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Robert Califf Rejoins FDA as Commissioner; Xavier Becerra Quoted
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Robert Califf Rejoins FDA as Commissioner; Xavier Becerra Quoted

Robert Califf, who served as commissioner of the Food and Drugs Administration from February 2016 to January 2017, officially returned to the agency Thursday as its top official after serving as head of medical strategy at Google’s parent company Alphabet.

The prominent cardiologist was nominated by President Biden to the FDA leadership post in November 2021 and confirmed by the Senate on Feb. 15 through a 50-46 vote.

“The FDA is one of our nation’s most critical public health agencies and having a commissioner with Dr. Califf’s experience and expertise will ensure we are well positioned to combat COVID-19, the opioid crisis, and many other public health challenges,” Xavier Becerra, HHS secretary and previous Wash100 Award recipient, said in a statement released Thursday.

Califf initially led the agency under the Obama administration and was the agency’s deputy commissioner of medical products and tobacco before his promotion.

He joined Alphabet in November 2019 from his prior role as vice chancellor for clinical and translational research at Duke University, where he also taught medicine as an adjunct professor.

A clinical trial specialist, Califf has more than 1,300 biomedical science publications in the peer-reviewed literature.

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Maj. Gen. Matthew Easley Named DOD Deputy Principal Info Operations Adviser
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Maj. Gen. Matthew Easley Named DOD Deputy Principal Info Operations Adviser

Maj. Gen. Matt Easley, who most recently served as director of cybersecurity and chief information security officer at the U.S. Army, has taken on a new assignment as deputy principal information operations adviser at the Department of Defense.

Easley will work in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and advise Defense Secretary and 2022 Wash100 Award  recipient Lloyd Austin on IO-related matters.

Raj Iyer, CIO of the Army and a Wash100 awardee, announced Easley’s move in a LinkedIn post Tuesday.

“Matt has set us up on an awesome path to zero trust for both IT and Operational Technology. The Army’s FISMA scorecard under his leadership is the best across the entire DoD,” Iyer wrote.

Easley assumed the CISO role at the service branch in September 2020 and received promotion to the rank of major general in December of the same year.

He delivered a closing keynote address to the Potomac Officers Club’s “The Cost of AI” event on Nov. 9, 2021, and spoke about the challenges defense agencies face as they strive to implement enterprise-level, AI-based technology. Visit the POC Events page to hear his full speech on-demand.

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Marine Corps Launches Microsoft O365 SaaS Application Development Challenge
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Marine Corps Launches Microsoft O365 SaaS Application Development Challenge

The U.S. Marine Corps is inviting uniformed and civilian Marine personnel to participate in a challenge to develop Microsoft Office 365 software-as-a-service applications to improve readiness, productivity and mission effectiveness. 

The 2022 Microsoft O365 SaaS Application Development Innovation Challenge will run from February to June and the Marine Corps is encouraging participants to consider building apps that support the service’s Talent Management 2030 program, according to a solicitation notice posted Feb. 14th. 

The challenge will be carried out in three phases and the initial phase will focus on planning and registration. Phase 2 will be the execution phase and Phase 3 will be evaluation and award.

The second phase includes two stages: training and SaaS application development. Demonstration of apps will occur in the third phase. Participants should submit their proposed ideas by Feb. 28th.

The Marine Corps’ information and knowledge management steering group will review the completed applications based on applicability and ease of use, among other criteria, and select the top 10 applications by June 16th. 

Developers will demonstrate their selected apps from June 20th to 24th and the military branch will announce the challenge’s three winners by June 30th.

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Pentagon, US Allies Unveil Combined Space Operations Vision 2031
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Pentagon, US Allies Unveil Combined Space Operations Vision 2031

The U.S. Department of Defense and its counterpart agencies in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany and the U.K. have released a joint document highlighting the need to promote responsible use of space and safeguard and defend against hostile activities in space in accordance with international law.

The Combined Space Operations Vision 2031 outlines four guiding principles: freedom of use of space; responsible and sustainable use of space; upholding international law; and partnering while upholding sovereignty, DOD said Tuesday.

The CSpO document has several objectives, including conflict prevention and space mission assurance. CSpO participants intend to meet such shared objectives through several lines of effort. These include developing and operating resilient, interoperable architectures; promoting responsible military behaviors in space; collaborating on strategic communications efforts; and sharing intelligence and information.

In December, CSpO principals met to reaffirm their countries’ support to the 2031 vision and DOD representatives the importance of information sharing to facilitate interoperability and cooperation.

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Biden: U.S. Imposes Economic Sanctions on Russia Over Ukraine Actions
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Biden: U.S. Imposes Economic Sanctions on Russia Over Ukraine Actions

U.S. President Biden on Tuesday ordered to cut off Russia’s access to international financing and impose blocking sanctions on two banks as part of the first tranche of sanctions in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine, Voice of America reported Tuesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the deployment of more troops across the eastern Ukraine border and then declared the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as independent, actions which Biden said marked the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and “a flagrant violation of international law.”

The U.S. government’s measures imposed on Vnesheconombank and Promsvyazbank – Russian banks that hold over $80 billion in assets and fund Russia’s military and economic development – include freezing their assets in the U.S. and prohibiting U.S. companies and individuals from doing business with them, according to a White House fact sheet published Tuesday.

The first tranche also includes expanded sovereign debt prohibitions and sanctions on five Russian elites and their family members.

Biden said he ordered the deployment of additional air support and infantry troops to the Baltics to “send an unmistakable message that the United States, together with our allies, will defend every inch of NATO territory.”

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Air Force Vet Wayne Kinsel Named Aviation Design Team Leader at Woolpert
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Air Force Vet Wayne Kinsel Named Aviation Design Team Leader at Woolpert

Wayne Kinsel, a former civil engineer and commander with the U.S. Air Force, has joined Woolpert to lead its team responsible for designing aviation systems.

Kinsel brings to his new role experience in managing Air Force organizations, personnel and infrastructure worth more than $3.9 billion, and expertise in resource and facilities management, strategic planning and transportation, Woolpert said Tuesday.

The retired lieutenant colonel previously held top military roles at the squadron, group, major command, field operating agency and headquarters air staff levels, including as commander of the 628th Civil Engineer Squadron. He left the service branch in July.

A certified project management professional, Kinsel most recently worked as director of facilities and operations at Sylvania Schools in northwest Ohio.

“Wayne has held multiple project and people management roles throughout his outstanding career with the Air Force, where he excelled and inspired success at every level,” said Tom Less, Woolpert’s infrastructure discipline leader.

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GAO: Majority of DOD AI Warfighting Mission Tools Still in Development
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GAO: Majority of DOD AI Warfighting Mission Tools Still in Development

The majority of artificial intelligence technologies designed to support U.S. military operations are in the development phase of Department of Defense acquisition programs, according to a Government Accountability Office report.

GAO caught up with officials at more than 20 organizations under DOD as part of the government audit agency’s review of efforts to develop, procure and implement AI-based weapons systems.

The Pentagon considers AI capability a top priority area for modernization programs in a push to maintain the country’s military edge at the technological and operational levels and increase warfighters’ ability to defend against near-peer threats.

According to GAO, the department is facing acquisition and workforce challenges such as a lack of data needed to train AI models for integration into weapons systems.

“DOD initiated a variety of efforts—such as establishing a cross-service digital platform for AI and AI-specific trainings—to address these challenges and support its pursuit of AI, but it is too soon to assess effectiveness,” the report states.

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AT&T First Responder Network Expands 5G Coverage, Sets New Goals; President Jason Porter Quoted
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AT&T First Responder Network Expands 5G Coverage, Sets New Goals; President Jason Porter Quoted

AT&T FirstNet, the company’s network designed for U.S. first responders, has widened its 5G availability to 10 new locations throughout the country, covering a radius of over 2.81 million square miles.

First responders in Savannah, Georgia; Western Kansas; Lansing, Michigan; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Toledo, Ogio; Charleston, South Carolina; Hilton Head, South Carolina; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Richmond, Virginia; and Redmond, Washington will all now have access to 5G service, the telecommunications company said Tuesday.

“Interoperable connectivity is the foundation of FirstNet and the entire public safety-centric ecosystem it is driving. As public safety’s partner, we’ve moved faster than anyone to deliver more coverage across tribal, rural and urban areas, powering the connections first responders count on most,” commented Jason Porter, president of AT&T Public Sector and FirstNet, as well as a recent Wash100 Award winner.

Additionally, AT&T FirstNet has unveiled and launched the Band 14 spectrum, which is a line created specially for the FirstNet Authority organization for emergency calls. In appropriate situations, the Band 14 line can be cleared and locked so that emergency responders can use the data they need with no interruptions or delays.

Through a partnership with Safer Buildings Coalition, the company is looking to meet the need of the estimated 80% of calls that are sourced indoors. This agreement aims to boost the mission of public safety officials who will likely be calling from an inside location.

AT&T FirstNet is also attempting to combat weather challenges and climate events (of which there were over 60 in the U.S. during 2021) through the addition of a third pathway to each of the network’s mobility hubs for emergency purposes. These pathways have been established specifically with environmental misfortune in mind.

With their non-commercial network service that intends to reach first responders across the spectrum – including career and volunteer at the federal, tribal and local levels in urban, suburban and rural locations alike – AT&T FirstNet wants to treat its calls with priority in order to potentially help save lives.

Since its inception in 2017, the network has spent upwards of $130 billion on the cause. They have also focused on serving indigenous American communities in their new expansion, increasing their coverage to 100 cell sites in the Navajo Nation.

“The FirstNet buildout represents a historic investment in broadband infrastructure for the Navajo Nation. Our first responders have used FirstNet mobile technology during wildfires, large public events and for COVID-19 mitigation efforts,” said Jonathan Nez, president of Navajo Nation.

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Parsons’ Defense & Intelligence President Paul Decker Talks Corporate Responsibility, Tech Innovation With Potomac Officers Club
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Parsons’ Defense & Intelligence President Paul Decker Talks Corporate Responsibility, Tech Innovation With Potomac Officers Club

Paul Decker, president of defense and intelligence for Parsons Corporation, was featured recently in an Executive Spotlight interview with the Potomac Officers Club. Decker is a cybersecurity industry veteran with extensive experience in the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community sectors. Reflecting on his past four years (and counting) with Parsons, Decker shared his thoughts on his personal leadership style, federal process improvements and tech innovations.

In this excerpt from the interview, Decker underscores the importance of responsibility in the adoption of new, advanced technologies, as developments in this area continue to accelerate:

“As leaders, we can’t forget about our corporate responsibility and our moral compass as we navigate through the explosive growth of emerging technologies. A lot of technologies offer great benefits, but we also need to ensure they are used responsibly and that we are prudent about possible malicious exploitation of these technologies. We must understand the full array of effects and consequences and manage risks appropriately. Security and responsibility must be the underpinning facets of innovation.

We also have to consider the ripple effect of changes that may come from a new innovation.  We may create a new ‘latest and greatest,’ but then we need to make sure everything else can integrate and be compatible with the latest and greatest. It is not just the initial innovation that costs money and impacts our lives, it’s also everything that directly interacts with that innovation.”

Click here to read the full Executive Spotlight interview with Parsons Corporations’ Paul Decker, and visit PotomacOfficersClub.com to learn more about the platform’s membership options and benefits.

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Carahsoft to Offer Data Protection Software Tanium to Government Customers; President Craig Abod Quoted
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Carahsoft to Offer Data Protection Software Tanium to Government Customers; President Craig Abod Quoted

In response to the ramping up of cybersecurity threats in recent times, Carahsoft has teamed with Tanium, a platform that aids in visibility and endpoint management.

The information technology services company said Tuesday it has agreed to market the program to federal, state and local government clients through its various reseller merchants, such as NASA Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement V and Information Technology Enterprise Solutions – Software 2 contracts.

“Tanium’s addition to the Carahsoft robust cybersecurity solutions portfolio strengthens the arsenal of tools Government agencies can rely on and delivers the real-time visibility, control and rapid response they need to improve their cyber hygiene and strengthen their security posture,” said Craig Abod, Carahsoft president and eight-time recipient of the Wash100 Award.

Tanium’s platform intends to render IT processes both more efficient and secure via its endpoint management-delivering communications architecture. In doing so, the program strives to foster connectivity between operations and security teams.

Tanium Senior Vice President of Public Sector Teddra Burgess stressed how the current technological climate is motivating public sector officials to increase security and cyber hygiene measures, citing the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s recent directives.

These CISA orders “demonstrate the growing level of concern and determination to thwart future large-scale attacks that have crippling effects on agencies and organizations,” Burgess said.

Through Tanium’s implementation, Carahsoft hopes to help protect the storage of important information and assist in data analysis, retrieval and change execution, steeling data against potential cyber and ransomware attacks.

Earlier this month, Carahsoft announced they will be the government sector distributor for Cyara’s customer experience offerings.

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