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GSA Seeks Public Comments on Use of Single-Use Plastics in Packaging, Shipping
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GSA Seeks Public Comments on Use of Single-Use Plastics in Packaging, Shipping

The General Services Administration is soliciting public insights on the use of plastic in packaging and shipping to help inform future rulemaking to reduce single-use plastics while limiting liability and burden on industry and logistics partners.

GSA plans to use public comments to establish reporting mechanisms and requirements to reduce single-use plastics in packaging used for delivering products under contracts, according to an advance notice of proposed rulemaking published Thursday.

Interested stakeholders are invited to respond to several questions, including their organization’s experience in using environmentally preferable packaging and their views on the differences between a paper- and aluminum-based packaging and packaging based on single-use plastics.

The agency also wants to know about regulatory, market, cost and statutory barriers to selecting environmentally preferable packaging; factors to consider when developing a timeline to implement regulatory changes in reducing single-use plastics; measures to help contractors transition to environmentally preferable packing and packaging; and ways to verify compliance with reduced or eliminated plastic content.

Comments are due Sept. 6.

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Heidi Shyu Establishes Strategic Options Task Force Under Defense Science Board
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Heidi Shyu Establishes Strategic Options Task Force Under Defense Science Board

Heidi Shyu, undersecretary for research and engineering at the Department of Defense and a 2022 Wash100 Award winner, has announced the formation of a new task force within the Defense Science Board to help identify weapon system and operational concepts as part of efforts to regain the U.S. military’s operational superiority.

The task force on strategic options will focus on several areas, including advanced undersea assets and operational concepts, use of cyber weapons, development of new countermeasures for electronic warfare and new uses of space systems, Shyu said in a memo published Tuesday.

“Additional considerations should include the adversary’s use of countermeasures to undermine U.S. dominance in the air, space, sea and cyber domains,” the memo reads.

The task force will present its findings and recommendations to DSB for discussion and deliberation through a public meeting.

Shyu said she will sponsor the task force, which will begin the study period within 30 days of the initial appointment of its members and will gain access to DOD officials and data to support its activities.

“In no event will the duration of the Task Force exceed 24 months from the start date,” the memo states.

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Micro Focus Lauded by IDC Marketscape for Unified Endpoint Management Programs; Rick Carlson Quoted
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Micro Focus Lauded by IDC Marketscape for Unified Endpoint Management Programs; Rick Carlson Quoted

Software company Micro Focus has earned recognition from the IDC Marketscape product assessment organization for its unified endpoint management programs in several categories that highlight their various impacts.

Bestowed with the “Leader” designation in the international UEM market for small and midsize businesses, Micro Focus’ new honor marks its efforts to serve the SMB market with technologies that allow organizations to manage data securely from various endpoints, the Berkshire, United Kingdom-based company said Thursday.

Rick Carlson, vice president in the information management and governance solutions division at Micro Focus, interpreted the IDC Marketscape results as a sign that the company is satisfying the needs of a workforce trending toward remote work and the desires of some companies to streamline the technology they implement.

Through features and capabilities including patch management verification, asset management, endpoint security, service desk software and data analytics, Micro Focus’ UEM products are seen as a potentially beneficial tool for remote workers. The IDC Marketscape report praised their ZENworks platform for its ability to administer devices in disparate locations through location detection and making consequent adjustments to applications and restrictions.

Additionally, IDC Marketscape labeled Micro Focus a “Major Player” in the categories of UEM software worldwide, UEM for ruggedized / Internet-of-Things device deployments and UEM for Apple devices.

Micro Focus’ offerings are targeted primarily to information technology businesses with small or medium staff sizes, due to the fact that their UEM products often streamline multiple IT practices into one program. The IDC Marketscape evaluation singled out their UEM platforms for their favorable comparison to “over-the-air UEM Windows management tools that rely only on the MDM protocol for modern PC management.”

In June, Micro Focus released a new version of its Network Operations Management program to the public, which featured reconfigured troubleshooting, dashboards and reporting functions of the OPTIC Data Lake.

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SSC, PNNL Offer Industry Cyber Assessment to Bolster Supply Chain Integrity; Col. Jennifer Krolikowski Quoted
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SSC, PNNL Offer Industry Cyber Assessment to Bolster Supply Chain Integrity; Col. Jennifer Krolikowski Quoted

Space Systems Command and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have teamed up to provide a cybersecurity assessment at no cost to companies wanting to do business with the U.S. Space Force.

SSC said Wednesday the branch will pay for scans that are meant to check a vendor’s National Industrial Security Program-related information technology controls, personnel backgrounds, foreign interests, subcontractors and insider threat risks.

“The scans are to help encourage companies to get that assessment and then make their remediations without the government,” said Col. Jennifer Krolikowski, chief information officer of SSC.

Krolikowski added that the command will not see the results of a scan.

Dennis Graves, CIO for SSC’s cyber organization, said the command wants to help companies identify their own vulnerabilities.

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Holly Johnson Transitions to VP of Robotics, Space Operations at Space Tech Company MDA; Mark Greenley Quoted
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Holly Johnson Transitions to VP of Robotics, Space Operations at Space Tech Company MDA; Mark Greenley Quoted

Longtime MDA executive Holly Johnson has been promoted to the role of vice president of robotics and space operations at the space technology company.

Building on her experience at MDA in roles such as systems engineer, business development manager and president’s business manager, Johnson is slated to spearhead market expansion in her new position, the Ontario, Canada-based company said Thursday.

“With a strategic vision for MDA to capitalize on the growing commercial market for RSO products and services and the operational mindset to deliver Canadarm3 and multiple other programs, Holly is the right leader to take us forward,” remarked MDA CEO Mark Greenley.

Johnson is a trained mechanical engineer who has occupied engineering, business development and corporate operations roles in her nearly a decade and a half with MDA. She specializes in overseeing projects across their full lifecycle, from concept development to proposal composition through design and implementation.

The international company’s core focus areas include geospatial intelligence, robotics and space operations and satellite systems. As a systems engineer, Johnson oversaw the conception, verification and integration of several space and terrestrial robotics projects. When she worked as business development manager, the executive teamed with space and terrestrial sector clients to gain understandings of what they were looking for and the mission usages of automated technologies.

Johnson has already been performing her new job in an acting capacity for several months. She has been the recipient of several honors, including the Northern Lights Aero Foundation Rising Star Award and has been included in the Brampton Board of Trade’s Top 40 Under 40 list.

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James Murray to Retire as Secret Service Director; Alejandro Mayorkas Quoted
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James Murray to Retire as Secret Service Director; Alejandro Mayorkas Quoted

James Murray, director of the U.S. Secret Service since May 2019, will retire from the agency after a 27-year career.

Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary at the Department of Homeland Security and previous Wash100 Award winner, noted Murray’s exceptional service in an official statement released Thursday.

“Under Director Murray’s leadership, the Secret Service has reinforced its stature as the preeminent protective agency in the world and has increased in sophistication and scope its investigative capabilities to meet an increasingly dynamic threat landscape,” Mayorkas said.

Murray joined USSS in 1995 after his tenure as a special agent and investigator for the Department of Transportation and service in the U.S. Army Reserve.

As director, he is responsible for overseeing a workforce of more than 7,000 people and executing investigative and protective missions across USSS.

The Washington Post reported Murray will join social media company Snap to serve as chief security officer after his retirement from federal service.

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Sarah Kapnick Appointed Chief Scientist at NOAA
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Sarah Kapnick Appointed Chief Scientist at NOAA

Sarah Kapnick, a former deputy division leader and research physical scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has been appointed to serve as chief scientist of the scientific and regulatory agency.

In her new role, Kapnick will serve as the senior scientist for the agency and provide direction for NOAA’s science and technology priorities, the agency said Thursday. Kapnick’s appointment makes her the third woman in NOAA’s history to be appointed to the position.

It also marks her return to NOAA having previously served as deputy division leader for seasonal to decadal variability and predictability at the agency’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory in Princeton, New Jersey.

During her tenure, Kapnick conducted research on various topics including seasonal climate prediction, water security and climate impacts, and served as a climate science expert for NOAA’s Small Business Innovation Research Program.

She left NOAA in 2021 to join J.P. Morgan as a senior climate scientist and sustainability strategist for asset and wealth management.

“I have no doubt that Dr. Kapnick will play an important role in advancing the Department’s goal of addressing the climate crisis by providing science, data and services to help communities and businesses become climate-ready,” said Gina Raimondo, secretary of the Department of Commerce.

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Report: GSA Federal Acquisition Service Exec Allen Hill Named FCC CIO
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Report: GSA Federal Acquisition Service Exec Allen Hill Named FCC CIO

Allen Hill, a Federal Acquisition Service official at the General Services Administration, was tapped to become the chief information officer of the Federal Communications Commission on Aug. 1, Federal News Network reported Wednesday.

Hill currently works as deputy assistant commissioner for Category Management in the FAS. He joined the agency in 2018 and has, since then, been involved in the Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions network modernization program, the 2nd Generation Information Technology Blanket Purchase Agreements and other programs.

The official’s government and industry career also includes time with the Department of Education, CACI International and Verizon. In addition, he served with the U.S. Air Force for two decades.

Hill will assume the FCC CIO responsibilities currently being handled on an acting basis by Andrea Simpson, chief information security officer of the agency.

Coast Guard Launches Contracting & Procurement Process Transformation Initiative
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Coast Guard Launches Contracting & Procurement Process Transformation Initiative

The U.S. Coast Guard has moved to transform how the maritime law enforcement service procures goods and services from the private sector through a new initiative, dubbed Buy Better Revolution.

USCG said Thursday it aims to simplify contracting and procurement operations beginning with the development of a requirement through the delivery and final payment process under the BBR program.

Ed Gibbons, director of USCG’s Contracting and Procurement Modernization Task Force, said the branch expects its new initiative to help improve customer experience and delivery timelines.

“As [Adm. Linda Fagan] set forth in the Commandant’s Intent, we must ‘sharpen our competitive edge’ because our assets, supply chains, and our operational challenges are becoming more and more complex,” Gibbons added.

The branch initially plans to create internal working groups comprising main office and field personnel to implement C&P transformation proposals from the program team.

USCG plans to implement final recommendations in late 2023.

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Treasury Seeks Comments on Implications of Digital Asset Adoption for Consumers, Investors, Businesses
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Treasury Seeks Comments on Implications of Digital Asset Adoption for Consumers, Investors, Businesses

The Department of the Treasury is soliciting public comments, recommendations and insights on the implications of the development and use of digital assets as well as financial market and payment infrastructure changes for U.S. consumers, businesses and investors.

The Treasury will use public input to inform its report in compliance with an executive order signed in March that outlines a national policy for digital assets to protect U.S. consumers, businesses and investors, safeguard financial stability and mitigate illicit finance, among other goals, according to a Federal Register notice published Friday.

The agency is asking interested stakeholders to respond to several questions regarding the current adoption of digital assets and factors that would facilitate mass adoption; opportunities from digital assets for consumers, investors and businesses; risks arising from current market conditions in digital assets; potential risks to consumers, investors, and businesses that may arise through engagement with digital assets; and impact on the most vulnerable.

For opportunities from digital assets for U.S. customers, companies and investors, the department is requesting insights on potential benefits of decentralized and disintermediated systems and development of new types of financial products and contracts.

Comments are due Aug. 8.

The Treasury announced Thursday that it submitted to the White House a framework for international engagement on digital assets in accordance with the March executive order.

According to the framework, the U.S. will continue to collaborate with foreign partners on standards for the development of central bank digital currencies and digital payment architectures to mitigate payment inefficiencies and ensure that new payment platforms are in line with U.S. legal requirements and values.

The framework outlines how the U.S. government will work with the G7, G20, Financial Stability Board, Financial Action Task Force, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, standard-setting bodies and other international organizations to address digital asset issues.

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