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SBA, GSA Combine Programs to Pool Small Disadvantaged Businesses for Contracting Opportunities; Isabella Casillas Guzman Quoted
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SBA, GSA Combine Programs to Pool Small Disadvantaged Businesses for Contracting Opportunities; Isabella Casillas Guzman Quoted

The Small Business Administration partnered with the General Services Administration to create a new program that would increase the number of federal contracts awarded to small, disadvantaged businesses.

The initiative combines SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program and GSA’s Multiple Award Schedule Program, SBA said Thursday.

The 8(a) Multiple Award Schedule Pool Initiative will qualify 8(a)-certified SDBs and declare if they are eligible for sole-source and competitive set-aside awards. The process is expected to make them easier to locate for government buyers.

“This joint initiative between the SBA and GSA will increase federal contracting opportunities for thousands of minority-owned and other small, disadvantaged businesses, highlighting the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to equity in procurement and delivering against President Biden’s ambitious goal,” SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman remarked.

GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan highlighted the initiative’s benefits to both the government and the small business sector. “We’re excited about this new pool that will make it easier for federal acquisition professionals to find them, buy from them, help them create jobs, and advance agency missions across government.”

HII Shipbuilding Business Completes RCOH & Redelivery of USS George Washington
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HII Shipbuilding Business Completes RCOH & Redelivery of USS George Washington

HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division has returned the USS George Washington to the U.S. Navy following the completion of its refueling and complex overhaul.

The Nimitz-class nuclear-powered vessel is expected to replace the USS Ronald Reagan as the forward-deployed Naval Forces-Japan aircraft carrier in 2024, the service branch said Thursday.

The USS Washington, also known as CVN 73, was the original FDNF-J aircraft carrier deployed in 2008. It was relieved by the USS Reagan in 2015.

In 2017, Newport News Shipbuilding won the $2.8 billion RCOH contract to refurbish CVN 73, a project that took an extended 69-month period.

The ship underwent a four-day sea trial to test the viability of new technology and equipment, as well as operating systems and maneuverability.

“George Washington’s RCOH represents 26 million man-hours of work, that involved refitting and installing a new main mast, updating the ship’s shafts, refurbishing propellers, and modernizing aircraft launch and recovery equipment,” said Capt. Mark Johnson, manager of the Naval Sea Systems Command’s Program Executive Office, In-Service Aircraft Carriers. “Beyond the critical need to defuel and refuel the ship’s two nuclear reactors and to repair and upgrade the propulsion plant, this work touched every part of the ship—and challenged every member of the planning team and ship’s force.”

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Final Rule Modifies DOD’s Contract Award Authority Over Certain Prototype Projects
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Final Rule Modifies DOD’s Contract Award Authority Over Certain Prototype Projects

The Department of Defense has released a final rule that would allow the award of a follow-on production contract to a vendor working on a prototype project without using competitive processes.

The final rule took effect Thursday as an amendment to the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement as part of efforts to implement a provision of the fiscal year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, according to a Federal Register notice published Thursday.

According to the notice, section 842 of FY 2023 NDAA allows “the award of a follow-on production contract without the use of competitive procedures, even if explicit notification was not listed within the request for proposal for the prototype project transaction.”

“The statutory revision to the criteria does not implement new requirements; instead it removes one of the requirements,” the notice reads.

DOD said the new policy does not impose new requirements on contracts for commercial products and services and for those at or below the simplified acquisition threshold.

Collins Aerospace to Deliver on Full Rate Production Navy Contract for New Combat Training System; John Sapp Quoted
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Collins Aerospace to Deliver on Full Rate Production Navy Contract for New Combat Training System; John Sapp Quoted

Raytheon Technologies subsidiary Collins Aerospace is set to deliver on a full rate production U.S. Navy award for the Tactical Combat Training System – Increment II Air Combat Training System.

Both airborne and ground subsystems are included in the contract, which will support fielding requirements at a number of the service branch’s training ranges, Raytheon announced from Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Thursday.

“TCTS II addresses today’s peer threat, enabling aircrews to train and improve joint tactics, techniques and procedures in an NSA-certified secure environment,” said John Sapp, vice president and general manager of integrated solutions at Collins Aerospace.

Designed and constructed alongside partner Leonardo DRS, TCTS II is a scalable and flexible open architecture system built to provide secure air combat training among fourth and fifth generation U.S. aircraft as well as international aircraft.

TCTS II aids training initiatives ranging from tactical aircrew unit level training events to force exercise events at mobile and fixed locations globally. It will supplant the Navy’s legacy ACMI tracking systems, providing a single, integrated platform for training management.

The system was flight tested on F/A-18 and EA-18G aircraft, during which it demonstrated a long-range, air-to-air and air-to-ground networking capability that allowed for real time data exchanges.

Sapp said that during the assessment phase, Collins Aerospace demonstrated TCTS II’s unique ability to merge into existing infrastructure, tactical intercepts and real-time mission completion alerts.

Offering an open-architecture design, a strong encryption capability, computing power and robust datalink, TCTS II is intended to lay the groundwork for novel training scenarios that incorporate live, virtual and constructive elements.

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White House & Congressional Republicans Closing in on Debt Ceiling Deal
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White House & Congressional Republicans Closing in on Debt Ceiling Deal

White House and House Republican negotiators are inching closer to reaching an agreement that would prevent a government default by raising the debt ceiling for about two years and implementing a two-year cap on federal spending at fiscal year 2023 levels, CBS News reported Thursday.

According to the report, the potential deal would increase spending on veterans’ and defense programs in 2024, raise all discretionary spending by 1 percent in FY 2025 and reduce non-defense discretionary spending, particularly in health care and education areas.

The proposal would include shifting about $10 billion of the $80 billion funding plan to non-defense discretionary funding. The plan was approved by Congress for the Internal Revenue Service under the Inflation Reduction Act.

The White House had proposed a measure to cancel up to $30 billion in unspent funds meant for COVID-19 relief efforts.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy recently expressed optimism that an agreement could be reached over the borrowing limit.

On May 15, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen sent a letter to congressional leaders warning that her department could default on its obligations if Congress fails to increase or suspend the debt limit as early as June 1.

Top 10 Artificial Intelligence Executives in 2023
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Artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t the future; it’s here. It now serves as a crucial part of the operations of many enterprises, helping them keep up with the ever-changing digital infrastructure. Similarly, AI-focused federal solutions help the government in improving the national services related to security, defense, healthcare, education, and other sectors.

What is artificial intelligence?

Artificial intelligence is the capability of advanced computer systems to perform tasks usually done by humans. AI uses a combination of machine learning, language processing, and speech and vision recognition to simulate human intelligence, emotions, the ability to reason, and past experiences. Using AI improves productivity and increases efficiency in company operations.

To address the ever-increasing need for advanced AI technology services in commercial and federal markets, here are the top artificial intelligence executives in 2023.

1. Vincent Bridgeman, Senior Vice President of National Security Services at Redhorse Corporation

Vincent Bridgeman

Photo from Redhorse Corporation Official Website

Vincent Bridgeman is the Senior Vice President of National Security at Redhorse Corporation. He was promoted to the position on February 18, 2023, after serving as the Vice President for nine years and Vice President of Intelligence Services for six years.

For over two decades, Bridgeman served as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Marine Corps and represented the Department of Defense in the In-Q-Tel. For a brief period, he also served as an associate at Booz Allen Hamilton before joining Redhorse Corporation.

Bridgeman has built a portfolio in intelligence, tactical, operational, and strategic functions throughout his tenure. His military and commercial intelligence expertise has earned him recognition as an innovative thinker for U.S. intelligence and technology programs.

Redhorse Corporation’s Senior Vice President of National Security Services Roles and Responsibilities

Redhorse Corporation’s Senior Vice President of National Security Services handles the company’s information technology services and contracting activities for the government’s national security priorities. Bridgeman is integral in shaping the company’s artificial intelligence, machine learning, and digital transformation capabilities.

About Redhorse Corporation

Redhorse Corporation is a management consulting services company for technology and digital solutions. Established in 2008, the company has received multiple awards for its broad scope of services related to the federal government’s civilian, defense, intelligence, homeland security, and other functions.

2. Ro Dhanda, Vice President of Public Sector at H2O.ai

Ro Dhanda

Photo of Ro Dhanda at LinkedIn

As the Vice President of Public Sector at H2O.ai, Ro Dhanda handles the company’s artificial intelligence, machine learning capabilities, and other technology platforms for the federal government. He has served in the position since February 2021.

Previously, Dhanda held increasing responsibilities for technology organizations such as Information Access, NCompass Labs, and Microsoft. His career as an executive began at Iron Mountain, where he served as the Vice President of Business Development. He then became one of the artificial intelligence executives in Daon, Dell, and Snowflake Computing.

Building his experiences in the technology sector, Dhanda is considered an industry leader in the IT and services industries. He is one of the pioneers of open-source data science and machine learning, making him a distinguished professional in Silicon Valley.

H2O.ai’s Vice President of Public Sector Roles and Responsibilities

H2O.ai’s Vice President of Public Sector is responsible for democratizing AI solutions for citizens and residents of the United States. Dhanda leads the software development of hybrid cloud platforms, strategic partnership management, and other technical functions to solve complex problems and operations in public functions of society.

About H2O.ai

H2O.ai is an artificial intelligence software solutions provider based in Mountain View, California. The company is on a mission to democratize AI for everyone, enabling them to accelerate the discovery of new ideas. Partnering with over 20,000 global organizations, H2O.ai is a trusted company for the biggest corporations worldwide.

3. William Sullivan, Vice President and General Manager of U.S. Federal at Denodo

William Sullivan

Photo of William Sullivan at LinkedIn

William Sullivan is the Vice President and General Manager of U.S. Federal at Denodo. As the leader in data virtualization and data fabric technology, he is responsible for driving 83% growth year-over-year by the end of the third quarter of the federal market.

Sullivan has been among the top artificial intelligence executives, building his leadership portfolio since 2002. After his sabbatical from 2019 to 2020,  he rejoined the federal government contracting industry as the Principal at Quinn Consulting.

 

As a key AI executive in federal contracting activities, Sullivan advocates for the widespread adoption of AI applications and innovation of systems to overcome architectural and security limitations for hybrid clouds and multi-clouds.

 

Denodo’s Vice President and General Manager of U.S. Federal Roles and Responsibilities

 

Denodo’s Vice President and General Manager of U.S. Federal manages the multi-cloud development of systems and applications for the federal government. Sullivan is also responsible for the company’s marketing, sales, and contractual relationships with the federal, local, and state governments.

 

About Denodo

 

Denodo is an award-winning data management enterprise. The company’s advanced systems for data integration, management, hybrid/multi-cloud integration, and other artificial intelligence platforms offer 400% ROI and millions of dollars in benefits for its customers across large enterprises and mid-market companies.

 

4. Dan Wilbricht, General Manager of Public Sector at Devo Technology

Dan Wilbricht

Photo of Dan Wilbricht at LinkedIn

Dan Wilbricht has served as the General Manager of Public Sector at Devo Technology since August 2021. He builds processes, systems, and data management and heads the company’s development for cybersecurity and AI solutions for the federal government.

During his early career, Wilbricht handled sales and business development for various companies before engaging in the federal systems of tech giants such as Dell Software Group, Red Hat, and HP. In addition, he has served in several executive leadership roles and has been an advisor for technology companies and organizations.

Wilbricht’s addition to Devo Technology’s executive team has seen a significant performance leap from a decent-sized enterprise to a unicorn company. Within months of his appointment, he helped the company receive multiple investments and funding.

 

Devo Technology’s General Manager of Public Sector Roles and Responsibilities

 

Since joining as the General Manager of Public Sector at Devo Technology, Dan Wilbricht has set up a channel and federal system instigator-focused teams to handle GSA schedules and other government contracts. His core contributions include increasing the company’s valuation from $800 million to $2.5 billion.

 

About Devo Technology

 

Devo Technology is a cloud-native security analytics platform based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The company is an expert in secure data management, ensuring its clients and partners of cybersecurity and digital protection. Devo Technology is backed by Insight Partners, Georgian, and Bessemer Venture Partners.

 

5. Walter Maikish, Vice President of Pure Federal at Pure Storage

Walter Maikish

Photo of Walter Maikish at LinkedIn

 

Walter Maikish serves as the Vice President of Pure Federal at Pure Storage. He works closely with federal departments and agencies to deliver data-driven management solutions that can help the government build a better world with data.

 

Previously, Maikish served as the Business Analyst of Financial Services Sector East at IBM and increasing responsibilities at Cisco, ultimately serving as the Operations Director of Federal Civilian. In his tenure, he has built experiences in a broad scope of federal affairs, including entitlement, scientific, legal, and veteran affairs.

 

Since joining Pure Storage in August 2021, Maikish has led the company’s business engagement efforts with the federal government. He has helped multiple government agencies to realize their digital transformation goals for society.

 

Pure Storage’s Vice President of Pure Federal Roles and Responsibilities

 

As the Vice President of Pure Federal at Pure Storage, Walter Maikish manages the company’s business engagements with the federal government. Under his leadership, his team delivers data-enabled solutions for mission-critical, modern analytics, and multi-cloud environments.

 

About Pure Storage

 

Pure Storage is a developer of all-flash data storage hardware and software products. Based in Mountain View, California, the company offers secure data solutions to enable SaaS companies, cloud service providers, and the public sector, among other industries.

 

6. Anthony Robbins, Vice President of Federal at NVIDIA

Anthony Robbins

Photo from NVIDIA Official Website

 

Anthony Robbins is the Vice President of Federal at NVIDIA. He has served in the top artificial intelligence executive position since October 2017, running, building, and leading the company’s digital, cloud, and AI solutions for federal markets.

Robbins has been a renowned executive in the technology sector for nearly three decades. He has served in tech giants, including Silicon Graphics, Sun Microsystems, Oracle Corporation, Brocade, AT&T, and AFCEA DC. His career focuses on meeting the needs and requirements of the government for class-leading digital solutions.

As a key executive at NVIDIA, Robbins played a crucial role in delivering more than $15 billion in revenue. His leadership has provided digital IT and artificial intelligence solutions for the government’s warfighters and citizens.

NVIDIA’s Vice President of Federal Roles and Responsibilities

NVIDIA’s Vice President of Federal is responsible for helping the federal government with GPU and CUDA programming models. Robbins works closely with government agencies, cloud service providers, federal systems integrators, universities, and start-up communities to usher in a new era of artificial intelligence.

 

About NVIDIA

 

NVIDIA Corporation is an artificial intelligence software pioneer for transforming the largest industries in the world. Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, the company is best known for producing graphics processing units (GPUs), application programming interfaces (APIs, and system-on-a-chip units (SoCs) for mobile devices, computers, and vehicles.

 

7. Cedric George, Director of DoD Strategic and Mission Acceleration Team at Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Cedric George

Photo from U.S. Air Force Official Website

 

Cedric George is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force with nearly three decades of experience in various agency divisions. Currently, he is the Director of the Department of Defense’s Strategic and Mission Acceleration Team at Amazon Web Services.

George was with the Armed Forces for three decades, assuming increasing responsibilities in different squadrons, operations, and directorates. He served as the  Director of Logistics for over a year before retirement in 2019. After serving in the military, he served as the Chief Executive Officer at George Consulting Group, LLC.

Since joining AWS in May 2020, George’s position has been crucial to AWS’ activities with the Department of Defense and other defense-related agencies of the U.S. government. In 2021, he showcased his expertise during the U.S. Air Force’s On-Ramp 4 technical demonstration, which experiments on cloud capabilities for faster and more effective mission capabilities in the field.

Amazon Web Services’ Director of DoD Strategic and Mission Acceleration Team Roles and Responsibilities

 

Amazon Web Services’ Director of DoD Strategic and Mission Acceleration Team handles the cloud computing capabilities of the company for the government’s defense communities. Geroge develops strategies using AI technologies to achieve better mission outcomes and enhance experiences by military personnel.

 

About Amazon Web Services

 

Amazon Web Services is a cloud computing platform offering over 200 fully featured services for millions of customers worldwide. The company boasts lower costs and more agile on-demand cloud computing software to fit the needs of fast-growing start-ups, large enterprises, and federal government agencies.

 

8. Dr. Tamara L. Nall, Founder & Chief Executive Officer at The Leading Niche

Tamara L. Nall

Photo of Dr. Tamara L. Nall at LinkedIn

 

As the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Leading Niche, Dr. Tamara L. Nall leads an award-winning company providing cutting-edge artificial intelligence, internally labeled as ‘actionable intelligence,’ for commercial, defense, and civilian sectors.

Dr. Nall is one of the pioneers of data analytics and artificial intelligence, engaging in the industry since 1992. Her previous experiences include serving as the International Business Analyst at Georgia-Pacific Resins, Inc., Independent Consultant at Hilton International, and Senior Associate at Booz & Company.

With decades of experience in the industry, Dr. Nall has received numerous awards for her contributions to the digital and cybersecurity sectors. Her leadership and expertise have grown the start-up company into one of the top artificial intelligence consulting businesses for a broad scope of government markets.

The Leading Niche’s Chief Executive Officer Roles and Responsibilities

 

The Leading Niche’s Chief Executive Officer helps companies remain competitive and sustainable in the ever-changing marketplaces for different industries. Since founding the company in 2007, Dr. Nall has built a comprehensive portfolio for big data, cybersecurity, intelligence, C4ISR, regulatory compliance, examination consulting, and more.

 

About The Leading Niche

 

The Leading Niche is a New York City-based business consulting and services firm recognized for using data and cutting-edge ‘actionable intelligence.’ The company supports the commercial and government sectors across domestic and international markets, spanning North America, Europe, and Africa.

 

9. Kristen Summers, Operating Unit Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft Federal

Kristen Summers

Photo of Kristen Summers at LinkedIn

Kristen Summers has served as the Operating Unit Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft Federal since January 2022. Working in the federal sector of one of the biggest tech companies in the world, she handles the enterprise’s technology and artificial intelligence businesses for the United States government.

 

Before joining Microsoft Federal, Summers worked as the Research Engineer at Thomson Corporation and Technical Director at CACI. She also held increasing responsibilities at IBM for over seven years. She ultimately served as the Distinguished Engineer with responsibilities of Artificial Intelligence Chief Technology Officer for Data and AI Expert Labs and Learning.

 

Having over two decades of tenure, Summers has accomplished multiple credentials and certifications, such as Professional Certification: Level 3 – Distinguished Data Scientist from The Open Group, Data Science Profession Certification – Level 3 Thought Leader, and IBM Consulting Profession Certification – Thought Leader from IBM.

 

Microsoft Federal’s Operating Unit Chief Technology Officer Roles and Responsibilities

 

As Microsoft Federal’s Operating Unit Chief Technology Officer, Kristen Summers creates artificial intelligence solutions to enable the federal government to maximize its data. Leading the operating unit’s technology services, she combines AI and analytics with state-of-the-art tools to understand and solve complex situations in the government.

 

About Microsoft Federal

 

Microsoft Federal handles the public sector solutions of the Redmond-based technology corporation. The company offers mission comprehension, engineering, and technology services to the U.S. government and its operations abroad. Some agencies with which the company collaborates include the U.S. Postal Service, the U.S. Navy, and the Choctaw Nation.

10. Margaret Graves, Senior Fellow at IBM Center for the Business of Government

Margaret Graves

Photo from IBM Center for the Business of Government Official Website

 

Joining IBM Center for the Business of Government as the Senior Fellow in July 2021, Margaret Graves focuses on creating technical solutions for problems in federal markets. She has over three decades of experience in the technology sector, working closely to offer customized services to government agencies.

 

Before coming to IBM Center for the Business of Government, Graves was the Federal Deputy Chief Information Officer for the Executive Office of the President for nearly four years. She was responsible for driving value in the federal IT sector, delivering growth for digital services, and developing next-generation IT workforces.

Graves completed various certifications, including AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner from Amazon Web Services and IBM Garage Essentials from IBM. Combined with her experience during her tenure, she’s now one of the top artificial intelligence executives and digital transformation strategists for the federal government.

IBM Center for the Business of Government’s Senior Fellow Roles and Responsibilities

Handling the digital business of IBM Center for the Business of Government, Margie Gravesis serves as the Senior Fellow and Partner of Digital Modernization Strategy. She improves the government’s delivery of results and technology services to the public. She also leads the development, execution, and oversight teams for technology policy for the government.

About IBM Center for the Business of Government

IBM Center for the Business of Government is committed to research and discussion to improve federal, state, and local governments through technology, artificial intelligence, and more. The company innovates new ways and ideas to improve public management and mission priorities.

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NIST Eyes Increased Industry Collaboration to Expand Security Control Assessment Framework
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NIST Eyes Increased Industry Collaboration to Expand Security Control Assessment Framework

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is looking to increase engagement and collaboration with the public sector to expand its open-source framework for security control assessment and maintenance, Federal News Network reported Wednesday.

NIST aims to develop Open Security Controls Assessment Language models that can enable continuous security assessment information exchange between organizations and cloud service providers, according to Michaela Iorga, the OSCAL strategic outreach director at NIST.

“We will accomplish this vision by increasing the engagement and collaboration with the community, private and public sectors, so OSCAL models reach the desired maturity state faster in support of a broader international adoption,” he added.

To encourage industry collaboration, Iorga proposed creating a committee tasked with overseeing the OSCAL community and coordinating efforts to drive program development and maintenance to the next level.

OSCAL uses machine-readable languages such as XML, JSON and YAML to provide “representations of control catalogs, control baselines, system security plans and assessment plans and results.”

Andre Mendes, chief information officer at the Department of Commerce, said OSCAL could help agencies accelerate the process of documenting and reviewing security authorization packages for software.

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Impact Observatory Develops AI-Backed Mapping Prototype for NGA
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Impact Observatory Develops AI-Backed Mapping Prototype for NGA

Impact Observatory is building an artificial intelligence-powered mapping prototype designed to help accelerate the identification of multiple classes of land cover in near real-time under a Small Business Innovation Research contract with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

The SBIR partnership between Impact Observatory and NGA kicked off in July 2022 and will run through Jan. 2024, the agency said Tuesday.

Under the research and development phase, the AI-generated maps from Impact Observatory are now showing areas of deforestation, construction and fire and burn scars in addition to rangeland, trees, crops and flooded vegetation.

The team at Impact Observatory plans to improve imagery by incorporating remote sensing data and continue to integrate new sources of data to further improve global mapping.

In 2021, the company published the first public land-cover map at 10-meter resolution using imagery from Europe’s Sentinel satellite constellation and adopting big data and machine learning. Esri provided funding and Microsoft contributed computers and server space to the effort.

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Elsevier’s Mike Willey Talks Career Values, Offers Advice for Up-and-Comers
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Elsevier’s Mike Willey Talks Career Values, Offers Advice for Up-and-Comers

As solutions sales manager of Elsevier’s Research Intelligence portfolio, Mike Willey leverages his more than 20 years of experience in business development leadership to deliver a variety of support services to federal research organizations.

Willey recently participated in an interview with the Potomac Officers Club, during which he highlighted his career inspirations and core values and shared his advice for those starting out in the government contracting industry.

In this excerpt from the interview, Willey emphasized the importance of learning and growing from career experiences:

“Listen, learn, listen again, apply what you learn, ask questions and keep listening and learning! The other skill one needs to develop is applying focus appropriately. There are so many directions and opportunities available in the U.S. government – working with the agencies, labs and the multitude of other organizations supporting solutions and services. When you come to a fork in the road, take it. Keep moving, make mistakes, learn from them, grow from them and then make more. There are big challenges, so figure out where you can make a difference, then make a difference.”

Click here to read the full Executive Spotlight interview, which features even more of Willey’s advice as well as a look into his leadership style.

The Potomac Officers Club offers each of its members the opportunity to participate in their very own Executive Spotlight interview! To learn more about membership options and discover which one is right for you, click here.

DOE’s Earthshot Initiative Aims to Reduce Transport, Industrial Sector Carbon Footprint; Jennifer Granholm Quoted
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DOE’s Earthshot Initiative Aims to Reduce Transport, Industrial Sector Carbon Footprint; Jennifer Granholm Quoted

The Department of Energy launched its seventh project under the Energy Earthshot initiative to promote decarbonization in transportation and chemical production.

The Clean Fuels and Products Shot aims to offset over 650 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually by 2050, through the development of sustainable alternatives for manufacturing fuel and chemicals, DOE announced Wednesday.

The project is a research, development and demonstration effort that will be undertaken by several DOE offices, including the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy and Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

To decarbonize the petroleum and chemical industries, the new Earthshot will work to create carbon-efficient conversion technologies, mobilize biomass and waste feedstock, and conduct cradle-to-grave lifecycle analysis to distinguish and prioritize the most impactful research innovation.

In line with the initiative, DOE inaugurated the Biofuels National User Facility. The agency spent three years and $15 million to make enhancements to the site, located at Idaho National Laboratory, in order to establish a venue for addressing challenges in feeding, handling and preprocessing biofuels and bioproducts.

“This Energy Earthshot will advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to diversify the domestic supply chain with cost-competitive, clean fuels and products for daily use and establish the U.S. as a world leader in clean fuel and clean carbon-based chemical production,” Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm commented.

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