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Tom Edson Appointed CFO of Alpha Omega Integration; Gautam Ijoor Quoted
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Tom Edson Appointed CFO of Alpha Omega Integration; Gautam Ijoor Quoted

Tom Edson has been selected as chief financial officer of Alpha Omega Integration, an information technology services provider.

In this position, Edson will bring his 15 years of technology and cybersecurity-focused financial management experience to shape future developments within the growing organization, Alpha Omega announced on Thursday.

“As CFO, my mission will be to shape corporate strategy through financial governance, build infrastructure for further growth and ensure financial governance and compliance,” said Edson.

“I am looking forward to my multifaceted role managing contracts, finance, and pricing to support and perpetuate Alpha Omega’s impressive growth and trajectory,” he added.

Before joining the Vienna, Virginia-based company, Edson served as CFO and chief operations officer at VariQ for 13 years.

He continued in these roles after VariQ’s merger with Capgemini, as a result of which he also landed his previous position as principal at Capgemini Government Solutions.

Edson’s career in the government contracting industry began at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he spent over three years as a senior associate.

“The CFO and financial teams are key players in screening M&As, and our growth focus includes more acquisitions to stay true to our mission and objectives. Tom is a highly strategic addition to Alpha Omega’s passionate and experienced leadership group that will drive us to next-level growth, service and delivery,” said Alpha Omega CEO Gautam Ijoor.

Edson’s appointment follows multiple executive leadership changes within the enterprise over the past few months.

In January, company newcomer Laks Prabhala was chosen as Alpha Omega’s first-ever chief information security officer and vice president for cybersecurity, where he now works to apply new technologies to safeguard federal clients from threats.

Just over a month earlier, Gabe Osiier joined the organization as senior vice president of core accounts to support Alpha Omega’s growth efforts.

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Lockheed Martin’s Robert Lightfoot & CGI Federal’s Stephanie Mango Featured as 2023 Wash100 Award Winners
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Lockheed Martin’s Robert Lightfoot & CGI Federal’s Stephanie Mango Featured as 2023 Wash100 Award Winners

On Thursday, Robert Lightfoot, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin’s space business, and CGI Federal President Stephanie Mango were featured by Executive Mosaic as winners of its 2023 Wash100 Award.

Each year, Executive Mosaic conducts an exhaustive selection process to identify the top 100 most impactful executives working in the U.S. government contracting sector. This year, for the award’s tenth anniversary, Lightfoot and Mango cemented their positions on the list through their demonstrations of vision, leadership, innovation and dedication to government missions.

Robert Lightfoot secured his third Wash100 Award this year for his leadership of Lockheed Martin Space, an $11 billion business unit that serves as the prime contractor for NASA’s Orion exploration vehicle program. Prior to joining Lockheed, Lightfoot spent nearly two decades at NASA, where he served as associate administrator.

Lightfoot won his first Wash100 Award in 2017 when he served as NASA’s acting administrator, and Executive Mosaic is pleased to honor him again for his demonstrated excellence in industry. Read Robert Lightfoot’s full Wash100 profile here.

Stephanie Mango earned her second consecutive Wash100 Award this year. As president of CGI Federal, Mango has led the company through a number of successful contract wins in 2022. Click here to read Stephanie Mango’s 2023 Wash100 profile.

You can vote for Robert Lightfoot and Stephanie Mango as your favorite GovCon executives as part of Executive Mosaic’s 2023 Wash100 popular vote competition! Visit Wash100.com to cast your vote today.

NREL, EPRI to Manage Competition to Create Renewable Energy Net Load Forecasting Tool
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NREL, EPRI to Manage Competition to Create Renewable Energy Net Load Forecasting Tool

The Department of Energy is launching a prize competition to improve the accuracy and adaptability of net load forecasting for renewable power.

EPRI, a nonprofit organization focused on energy research, development and distribution, announced Tuesday that it will collaborate with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to manage the American-Made Net Load Forecasting Prize.

DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm unveiled the competition, which is part of the agency’s efforts to make progress on integrating distributed energy resources into the U.S. grid infrastructure.

EPRI will lend its Solar Forecast Arbiter tool to help the participants develop their proprietary forecasting models using historical load data.

Eligible contestants are institutions, companies, and nonprofit organizations based in the U.S. The DOE will choose three winners and distribute a total of $600,000 in cash to three runners-up.

“Increasing the accuracy of net load predictions will not only enable [grid] reliability, but also allow for cost-efficient planning and the dispatch of energy generation and storage,” said Becca Jones-Albertus, director of the DOE Solar Energy Technologies Office. 

The American-Made Net Load Forecasting Prize was announced at the DISTRIBUTECH 2023 conference held on Feb. 7 to 9 in San Diego. 

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NIST to Standardize ‘Lightweight Cryptography’ Algorithms to Secure IoT Devices
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NIST to Standardize ‘Lightweight Cryptography’ Algorithms to Secure IoT Devices

A team of security experts at the National Institute of Standards and Technology has decided to standardize Ascon, a group of cryptographic algorithms designed to protect information generated by Internet of Things devices.

NIST said Tuesday Ascon will provide lightweight cryptography for miniature technologies used in health care, infrastructure, transportation and other key industries that require protection from potential cyberthreats.

“Small devices have limited resources, and they need security that has a compact implementation. These algorithms should cover most devices that have these sorts of resource constraints,” said Kerry McKay, a computer scientist at NIST.

Ascon was determined as the most efficient set of lightweight algorithms for small devices after the NIST Lightweight Cryptography Team concluded a selection and evaluation process that started in 2018.

Ten finalists were selected from 57 algorithm candidates through a multi-round public review process.

Ascon was developed by a cryptography team from Graz University of Technology, Infineon Technologies, Lamarr Security Research and Radboud University.

The algorithms will support authenticated encryption with associated data and hashing to ensure the security of small platforms.

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Space Force Launches Third Pathfinder Mission Aboard Hispasat Satellite
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Space Force Launches Third Pathfinder Mission Aboard Hispasat Satellite

Space Systems Command has launched the U.S. Space Force’s third Pathfinder mission aboard Spanish satellite communications operator Hispasat‘s Amazonas Nexus from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

SSC said Monday the Pathfinder 2 mission aims to demonstrate the capabilities of commercially available technologies to provide wideband satellite communications for military applications.

The payload serves as a high bandwidth protected communications transponder to enable connectivity for the U.S. military.

“Pathfinder 2 satisfies warfighter requirements by procuring commercially provided pre-launch transponders and securing bandwidth at a lower total ownership cost,” said  Charlotte Gerhart, chief of SSC’s Tactical SATCOM Acquisition Delta.

The Amazonas Nexus satellite launched to orbit onboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40. It separated from its upper stage and reached its targeted orbit approximately 35 minutes after launch.

FCC Seeks Industry Input on Licensed Spectrum Rules for Drone Operators
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FCC Seeks Industry Input on Licensed Spectrum Rules for Drone Operators

The Federal Communications Commission has begun requesting industry comments on proposed rules to enable unmanned aircraft system operators to access licensed spectrum to ensure the reliability of drone operations.

A notice published Tuesday in the Federal Reserve states that the FCC is seeking companies’ input on the cost and benefits of adopting a band plan and service rules to grant drone operators access to interference-protected control-and-non-payload-communications in the 5030-5091 MHz band.

FCC aims to develop band plans and service rules for two broad UAS use cases: non-networked operations, which occur within the radio line-of-sight of the UAS operator; and network-supported operations, which use network infrastructure to go beyond radio LOS.

The commission also plans to establish a licensing process for UAS operators to communicate with air traffic control and other aircraft to facilitate flight coordination and ensure the safe integration of drone operations in controlled airspace.

Responses are due March 9.

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U.S., Japan, Australia & India Launch Joint Challenge to Promote Responsible Cyber Habits
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U.S., Japan, Australia & India Launch Joint Challenge to Promote Responsible Cyber Habits

A cybersecurity challenge has been launched by the U.S., Japan, Australia and India — the four member nations of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad — to promote the safe and responsible use of information technology in their territories.

In a joint statement released Tuesday by the White House, the group invited all Internet users, from individuals to organizations, to dedicate at least one hour to improving cyber hygiene between April 10 and 14.

The Quad Cyber Challenge includes a checklist of activities to keep devices safe from vulnerabilities over a five-day period.

Some of the steps are as simple as installing security updates, identifying phishing and other online scams, changing passphrases and using multi-factor authentication.

Participants will receive training and basic cybersecurity information resources throughout the duration of the event.

GAO: Commercial Product Development Principles Could Improve Execution of DOD’s Middle-Tier Acquisition Pathway
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GAO: Commercial Product Development Principles Could Improve Execution of DOD’s Middle-Tier Acquisition Pathway

The Department of Defense should follow the key principles of commercial product development to accelerate the invention and deployment of weapon systems under the middle tier of acquisitions pathway, the Government Accountability Office said.

In a report published Tuesday, GAO cited obstacles in the implementation of the MTA pathway, including unclear or inaccurate data and schedule delays due to unfulfilled requirements.

The MTA program was created in 2016 as an alternative acquisition process, with a 5-year turnaround time for weapons development until deployment. DOD established the program aiming to expedite prototyping and fielding of armaments.

The use of MTA authorities increased from 35 programs in 2019 to 100 in 2022, prompting GAO to look into MTA oversight and execution.

Based on its review of 15 MTA projects across the U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy and Special Operations Command, the government watchdog made 26 recommendations to ensure that the purpose of middle-tier defense acquisitions is fulfilled.

GAO referred to the key product development principles used by private companies and urged DOD branches to incorporate them into MTA policies. Specifically, DOD components should create solid business cases and apply consistent design approaches, GAO stated. They should also maximize schedule by off-ramping capabilities and less urgent requirements, and implement lessons learned from previous development processes.

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Farooq Mitha on Importance of Pentagon’s Small Business Strategy
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Farooq Mitha on Importance of Pentagon’s Small Business Strategy

Farooq Mitha, director of the office of small business programs at the Department of Defense, said small companies and their innovative technologies could enable the U.S. to maintain a military edge in this era of strategic competition and DOD recognizes its role with the release of its Small Business Strategy.

Mitha wrote in an opinion piece published Tuesday on The Hill that the strategy seeks to increase small businesses’ involvement in defense procurement efforts.

“We will do this by streamlining points of entry into the department for small companies, so it is easier for them to know where to start, ensure that small business activities align with efforts to sustain and expand the department’s industrial base and modernization priorities, and stepping up our engagement and resources to support industry,” he noted.

Mitha said the department will facilitate access for small enterprises by taking a more integrated approach across its programs and make business.defense.gov a key point of entry for small companies looking to do business with the Pentagon.

He also cited the current administration’s move to introduce changes to category management to increase opportunities for small businesses and DOD’s plan to strengthen engagement with such businesses through APEX Accelerators and provide cybersecurity training and other related resources through Project Spectrum.

“These initiatives and others in our Small Business Strategy aim to make small businesses an indispensable partner in the mission to protect our national security,” Mitha added.

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Nokia Federal’s Ken Riordan Elected to National Spectrum Consortium Executive Committee
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Nokia Federal’s Ken Riordan Elected to National Spectrum Consortium Executive Committee

Ken Riordan, principal architect for Nokia Federal, has been elected as a member of the National Spectrum Consortium’s executive committee, where he will serve as a representative for large, non-traditional companies.

During his three-year term, Riordan will support NSC’s mission to drive the development of novel electromagnetic spectrum technologies by facilitating cooperation between industry, academia and federal organizations, Nokia told ExecutiveGov on Wednesday.

“The NSC has proven itself to be a vital force in connecting government with industry and academia. I look forward to continuing that cause as an executive committee member,” Riordan commented.

Riordan brings more than two decades of experience in the telecommunications industry to the committee. Throughout his career, he has developed products for mobile devices and network equipment and has participated in the establishment of AMPS, GSM, CDMA, WiMAX, LTE and 5G networks, encompassing the full history of cellular communications standards.

Before assuming his current role at Nokia, Riordan held several positions within the company over seven years. Most recently, he served as senior director of business development, after which he took a four-year hiatus from Nokia to work on the Alphabet-owned Loon connectivity initiative.

While in operation, Loon had a goal of harnessing high-altitude, stratospheric balloons to bring connectivity to rural and remote areas. Riordan served as the project’s head of product management for connectivity solutions before returning to Nokia in 2022 following Loon’s conclusion.

Earlier in his career, Riordan spent over 12 years with Motorola, during which he held directorial positions within the organization’s main business as well as its solutions sector.

Riordan has also served as technical committee chair and forum vice-chair for the Wireless Innovation Forum and as a member of the Small Cell Forum’s executive board.

Currently, Riordan is president of the HAPS Alliance, an organization of industry leaders who aim to remove digital divides and increase the scope of connectivity worldwide.

His term with NSC officially began last month and will run through December 2025.

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