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Richard DalBello Named Director of NOAA Office of Space Commerce
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Richard DalBello Named Director of NOAA Office of Space Commerce

Richard DalBello, a more than 30-year space industry veteran, has been appointed to serve as director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Space Commerce.

He will assume the position on May 9 and lead OSC in its effort to advance space technologies and coordinate activities, such as developing and licensing commercial remote sensing systems, NOAA said Wednesday.

DalBello most recently served as vice president of global engagement at Virgin Galactic responsible for overseeing the commercialization of the company’s carrier aircraft and space vehicles in international markets.

He also worked at the Office of Science and Technology Policy as director for space and aeronautics during the Obama administration.

Gina Raimondo, secretary of the Department of Commerce, said DalBello’s experience and expertise will support OSC as it seeks to coordinate with key government and private sector partners to advance U.S. leadership in the commercial space market.

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Navy Rear Adm. Craig Clapperton Nominated as Commander of Fleet Cyber Command
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Navy Rear Adm. Craig Clapperton Nominated as Commander of Fleet Cyber Command

U.S Navy Rear Adm. Craig Clapperton has received a nomination from President Biden to elevate to the grade of vice admiral and assume the role of commander of the Fleet Cyber Command and the Tenth Fleet at Fort George Meade in Maryland.

The Department of Defense said Tuesday Clapperton is the current commander of Combined Joint Task Force, Cyber, Tenth Fleet.

He assumed his current responsibilities in June 2021. Other notable movements in his military career include being commissioned in 1989, having naval flight officer designation in 1991 and earning a Master of Arts in National Strategy and Security Studies from the Naval War College in 2008.

Clapperton also has more than 2,800 operational flying hours in the A-6E Intruder, EA-6B Prowler and EA-18 G Growler aircraft. DOD made the announcement on Tuesday along with other flag officer nominations.

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Army CIO Raj Iyer on Cybersecurity Executive Order, Commercial Cloud
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Army CIO Raj Iyer on Cybersecurity Executive Order, Commercial Cloud

Raj Iyer, chief information officer of the U.S. Army and a 2022 Wash100 Award winner, said the cybersecurity executive order signed in May 2021 has helped drive digital security, Signal Magazine reported Wednesday.

“I think for the first time, with the White House order, that recognized there was a connection between moving to the cloud and cybersecurity,” Iyer said at a conference Wednesday.

“That doesn’t mean just moving to cloud makes you somehow automatically more secure. You still have to make sure that you build in the right cybersecurity controls even into a cloud environment, but when done right, the cloud is inherently a lot more secure and resilient than any of our on-premises computing,” he added.

He cited how the EO recognizes information technology and operational technology as part of the attack surface and shared his thoughts on commercial cloud and Army-related Risk Management Framework.

Iyer discussed some of the challenges facing the military branch when it comes to specific cybersecurity roles and highlighted the need for clarity regarding cyber-related responsibilities in relation to Title 40 and Title 44.

Army CIO Raj Iyer on Cybersecurity Executive Order, Commercial Cloud

GovCon Wire’s 2nd Annual Army IT and Digital Transformation Forum will feature Army CIO Raj Iyer as a keynote speaker. Visit the GCW Events page to sign up for the June 15 virtual forum and see the publication site’s full calendar.

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Army Taps Sig Sauer for $4.5B Squad Weapon Production Contract
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Army Taps Sig Sauer for $4.5B Squad Weapon Production Contract

The U.S. Army has chosen New Hampshire-based company Sig Sauer as the winner of a $4.5 billion contract to manufacture the branch’s Next Generation Squad Weapon system after 27 months of prototype development and evaluation work.

The firm-fixed-price contract is for the production of the XM5 Rifle and its XM250 automatic variant with a common 6.8 millimeter ammunition cartridge, according to an award notice on the Department of Defense website.

Sig Sauer will initially produce weapons and ammo for a testing effort under a $20.4 initial delivery order. The Army said it will pair the two NGSW variations with the XM157 fire control system designed to support close combat force missions.

The 6.8 Common Cartridge Family of Ammunition will employ vendor-designed cartridges and government-provided projectiles, the service added.

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Lisa Casias to Head FirstNet Authority on Acting Basis
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Lisa Casias to Head FirstNet Authority on Acting Basis

Lisa Casias, deputy CEO of the First Responder Network Authority, has been appointed to lead the agency on an acting basis in a move that takes effect May 9.

She will replace Edward Parkinson, who stepped down after more than three years in the CEO position and accepted a new role in the private sector, the FirstNet Authority said Tuesday.

Parkinson has been credited with coordinating national public safety broadband network development plans across the U.S. and territories and the agency’s initial network investments.

Casias, who assumed the deputy CEO role in November 2019, supports policy and strategy development and oversight of day-to-day operations at the FirstNet Authority.

The certified public accountant previously served as deputy assistant secretary for administration, deputy chief financial officer and director of financial management at the Department of Commerce.

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US, Allied Cyber Agencies Offer Details on Top 15 Cyber Vulnerabilities; Jen Easterly, Rob Joyce Quoted
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US, Allied Cyber Agencies Offer Details on Top 15 Cyber Vulnerabilities; Jen Easterly, Rob Joyce Quoted

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, National Security Agency, the FBI and international partners have released a joint advisory on the top 15 routinely exploited vulnerabilities.

Some of the common vulnerabilities and exposures discussed in the advisory are Log4Shell, ProxyLogon and ProxyShell, NSA said Wednesday.

“CISA and our partners are releasing this advisory to highlight the risk that the most commonly exploited vulnerabilities pose to both public and private sector networks,” said CISA Director Jen Easterly, who is also a 2022 Wash100 Award winner. 

Easterly called on organizations to review their vulnerability management practices and initiate actions to address risks associated with exploited vulnerabilities.

The U.S. federal agencies and cybersecurity partners from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the U.K. suggested several measures organizations should take to mitigate risks.

These include vulnerability and configuration management, identity and access management and positive controls and architecture.

“This report should be a reminder to organizations that bad actors don’t need to develop sophisticated tools when they can just exploit publicly known vulnerabilities,” said Rob Joyce, cybersecurity director at NSA, a fellow 2022 Wash100 Award recipient.

“Get a handle on mitigations or patches as these CVEs are actively exploited,” Joyce added.

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Mike McCord Talks DOD’s FY23 Budget Request, Inflation Before House Panel
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Mike McCord Talks DOD’s FY23 Budget Request, Inflation Before House Panel

Mike McCord, undersecretary of defense (comptroller) and chief financial officer, appeared Wednesday before the House Budget Committee to discuss inflation and its impact on the Department of Defense’s budget request for fiscal year 2023, DOD News reported.

“When we saw prices changing last year, we took all the information that we could gather up to the time we finished the budget late in the calendar year and built that into our FY23 pricing,” he told lawmakers.

McCord, a previous Wash100 Award winner, also talked about the department’s use of a chain-weighted consumer price index to reflect higher inflation and price indices for health care, housing costs, fuel, and other goods.

“Prices have continued to evolve since we finalized our budget. We recognize the impact of global economic conditions on our ability to deliver the capabilities in this budget, and we’re prepared to work with Congress to find the best solutions to address these challenges as we move forward toward the congressional oversight of this budget,” McCord said.

In March, the administration released the president’s FY 2023 proposed budget that includes $773 billion in defense spending, up 4.1 percent from the enacted funding for FY 2022.

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Xcelerate Solutions Elevates COO Danny Olmes to President; CEO Mark Drever Quoted
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Xcelerate Solutions Elevates COO Danny Olmes to President; CEO Mark Drever Quoted

Information technology company Xcelerate Solutions has appointed Danny Olmes, currently its chief operating officer, to the position of president.

A two-decade veteran of the aerospace, defense and commercial sectors, Olmes will continue performing COO duties in addition to overseeing Xcelerate’s routine operations and business aspects, the McLean, Virginia-based company said Wednesday.

Mark Drever, Xcelerate’s CEO, said the move originates from a need for Drever to concentrate on honing the company’s client relationships and leading strategy due to “a period of record growth across an increasingly diverse portfolio.”

“Danny has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to address complex issues and make sound business decisions with the cooperation and engagement of our senior leaders,” Drever emphasized.

Olmes began as an adviser at tax consultancy firm PwC and went on to work as a research fellow at LMI and a senior financial analyst at Freddie Mac. He expanded his interests to the defense and aerospace field with the role of engineering and technical services manager at Harris Corporation and subsequently served as vice president of membership at the Aerospace Industries Association.

During his career, Olmes’ primary focus areas have been business management, financial management and analysis and data analytics, as well as supply chain management and association management.

Before joining Xcelerate in June 2021, Olmes founded and was president of technology and infrastructure start-up Hellen Systems for over three years. The company spearheaded the safeguarding of U.S. critical infrastructure via the establishment of an enhanced GPS back-up system called LORAN.

Drever cited Olmes’ sharp decision-making skills and efficient execution as factors in his promotion and the trust Xcelerate has invested in the executive.

The new Xcelerate president says he will “work every day” to prove the board of directors’ trust was well-placed.

“I’m surrounded by great people and have no doubt we’ll continue to build on our current success,” Olmes added.

The elevation of Olmes follows Xcelerate’s February hire of former IBM executive William Shaw as senior vice president of business development and sales.

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Leidos Holds Ceremony, Sets Date for Construction of New San Diego Facility; Group President Steve Cook Quoted
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Leidos Holds Ceremony, Sets Date for Construction of New San Diego Facility; Group President Steve Cook Quoted

Plans are underway for the construction of a new research and development center at Leidos’ San Diego, California location.

Formation of the new, modernized facility will begin in May at Leidos’ Campus Point office park, with an estimated completion of mid-year 2024, the company said Wednesday.

“This campus is home to many of our innovative and advanced technologies, and we look forward to the continued development of critical solutions that help us solve customer challenges,” remarked Steve Cook, Dynetics group president for Leidos.

Cook also said the introduction of the new facility, recently commemorated by a groundbreaking ceremony, provides a way for the company to give back to its employees and the city of San Diego.

The undertaking is aimed to generate an environmentally sustainable structure that produces a less impactful carbon footprint for Leidos staff and clients. It will house workspaces for more than 400 employees and will feature multi-tiered floors suited to classified projects and secure missions.

Leidos’ Campus Point center is currently the home of the Leidos Innovations Center, one of the focal points of the company’s research and development activities and a mainstay in technological advancements. The new construction efforts will also redevelop the area in order to update amenities.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, Leidos donated $25,000 to the San Diego Salvation Army, Adult Rehabilitation Center as part of their initiative to contribute to the community.

Cook was promoted from deputy group president to group president of the Dynetics subsidiary in March.

That same month, Leidos was awarded a prime position on a seven-year, $545 million contract from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to execute biomedical, preclinical and development research services. It is likely that the new San Diego facility will be utilized for such research practices once it is completed.

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GDIT Receives $661M Digital Modernization, MAINES EPA Contract; President Amy Gilliland Quoted
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GDIT Receives $661M Digital Modernization, MAINES EPA Contract; President Amy Gilliland Quoted

General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) announced on Wednesday that the business unit has been awarded a potential seven-year, $661.6 million from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop and operate the EPA’s enterprise IT infrastructure and application platforms. 

“Technology and ingenuity are critical to furthering the government’s environmental mission,” said Amy Gilliland, GDIT president and a 2022 Wash100 Award recipient. “GDIT will partner with the EPA to deliver a reliable, secure and technologically advanced IT infrastructure that will support agency initiatives fundamental to protecting human health and the environment.”

Visit Wash100.com to cast a vote for Amy Gilliland as one of your TEN votes before April 30th to advocate for your favorite leaders in the federal and government sectors. 

Under EPA’s Managed Application, Infrastructure, Networking, Enterprise, and Security Services (MAINES) task order, GDIT will provide a full range of services, including cloud computing, application platform management, enterprise network and security operations, enterprise identity access management, and cybersecurity.

“Supporting the EPA’s mission has been a focus of GDIT for more than 40 years,” said Darby Chellis Bade, vice president for EPA programs and executive lead for Climate Change with GDIT. “We are thrilled to continue this partnership and enable the EPA to operate its IT infrastructure more efficiently.”

GDIT will continue to optimize the speed and quality of service delivery, standardize the agency’s IT architecture to incorporate emerging technology, provide scalability to support the future workforce, and enhance the customer experience.

About General Dynamics

General Dynamics is a global aerospace and defense company that offers a broad portfolio of products and services in business aviation; ship construction and repair; land combat vehicles, weapons systems and munitions; and technology products and services. General Dynamics employs more than 100,000 people worldwide and generated $38.5 billion in revenue in 2021. 

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