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Kathleen Hicks: FY 2023 Budget Request Positions DOD to Achieve National Defense Strategy
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Kathleen Hicks: FY 2023 Budget Request Positions DOD to Achieve National Defense Strategy

Kathleen Hicks, deputy secretary of the Department of Defense and a 2022 Wash100 Award recipient, said the Pentagon’s budget request for fiscal year 2023 aligns with the new National Defense Strategy, which recognizes Russia and China as top national security concerns.

Hicks said the $773 billion defense budget request, an 8.1 percent increase over the previous fiscal year, positions the U.S. military to preserve its competitive advantage against Russia and China and address threats pose by Iran and North Korea, DOD reported Monday.

“Even as we confront Russia’s malign activities, the defense strategy describes how the department will act urgently to sustain and strengthen deterrence with the [Peoples Republic of China] as our most consequential strategic competitor and pacing challenge,” Hicks said.

Navy Adm. Christopher Grady, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a first-time Wash100 Award winner, accompanied Hicks in unveiling the budget request and said the proposed funding ensures that the U.S. military maintains its lethality and capabilities in the 2030s and beyond.

The Pentagon requests approximately $56.5 billion for air power platforms, more than $40.8 billion for ship construction, $12.6 billion for the modernization of U.S. Army and Marine Corps combat vehicles and $34.4 billion for nuclear weapons upgrades.

DOD also calls for more than $130 billion for research and development projects. Hicks said roughly $16.5 billion of the research and development budget will be allocated to science and technology.

The budget also provides a 4.6 percent pay raise for military and civilian personnel, Hicks said, representing DOD’s largest pay raise in two decades.

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National Science Foundation Unveils Goals, Objectives in 2022-2026 Strategic Plan
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National Science Foundation Unveils Goals, Objectives in 2022-2026 Strategic Plan

The National Science Foundation has released a document outlining its four strategic goals and objectives – empower, discover, impact and excel – for the next five years.

The 2022-2026 Strategic Plan seeks to achieve such goals by empowering STEM talent to participate in science and engineering; developing new knowledge about the universe, world and people; benefiting society by transforming knowledge into solutions; and exceling at NSF operations and management.

These strategic goals come with key objectives. For the first goal, strategic objectives are ensuring accessibility and inclusivity by increasing the participation of communities underrepresented in STEM and unleashing STEM talent by building up a diverse STEM workforce to accelerate progress of science and technology.

For the second strategic goal, NSF called for the advancement of the frontiers of research and enhancement of research capability through investments in people, ideas and infrastructure to accelerate discovery and efforts to pursue the state of the art in research practice by promoting innovation and strengthening partnerships between industry, academic researchers and other stakeholders, among other measures.

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GAO Reports Increase in Number, Value of DOD’s Sole-Source 8(a) Contracts Above $22M
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GAO Reports Increase in Number, Value of DOD’s Sole-Source 8(a) Contracts Above $22M

The Government Accountability Office has found that the number of sole-source contracts over $22 million that the Department of Defense awarded through the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) program rose from six in fiscal year 2016 to 65 in FY 2021.

DOD awarded 159 sole-source 8(a) contracts over the six-year period and the total value of these contracts reached $3.4 billion in FY 2021, up from the FY 2016 figure of $143.5 million, GAO said Monday.

The congressional watchdog observed a fluctuation in the number of competed 8(a) contracts above $22 million. These contracts rose from 100 in FY 2016 to 186 in FY 2020, but dropped in FY 2021.

Despite the decline, the total value of these competitively awarded contracts hit $9.5 billion in FY 2021, up from $3.3 billion in FY 2016. The number of 8(a) contracts over $22 million that the Pentagon competitively awarded over the six-year term was 738.

GAO studied data from the Federal Procurement Data System between FY 2016 and FY 2021 to report on DOD’s adoption of authority that requires a written justification and approval for sole-source 8(a) contracts in accordance with the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act.

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NITAAC Gets 801 Certification to Offer Assisted Acquisitions to DOD; Brian Goodger Quoted
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NITAAC Gets 801 Certification to Offer Assisted Acquisitions to DOD; Brian Goodger Quoted

The National Institutes of Health Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center (NITAAC) has secured 801 Certification that enables it to provide assisted acquisition services for the Department of Defense.

The 801 designation permits DOD to use assisted acquisition services from NITAAC to facilitate procurement of property or services through its three IT governmentwide acquisition contracts without the need for a special waiver, NITAAC said in a March 23 news release.

“With Assisted Acquisitions, the DoD will benefit from the capabilities and expertise of our contracting officers, as well as the efficiencies and economies associated with leveraging resources and requirements,” said Brian Goodger, acting director of NITAAC.

Since GWAC launch, NITAAC has supported DOD acquisitions valued at more than $8.7 billion. Some of the agencies that have turned to NITAAC to help with IT modernization, cybersecurity and analytics programs are the Defense Information Systems Agency, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army and the Department of Homeland Security.

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US, Canada to Enter Final Phase of F-35 Procurement Process
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US, Canada to Enter Final Phase of F-35 Procurement Process

Canada is set to enter the final round of negotiations with the U.S. government and Lockheed Martin to procure 88 F-35 fighter jets to replace the Canadian air force’s CF-18 fleet.

The competitive sourcing process involved an assessment of aircraft offerings against a set of criteria such as cost, economic impacts and capabilities, Canada’s public services and procurement department said Monday.

In an earlier announcement, the Canadian government said it would more than $15 billion for the procurement of fighter jets, associated equipment and weapons, training and sustainment services.

The government has also started preparing the two main operating bases at 4 Wing Cold Lake and 3 Wing Bagotville to host the future fighter aircraft. Canada aims to receive a new fighter aircraft as early as 2025.

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Billy Nolen to Head FAA on Acting Basis
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Billy Nolen to Head FAA on Acting Basis

Billy Nolen, associate administrator for aviation safety at the Federal Aviation Administration, will assume leadership of the agency on an acting basis after Steve Dickson steps down from the administrator’s role on March 31st.

He will step in as the White House looks for a permanent replacement for Dickson, who has led FAA since August 2019 and announced his departure plans in February, the agency said Saturday.

Nolen assumed his current full-time position in January and supervises more than 7,600 personnel who support aviation safety initiatives.

Prior to joining FAA, he worked as vice president for safety, security and quality for WestJet Airlines in Canada. His industry career also included leadership roles at Qantas Airways, Airlines for America, American Airlines.

He also served as an aircraft pilot and safety officer in the U.S. Army. FAA tasked Deputy Administrator Bradley Mims to take on expanded responsibilities during the interim period to help oversee the agency workforce and domestic airports.

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U.S. Senate Office Contracts AMERICAN SYSTEMS to Maintain Emergency Threat Alert System; CEO Peter Smith Quoted
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U.S. Senate Office Contracts AMERICAN SYSTEMS to Maintain Emergency Threat Alert System; CEO Peter Smith Quoted

AMERICAN SYSTEMS has landed a contract from the Office of the Sergeant at Arms at the U.S. Senate to modernize and maintain a network platform for emergency threat alerts.

The contract award tasks AS with offering sustainment configuration and integration efforts to the Joint Emergency Mass Notification System reporting to various legislative branch organizations, the Chantilly, Virginia-based company said Monday.

“We are honored to have been selected by the Senate Sergeant of Arms office to augment their readiness communications channels with this proven solution,” said Peter Smith, president and CEO of AMERICAN SYSTEMS.

Smith went on to suggest that “recent events” in the geopolitical sphere have made an updated emergency notification apparatus more necessary than ever.

The AS-built system will send secure notifications to government branches such as the Library of Congress, the House of Representatives sergeant at arms and the House of Representatives chief administrative officer. The U.S. Senate sergeant at arms, the architect of the capitol and the U.S. Capitol Police are also recipients in the network.

The project is intended to boost situational awareness in times of emergency or tragedy for important government workers. To accomplish it, AS will leverage a help desk team operating 24/7 every day of the year, as well as the Blackberry AtHoc IWS Alerts client software.

AS has a proven history of manufacturing and administering emergency notification systems; in 2018, they launched the U.S. Air Force Emergency Mass Notification System.

Earlier this month, the company was awarded a $42.1 million contract to create a technological analysis system for U.S. Navy combat training environments.

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SAIC Reveals Four Percent Growth in Fiscal Year Report; CEO Nazzic Keene Quoted
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SAIC Reveals Four Percent Growth in Fiscal Year Report; CEO Nazzic Keene Quoted

Science Applications International Corporation has released its financial report for the fourth quarter and its full fiscal year 2022, which concluded on January 28, 2022.

The defense and space contractor said Monday that fourth quarter revenue was $1.8 billion, a four percent uptick from the previous year and fiscal year revenue was $7.4 billion, which constituted five percent growth.

“I am proud of the team’s performance in fiscal year 2022 with financial results reflecting our commitment to the mission while delivering value to shareholders,” said Nazzic Keene, CEO of SAIC and a five-time winner of the Wash100 Award.

The company reported that fourth quarter revenues increased by $65 million from the prior year quarter and full year revenues increased by $338 million compared to the previous year. This was primarily attributable to SAIC’s purchase of Halfaker and Associates – a technology services provider – and new contract awards (including a fourth quarter U.S. Army award).

SAIC’s operating income as a percentage of revenues came in at a slight decrease in its fourth quarter in comparison to the same period in the preceding year as a result of necessary acquisition and integration fees. Full fiscal year operating income as a percentage of revenue was up by 0.7 percent, however, from 5.5 percent in the 2021 fiscal year to 6.2 percent in 2022.

Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues was 8.2 percent for SAIC during the final three months of the fiscal year, down from 9.3 percent in the same period the prior year. This was because of increased indirect costs and an offset of net contract adjustments.

Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues for the fiscal year was 9.3 percent, a 0.4 percent increase from the previous year’s 8.9 percent, fueled by amortization of off-market liability contracts and across the board contract gains.

The company’s book to bill ratio amounted to 1.2 for the fourth quarter and 1.3 for the fiscal year 2022. A notable fourth quarter contract was a $1.1 billion U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command award.

Keene laid out that in the coming year, SAIC’s objectives lie in “positioning our portfolio to maximize value for all stakeholders.”

“The outlook we are providing demonstrates our ability to increase free cash flow and capital returns to shareholders while investing internally to drive growth,” Keene concluded.

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State Department to Implement New Data Scientist Hiring Process; Garrett Berntsen Quoted
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State Department to Implement New Data Scientist Hiring Process; Garrett Berntsen Quoted

The State Department’s Bureau of Global Talent Management and Center for Analytics will host a webinar in April to disseminate information on a new job application process meant for data scientists, FedScoop reported Friday.

Applicants will take the Subject Matter Expert Qualification Assessment to become qualified for their targetted role.

“We were looking for people with programming skills, who could do statistics but also understood the mission of the department and could apply data and data science to foreign policy and mission challenges — which is mostly what our office tackles,” said Garrett Berntsen, the department’s deputy chief data officer.

The new certification process follows last year’s joint hiring announcement certification, in which 10 states participated. Other State Department agencies interested in joining CfA must hire qualifiers by April 1.

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Lumen Technologies Taps Chris Stansbury to Lead Finance Operations as CFO; CEO Jeff Storey Quoted
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Lumen Technologies Taps Chris Stansbury to Lead Finance Operations as CFO; CEO Jeff Storey Quoted

Chris Stansbury, a former Arrow Electronics executive, has been selected as chief financial officer of Lumen Technologies.

In his new role, effective April 4th, Stansbury will oversee and direct Lumen’s assets and financial operations, the Monroe, Louisiana-based information technology company said Monday.

Jeff Storey, president and CEO of Lumen, shared that Stansbury will help to expand the company’s revenue and drive growth after the company has recently closed two noteworthy divestitures.

“It is a natural time for us to find the leader best positioned to achieve our goals. Chris’ leadership and financial acumen bring a unique skill set to our company as we scale the Lumen Platform and our Quantum Fiber build, both critical drivers of our return to growth,” Storey added.

At Lumen, Stansbury will leverage over three decades of experience in senior-level finance roles at large corporations. He spent nearly 20 years of this time working for beverage companies, with almost six years at Seagram, where his time culminated as sales finance director of Tropicana products.

Stansbury then worked at PepsiCo and subsequently transitioned to the IT industry with four years at Hewlett Packard. In the latter organization, he rose the ranks from vice president of finance in the PSG finance worldwide operations division to CFO of the company’s global networking business. He was in charge of the branch’s planning, forecasting and reporting, as well as a participant in investment strategy.

Prior to coming to Lumen, Stansbury was senior vice president and chief financial officer of Arrow Electronics, a company focused on emerging technologies and design engineering, among other services.

“This is an important time in Lumen’s transformation, and I look forward to continue building on the great work the team has underway,” remarked Stansbury. “Lumen has a strong financial foundation and significant opportunities for value creation.”

Stansbury succeeds Neel Dev in the new position.

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