evaluations and deputy assistant IG for inspections and evaluations within the export credit agency’s office of the inspector general.

Fain, who has been serving in the IG community for more than two decades, held leadership roles in inspection, audit and evaluation offices at the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

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