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Industry Veteran Shawn Wells Appointed to Accenture Federal Cybersecurity Function; MG Aaron Faulkner Quoted
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Industry Veteran Shawn Wells Appointed to Accenture Federal Cybersecurity Function; MG Aaron Faulkner Quoted

Former CrowdStrike executive Shawn Wells has been added to the cybersecurity division at Accenture’s federal business.

In his new role, Wells will leverage over 20 years of elite cybersecurity knowledge and experience, the Arlington, Virginia-based company said Wednesday.

Aaron Faulkner, managing director of the Accenture Federal Services cybersecurity practice, said that Wells possesses “a successful track record of solutions architecture across all sectors of the federal government.”

“His ability to make cutting-edge, commercial innovations enterprise-ready for federal agencies will prove an outstanding value-add for our client portfolio,” Faulkner continued.

The executive’s new position will require him to utilize his familiarity with the cyber threat anticipation, constructing systems to combat attacks and scaling the overall program.

Wells began his career as a technician at the web host startup Toadnet before moving on to the public sector, working for a year as a computer programmer and Java/PHP developer for the U.S. Department of Defense.

Later on, he began a 12-year stint at Red Hat, where he worked primarily with the company’s government-facing business. He held positions such as practice lead of global system Z sales, strategy and marketing and director of innovation programs in the U.S. public sector wing.

Wells ended his time at Red Hat as senior principal and chief security strategy specialist for U.S. public sector clients, for which he was awarded WashingtonExec Magazine’s Pinnacle Award for Cyber Industry Executive of the Year in 2019.

Most recently, Wells was global vice president of solution architecture at CrowdStrike, where he oversaw and directed the international technical presales organization, which is responsible for all of the company’s partner sourced revenue. He also presided over a worldwide, multi-continent solution architecture leadership.

“I particularly look forward to advancing Accenture Federal Services’ continued investments to commercialize and drive cutting-edge solution architectures at scale,” Wells commented.

The appointment of Wells follows AFS’ February hire of Michael Scruggs as lead of applied intelligence.

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Deltek Initiates Computer Science Scholarship Program at George Mason; CEO Mike Corkery Quoted
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Deltek Initiates Computer Science Scholarship Program at George Mason; CEO Mike Corkery Quoted

Software and information services company Deltek has contributed a significant donation and began a scholarship program for computer science students only with George Mason University.

The Deltek Scholars Program will divvy up the company’s initial $100,000 investment for up to eight first-generation college students enrolled in Mason’s software engineering master’s program, the company said Tuesday.

“Mason is a proven talent incubator for the Northern Virginia region,” said Mike Corkery, Deltek’s CEO and president.

Corkery went on to share that the company intends to continually grow the amount of Mason interns and graduates of the university on staff. He said this is in line with a mission of strengthening northern Virginia’s information technology bona fides.

The scholarship will create a direct pipeline to internships at Deltek for its recipients, as well as enable networking and career opportunities and pay for the financial demands of students’ capstone projects. Funds will be distributed starting in Fall 2022.

The donation is part of a longstanding partnership between the company and George Mason. Corkery is a participant in the school’s President’s Innovation Advisory Council, which is composed of industry, community and government figures helping to direct expansion in Arlington’s Rosslyn-Ballston corridor, where a new campus is currently being erected.

In addition, Donald de Laski, the founder of Deltek, served on Mason’s board and supported the university for a number of years. De Laski and his wife, Kathleen, have a performing arts building named after them on Mason’s Fairfax campus.

Just as this new scholarship venture attempts to uplift first-generation students, Deltek also drew focus to diverse workforce objectives last month when its analysts highlighted new opportunities for women-owned small businesses.

Ashley Sanderson, senior manager of research at Deltek, spotlighted three potential contracts available for these businesses, including a $1 billion contract tasking information technology services for the Defense Information Systems Agency.

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2022 Wash100 Voting Deadline Approaching; Cast Your 10 Votes By April 30th
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2022 Wash100 Voting Deadline Approaching; Cast Your 10 Votes By April 30th

The Wash100 Award, the most prestigious and coveted award in all of government contracting (GovCon), has been the standard of accomplishment and excellence in the GovCon industry since its inception nine years ago. Executive Mosaic presents the award every year to recognize the 100 influential leaders in our community who can make the most significant contributions in the coming year. 

With all 100 profiles having been published and available on Wash100.com for this year’s list of Wash100 Award winners, the countdown towards the April 30th deadline to cast your TEN votes in the 2022 Wash100 Vote Standings.

For the next three weeks, you’ll have ten votes to cast for the best-in-class executives who you believe deserve the spotlight amongst the GovCon community for their leadership, reliability, drive for innovation and excellence across our industry as well as industry and the U.S. military.

As of this writing, Defense Secretary Gen. Lloyd Austin is holding onto first place by nine votes over NSA Director Gen. Paul Nakasone, who is also a six-time recipient of the award. You have TEN votes to cast before the upcoming deadline, which demonstrates how competitive the 2022 Wash100 Vote Standings have been and will be until the clock strikes midnight on April 30th. 

In addition, Air Force CIO Lauren Knausenberger, the NGA’s Tonya Wilkerson and Mary Petryszyn of Northrop Grumman are keeping close in third, fourth and fifth place, respectively. 

Your ten votes could make all the difference for your favorite executives to receive the acknowledgement they deserve for their accomplishments in the federal landscape. As a member of the GovCon community, your ten votes go a long way to ensure our entire industry recognizes the most significant executives and initiatives impacting the ever evolving federal landscape. 

Visit Wash100.com to cast your TEN votes for the federal leaders you believe deserve the highest honor in all of GovCon, the top spot in the annual Wash100 Vote Standings. 

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CH-53K Helicopter Achieves USMC Testing Milestones Toward IOC
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CH-53K Helicopter Achieves USMC Testing Milestones Toward IOC

The CH-53K heavy-lift helicopter made by Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky subsidiary has made testing progress toward initial operational capability later in the year and the green light for full-rate production in 2023.

The helicopter underwent seven months of initial operational test and evaluation through March under Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron One in North Carolina, Lockheed said Tuesday.

The IOT&E’s completion follows a number of CH-53K program milestones including sea trials, air-to-air refueling and the deliver of the first six production units. The program’s IOC requires the delivery of four CH-53K units, associated equipment, technical documents and initial spare parts to the first squadron.

Lockheed produces the helicopter in Stratford, Connecticut, with three units scheduled to be delivered within the year.

The U.S. Marine Corps will use the helicopter to transport armored vehicles, personnel and equipment for expeditionary missions.

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DIU, Army Partner to Construct 3D-Printed Barracks
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DIU, Army Partner to Construct 3D-Printed Barracks

The Defense Innovation Unit and the U.S. Army’s Installation Management Command will jointly continue a project aimed at additively manufacturing military barracks.

DIU said Tuesday it will use ICON’s Vulcan construction system to produce a trio of 3D-printed barracks for Texas-based Fort Bliss.

Each barracks will measure 5,700 square feet and align with the Department of Defense’s new unified facilities criteria, which serve as guidance for additive concrete construction.

The effort aims to demonstrate how additive manufacturing can allow for the fast construction of resilient and energy-efficient buildings.

The partnership follows a previous effort between the Texas Military Department and ICON to 3D print barracks at Bastrop-based Camp Swift Training Center via robotic construction-scale technology.

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Charles River to Develop AI-Assisted Intelligence Collection Manager for Army
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Charles River to Develop AI-Assisted Intelligence Collection Manager for Army

Charles River Analytics has received U.S. Army funding to improve the planning of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance efforts using artificial intelligence optimization techniques and human-machine design best practices.

Achieving Federated ISR Collection through Intelligent Optimization and Natural AI supported Decision Operations (AFICIONADO) is aimed at improving the Army’s existing manned process of managing intelligence collection missions, Charles River said Monday.

Individual collection managers can use AFICIONADO unified workspace to receive AI engine-generated plans that recommend optimized ways of meeting mission goals while enterprise users can utilize the shared system to coordinate and improve strategies by units across the service branch.

“It will serve as a catalyst for changing the current, largely manual workflow, which is extremely laborious, into a streamlined, collaborative one,” noted Tyler Mayer, Charles River scientist and AFICIONADO principal investigator.

Development of AFICIONADO could inform the advancement of resource allocation optimization in the utilities market and the wider private sector in the future.

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OMB Report Highlights Climate Change Impact on Federal Budget
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OMB Report Highlights Climate Change Impact on Federal Budget

The Office of Management and Budget has released an initial risk assessment highlighting the impacts of climate change on the federal budget and U.S. economic development.

Candace Vahlsing, associate director for climate, energy, environment and science at OMB, and chief economist Danny Yagan said in a blog published Monday the report found that the U.S. government could lose about $2 trillion annually in revenue by the end of the century due to climate change.

The report also estimates that the federal government’s expenditure on climate change-related issues could be between $25 billion to $128 billion annually. Crop insurance premium subsidies are projected to grow from 3.5 percent to 22 percent annually as a result of crop losses and annual spending on coastal disaster response could increase up to $94 billion annually by the end of the century.

The OMB recommended that Congress enact budget allocations in fiscal year 2023 that address the threats of climate change, including more than $7 billion to reduce emissions in the power sector and more than $5 billion to help the Department of Transformation transition to renewable energy.

“Funding these activities will not only help confront the risks created by the climate crisis, but help ensure that 40 percent of the benefits from climate and clean energy funding is directed through the Justice40 Initiative toward addressing the disproportionate impacts of climate change on disadvantaged communities,” the OMB personnel said.

The report was published in compliance with an executive order signed by President Biden in May 2021 that directed agencies to analyze and mitigate the risks climate change poses to Americans’ financial security.

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Gen. Paul Nakasone Talks US Cyber Command’s Priorities at Congressional Hearings
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Gen. Paul Nakasone Talks US Cyber Command’s Priorities at Congressional Hearings

Gen. Paul Nakasone, head of U.S. Cyber Command and a 2022 Wash100 Award recipient, on Tuesday appeared before House and Senate lawmakers to discuss five priorities that will help USCYBERCOM improve its capabilities to counter cybersecurity threats and other national security challenges.

Nakasone, who also serves as director of the National Security Agency, said those priorities are readiness; operations in defense of the nation; integrated deterrence; recruiting, retention and training; and Joint Cyber Warfighting Architecture and enhanced budget control.

For integrated deterrence, he said advancing that priority “means preparing for crisis and conflict while campaigning in competition across the full spectrum of cyber operations” and “building the strategic partnerships that enable the defense of U.S. systems and networks” beyond the defense industrial base and the Department of Defense Information Network.

Nakasone told congressional members how the command supported Ukraine, NATO allies and other mission partners to defend networks against potential vulnerabilities in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

He also talked about the strategic challenges posed by China, North Korea and Iran in cyberspace.

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Aaron Weis: Navy Enterprise Network Modernization Calls for IT Architecture Changes
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Aaron Weis: Navy Enterprise Network Modernization Calls for IT Architecture Changes

Aaron Weis, chief information officer at the Department of the Navy and a 2022 Wash100 Award recipient, said a fundamental change in information technology architecture could help DON increase the agility and security of its enterprise network, FCW reported Tuesday.

He pointed to the Navy’s move to implement Office 365 productivity and collaboration tools as part of a broader network modernization strategy during a panel discussion at the Navy League’s Sea Air Space conference.

Weis told the publication that the branch seeks to transform how it operates and protects the network with software-defined technology.

The Navy is working with Leidos to conduct IT modernization efforts under the Next Generation Enterprise Network-Recompete contract’s service management, integration and transport portion valued at $7.7 billion over eight years.

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FBI Promotes Nathan Taylor to IT Applications & Data Division Assistant Director
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FBI Promotes Nathan Taylor to IT Applications & Data Division Assistant Director

Nathan Taylor, a 16-year FBI veteran, has been promoted to assistant director of the bureau’s information technology applications and data division. 

He held the deputy assistant director post within the division for three years before his promotion and is now responsible for overseeing the applications and information services that support the FBI’s administrative, investigative, cybersecurity and intelligence processes, the FBI said Monday. 

Taylor supported cloud service adoption and cybersecurity initiatives in his more recent role at ITADD.

His FBI career started in 2006 as an accounting analyst for the finance division and he later served as a management and program analyst. The bureau also assigned him to the front office of the budget and accounting sections and the internal advisory group.

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