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KBR-Elbit Systems Partnership to Help UK Military Test Electric Aircraft
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KBR-Elbit Systems Partnership to Help UK Military Test Electric Aircraft

A joint venture between KBR and Elbit Systems has pitched an eco-friendly flight concept to the U.K. defense ministry and initiated a program to demonstrate the proposed sustainable option for military aviation.

The Affinity Capital Works JV is using a two-seater Velis Electro trainer aircraft for the trials aimed at helping the British air force assess electronic-powered airplane technology, KBR said Monday.

Up to 20 airmen at the Royal Air Force Cranwell station in England will fly the vehicle in the coming months as part of Affinity’s test series.

RAF plans to examine the potential impacts of electric technology on flight and ground operations, infrastructure and logistics activity.

Affinity worked with the U.K. civil aviation authority last year to develop flight and safety assurance procedures to be used in the demonstration.

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Microsoft, Naval Postgraduate School Partner on Commercial Technology Research Projects; Aaron Weis Quoted
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Microsoft, Naval Postgraduate School Partner on Commercial Technology Research Projects; Aaron Weis Quoted

The Naval Postgraduate School has signed a cooperative research and development agreement with Microsoft to assess the potential military applications of commercial technologies.

The U.S. Navy said Monday the partnership will collaborate on technology research projects to determine the possibility of using new technologies to support warfighting and national security initiatives.

The joint research projects between NPS and Microsoft will examine operational uses of intelligent edge computing and cloud-enhanced networks; identify ways to incorporate gaming, exercising, modeling and simulation into command decision-making; and develop smart campus in Monterey.

Aaron Weis, chief information officer of the Department of the Navy and a three-time Wash100 Award, said DON works to find new ways to advance the operational capabilities of its components through research and development.

“This agreement between NPS and Microsoft takes that initiative to the next level, creating a defined cooperative research collaboration between a global tech giant and the capabilities it brings to bear, with the Navy’s leading science and technological university, where operationalizing innovation is core to their mission,” Weis added.

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DOE Lab Develops Satellite-Supercomputer Link System
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DOE Lab Develops Satellite-Supercomputer Link System

The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has built a satellite terminal designed to collect and connect satellite data to a high-performance computing facility.

ORNL said Monday it aims to finish the installation of the supercomputer-powered ground station this summer to support the transmission of imagery for automated detection of changes on the Earth’s surface.

The lab expects the new system to help government and industry partners downlink data from S-band and ultra-high-frequency satellites directly to ORNL’s supercomputing hub.

Researchers could use the HPC machine to analyze satellite data for use in emergency response and disaster relief missions. A Battelle-University of Tennessee partnership manages and operates ORNL.

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Melissa DeLuca Joins USAF Kessel Run as Chief of Contracts
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Melissa DeLuca Joins USAF Kessel Run as Chief of Contracts

Melissa DeLuca, who has been with the U.S. Air Force for more than a decade, has been named chief of contracts at the service’s Kessel Run software development unit.

Prior to joining Kessel Run, DeLuca served as contracting technical director for the program executive office digital.

She also held the roles of contracting branch chief for Kessel Run, contracting officer, senior contract cost and price analyst and contract specialist.

Before her move to the Air Force, DeLuca was survivor services case manager at Fidelity Investments.

Kessel Run, also known as Detachment 12 within the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, develops, tests, maintains and operates cloud-based infrastructure and software applications designed to deliver warfighting capabilities to U.S. airmen across the globe. The detachment is headquartered at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts.

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OMB Releases Guidance on Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Implementation
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OMB Releases Guidance on Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Implementation

The Office of Management and Budget has issued guidance directing agencies to designate a senior accountable official and an implementation coordinator to oversee a cross-functional team and processes needed to implement the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

OMB said Friday agency experts that should take part in cross-functional agency infrastructure implementation teams include chief information officers, chief information security officers, chief data officers, chief acquisition officers and chief financial officers.

The document also directs agencies to designate rural desk officers to support rural communities in accessing federal funding and assign a team to work with territorial governments to provide coordination between territorial governments and the agency.

The OMB guidance document also outlines steps to achieve effective stewardship and implementation of the law, including the development of program implementation plans and reducing administrative burden and providing technical assistance.

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David Ferriero on NARA’s Shift to Electronic Recordkeeping
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David Ferriero on NARA’s Shift to Electronic Recordkeeping

David Ferriero, most recently archivist of the U.S. and head of the National Archives and Records Administration, said NARA has made accomplishments in the past decade and one of those is getting the attention of the White House when it comes to implementing electronic record-keeping.

“We were fortunate that President Obama, in his Open Government Initiative, recognized the importance of good record-keeping for open government and transparency,” Ferriero told National Archives News in an interview published Friday.

“But that has set the tone for the shift from paper to electronic recordkeeping, which is underway now,” he added.

Another accomplishment he cited is the involvement of the public in transcribing records as part of the Citizen Archivist program.

“We’ve got people all over the world who are helping us transcribe records, tagging records. … So those kinds of activities—involving the public in our work—is another thing I would point to in terms of accomplishments. . . . [And] it’s become a model for other institutions; the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, lots of libraries around the country are providing those kinds of tagging opportunities to involve the public in their work,” Ferriero said.

He also discussed the agency’s focus on culture and efforts to improve the quality of the work environment as part of its transformation work.

Ferriero retired from NARA last week after 12 years of leadership and the agency appointed Deputy Archivist Debra Steidel Wall to perform his duties on an acting capacity.

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SkyePoint Transitions Eric Shaw to Chief Growth Officer; Frank Sturek Quoted
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SkyePoint Transitions Eric Shaw to Chief Growth Officer; Frank Sturek Quoted

Information technology services provider SkyePoint Decisions has elevated Eric Shaw from his prior position as capture director to the company’s chief growth officer.

In his new position, Shaw will identify growth opportunities and build on the company’s name recognition in the cybersecurity and risk management markets, the Dulles, Virginia-based company said Monday.

“[Shaw] is an accomplished Business Development and Capture professional, and a trusted leader in our organization…no one is more ready for this challenge than Eric,” commented SkyePoint Decisions President Frank Sturek.

The promoted executive has gathered experience as capture manager at Constellis, where he helped the company secure contracts valued from $10 million to over $1 billion from various Department of Defense agencies.

He was also a senior consultant at CGI Federal, where he honed his skills in developing win strategies, competitive analysis and teaming strategies and agreements, as well as contract award pursuits across the full lifecycle.

Before coming to SkyePoint, Shaw was director of capture and proposals at Axiologic Solutions LLC, where he oversaw corporate accounts with the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command and federal civilian agencies such as the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security and the General Services Administration.

Shaw will utilize this career work in order to help SkyePoint deepen its relationship with federal government clientele. He will additionally work to establish a methodical strategy to achieve the revenue and outreach goals the company has set in place.

The new chief growth officer cited the company’s shared “common vision and goals” as key aspects of SkyePoint’s culture.

“It’s an incredible honor to be part of the leadership team that sets the tempo. I look forward to my new role,” Shaw resolved.

The promotion of Shaw follows SkyePoint’s April elevation of former chief solutions officer Jason Weaver to the position of chief technology officer. Weaver and Shaw will surely collaborate closely in their new jobs.

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George Mason University Center for Government Contracting Publishes ‘Implementing Responsible AI’ White Paper; GovCon Expert Jerry McGinn Quoted
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George Mason University Center for Government Contracting Publishes ‘Implementing Responsible AI’ White Paper; GovCon Expert Jerry McGinn Quoted

George Mason University’s Center for Government Contracting released its latest white paper, “Implementing Responsible AI: Proposed Framework for Data Licensing” on Friday to improve the licensing strategies required to better address the unique challenges of acquiring AI solutions.

“Data licensing agreements are critical and Andrew and Ben have developed an excellent framework for crafting custom use licenses that will help drive successful AI projects for government and industry,” said GovCon Expert Jerry McGinn, the Center’s Executive Director and a 2022 Wash100 Award winner.

The white paper was written by the following authors:

Benjamin McMartin, Esq., senior fellow with GMU’s Center for Government Contracting

Major Andrew Bowne, Chief Legal Counsel for the Department of the Air Force / AI Accelerator with MIT

In the latest white paper, McMartin and Bowne provide a practical framework that integrates cutting-edge AI solutions and adheres to Responsible AI principles, which includes use cases to demonstrate how custom data licenses can balance the need for access and use of data and software for RAI purposes against industry partners’ desire to protect their IP and maintain standardized commercial licensing practices.

Recently, the Center for Government Contracting also released a playbook that explores the necessary changes in acquisition approach and mindset to ensure that the defense acquisition system can maintain its advantage for the U.S. in the global space.

According to the report, the first three plays enable iteration and modularity needed to advance the next three plays that apply to contracts with software-intensive content. These software-intensive plays are agile work statements, modular contracts and intellectual property.

“We worked to identify the practices that acquisition professionals and their industry counterparts can use now to innovate, iterate, scale, and field effective military capabilities for United States forces,” GovCon Expert Jerry McGinn explained. “Many of these practices are being used in programs, but widespread adoption will help drive culture change across the acquisition community.”

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CRDF Global Appoints Tina Dolph as Chief Global Officer; CEO Michael Dignam Quoted
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CRDF Global Appoints Tina Dolph as Chief Global Officer; CEO Michael Dignam Quoted

CRDF Global announced on Monday that Tina Dolph, a four-time Wash100 Award recipient, has been named chief global officer to grow the company’s global footprint through an expansion strategy as well as driving new capabilities in cybersecurity and other new technologies.

“In today’s increasingly complex and often uncertain global environment, there are few organizations like CRDF Global with the established track record of providing capacity building and stabilizing solutions urgently needed for human-centric challenges at scale,” said Dolph.

Previously, Tina Dolph had been the president and CEO of Siemens Government Technologies since Oct 2018. Prior to that, Dolph served as the chief strategy officer for CRDF Global between Jan. 2018 and Oct. As Chief Global Officer, she will bring her extensive experience in global operations, critical infrastructure, and technology innovation to the company.

Her technical expertise in critical infrastructure and digital transformation is an important element of our strategic plan and organizational vision. Her ability to navigate the complexities of government modernization and security challenges will allow CRDF Global to expand and deepen or service offerings,” said CRDF Global CEO Michael Dignam.

CRDF Global continues to grow in the highly competitive and complex global technology threat environment, which will continue under Dolph’s leadership to sustain the company’s growth trajectory and help its customers address the latest and most complex global challenges.

Tomás Díaz de la Rubia, vice president for Research and Partnerships with the University of Oklahoma and CRDF Global Board Chair, explained that Tina Dolph will bring her background in cybersecurity solutions and visionary leadership to keep the company on the cutting edge of emerging technologies as they influence the federal landscape.

In addition, Tina Dolph is a board member for Valiant Integrated Services. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the post-9/11 veteran and military family national nonprofit Hope for the Warriors and the National Defense University Foundation.

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OMB Appoints Karin Orvis as Permanent Chief Statistician; Shalanda Young Quoted
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OMB Appoints Karin Orvis as Permanent Chief Statistician; Shalanda Young Quoted

Karin Orvis, director of the Defense Suicide Prevention Office, will be the new permanent U.S. chief statistician and branch chief for statistical and science policy at the Office of Management Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Federal News Network reported.

Orvis will take over for Dominic Mancini, deputy administrator of OIRA who has been serving as OMB’s chief statistician on an acting basis. It will be the first time that the OMB will have a permanent chief statistician since Nancy Potok left the position vacant in 2019.

In her new role, Orvis will oversee a decentralized network of federal agencies that produce statistical data to guide policymaking across the government and serve on the administration’s Equitable Data Working Group.

Orvis brings more than two decades of government experience. She previously served as director of the Department of Defense’s Transition to Veterans Program Office and acting principal director of Military Community and Family Policy.

“As someone who has led development, implementation, and evaluation of vital programs at the Department of Defense, she has invaluable experience to be a leader in the evolving federal statistical system. We’re thrilled to welcome her to OMB,” said Shalanda Young, director of OMB.

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