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IRS Launches Taxpayer Experience Office
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IRS Launches Taxpayer Experience Office

The Internal Revenue Service has created an office dedicated to delivering and improving taxpayer experience across all transactional aspects.

IRS said Friday its new Taxpayer Experience Office will support a longer-term effort to augment taxpayer services in line with a report to Congress mandated by the Taxpayer First Act.

The agency will spend the next five years focusing on priorities and activities proposed by the Taxpayer Experience Office, which will also work to determine changing industry trends and taxpayer expectations. The office is expected to expand its workforce in the coming months.

The report to Congress builds on taxpayer feedback and listed more than 100 different efforts to support taxpayers. These efforts include expanding e-File and payment options, secure two-way messaging and digital signatures. Experts who helped the government build the Taxpayer Experience Strategy also contributed to the report.

“The IRS is committed to customer experiences that meet taxpayers where they are, in the moments that matter most in people’s lives and in a way that delivers the service that the public expects and deserves,” said Ken Corbin, IRS’ chief taxpayer experience officer.

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DIU to Test Tether, Maxar, Motiv Robotic Arm Prototypes for On-Orbit Servicing Program
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DIU to Test Tether, Maxar, Motiv Robotic Arm Prototypes for On-Orbit Servicing Program

The Defense Innovation Unit has announced the prototype testing of three commercially built robotic arms aimed at enabling the on-orbit servicing of U.S. satellites.

Technologies developed under the Modularity for Space Systems program will support the repair, upgrades and refueling to reduce the costs and extend the operational life of future satellites and space platforms, DIU said Monday.

Work by contractors Tethers Unlimited, Maxar Technologies and Motiv Space Systems would address the lack of methods for keeping near obsolete and deteriorating satellites running and fixing problems arising post-launch, reducing the risk of a single issue causing an expensive space mission to fail.

“Rapid prototyping, development and integration of low-cost robotic arms and interfaces for future spacecraft has the potential to drastically reduce cost and increase capabilities by providing upgradeable, modular systems,” explained David Ryan, space portfolio program manager at DIU.

Following the prototyping phase, DIU and its contractors will evaluate the prototypes and related subsystems ahead of their planned introduction to the commercial market.

 

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CISA Wants Public Feedback on Draft Guidance for Applying Zero Trust to Enterprise Mobility
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CISA Wants Public Feedback on Draft Guidance for Applying Zero Trust to Enterprise Mobility

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has requested comments on draft federal guidance for using enterprise mobility security technologies in line with the government’s zero trust goals.

The draft Applying Zero Trust Principles to Enterprise Mobility document provides federal agencies information on how to apply zero trust principles on their mobile devices and enterprise security management capabilities, CISA said Monday.

According to the agency, mobility security applications require special consideration in any cybersecurity approach given their technological evolution and widespread use. Feedback on the draft guidance will be accepted until April 18th.

The document is part of an executive order released in May that requires members of the federal civilian executive branch to protect government information through establishing zero trust architectures.

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Adele Merritt Returns to Intelligence Community as CIO; DNI Avril Haines Quoted
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Adele Merritt Returns to Intelligence Community as CIO; DNI Avril Haines Quoted

Adele Merritt, who has held various leadership roles in the intelligence community, has been appointed to serve as the IC’s chief information officer.

She will lead ongoing efforts to modernize the community’s information technology enterprise, bolster IT cooperation and protect IT systems, the Director of National Intelligence said Monday.

“Dr. Merritt brings over 20 years of technical, analytic and policy expertise in cyber and national security operations to the role,” said DNI Avril Haines who is also a two-time Wash100 winner.

Merritt joined the National Security Agency as a mathematician for applied research, then went on to hold a range of government roles including the National Security Council’s acting senior director for intelligence programs. She also served as the Department of Energy’s principal deputy CIO for cyber.

The returning IC most recently served as a program manager for Dreamport, a cybersecurity-focused nonprofit, Fedscoop reported Monday.

The Potomac Officers Club will host its Third Annual CIO Summit on April 26 to have CIOs discuss their goals, priorities and challenges.

Adele Merritt Returns to Intelligence Community as CIO; DNI Avril Haines Quoted
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Farooq Mitha on Pentagon’s Upcoming Small Business Strategy
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Farooq Mitha on Pentagon’s Upcoming Small Business Strategy

Farooq Mitha, director of the Department of Defense’s office of small business programs, said DOD is working on a new strategy to encourage more small businesses to participate in defense contracting, Defense News reported Monday.

He said the strategy, which could be released in the spring of 2022, would guide initiatives to attract innovators, new entrants and nontraditional contractors.

“It’s going to be: How do we all work towards increasing small business participation, because we’ve seen a decline over the past decade in our prime contractors that are small ― a pretty significant decline,” Mitha said. “The bulk of it is how to do make things easier from a structure, engagement and a policy perspective.”

The new strategy is likely to offer recommendations for programs that enable the military to work with new vendors with emerging technologies, including the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs.

“If we want to increase the [defense industrial] base, if we want to bring in new entrants, if we want to transition new technologies [into the military], we’ve got to have stability in the programs that are meant to do these things. I think that’s been something that we’ve been laser focused on, and we’ve gotten some feedback from industry on that as well,” said Mitha.

Mitha shared his views on category management and noted that his office is examining ways to safeguard small companies from investment risk and identify set-aside contract opportunities through market research as it drafts the strategy.

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2 Agencies to Get Investments Under Technology Modernization Fund; Clare Martorana Quoted
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2 Agencies to Get Investments Under Technology Modernization Fund; Clare Martorana Quoted

The U.S. Postal Regulatory Commission and the Selective Service System will receive investments through the Technology Modernization Fund to update key platforms and safeguard personal data.

“This funding will allow the PRC to modernize internal and public-facing tools, and give their customers a better digital experience,” Clare Martorana, federal chief information officer and chair of the TMF Board as well as a 2022 Wash100 Award winner, said in a statement published Monday.

PRC will use the investment to modernize its website and other critical systems to enable its personnel to improve oversight of the U.S. Postal Service’s operations and encourage the public to take part in the commission’s proceedings.

“And it will allow SSS to move quickly to scale technical operations to meet the nation’s needs through a cloud-first software and data architecture that protects the data of millions of customers,” Martorana added. 

SSS is responsible for registering all male U.S. citizens and immigrants, ages 18 through 25, who could be potentially enlisted for military service. The agency will use the TMF investment to improve its cybersecurity posture and protect the personal data of Selective Service registrants.

The two agencies will receive $9 million in funding through TMF, which is funded by the American Rescue Plan.

2 Agencies to Get Investments Under Technology Modernization Fund; Clare Martorana Quoted

Join the Potomac Officers Club’s 2022 CMMC Forum on May 18 to know more about updated frameworks and requirements under the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program. Visit the POC Events page to sign up for the upcoming forum and view POC’s full calendar.

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DOD, NASA, GSA Issue Final Rule on Domestic Content Requirements
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DOD, NASA, GSA Issue Final Rule on Domestic Content Requirements

The Department of Defense, NASA and the General Services Administration have released a final rule that seeks to raise the domestic content threshold for federal procurements to 75 percent by calendar year 2029.

The rule is set to take effect on Oct. 25th and amends the Federal Acquisition Regulation to implement an executive order that seeks to support domestic manufacturing by strengthening the use of federal procurement, according to a Federal Register notice published Monday.

In January 2021, an executive order was signed to require federal agencies to purchase U.S-made products and services as part of efforts to support U.S. businesses, manufacturers and workers and strengthen the enforcement of Buy American laws.

Under the new rule, the domestic content threshold will increase from 55 percent to 60 percent in the near term and then rise to 65 percent by calendar year 2029.

The policy will implement a fallback threshold to permit a domestic content threshold of 55 percent in cases where products that meet the higher threshold are unavailable or are of unreasonable cost.

The final rule will also provide a framework “through which higher price preferences will be applied to end products and construction material deemed to be critical or made up of critical components,” the notice reads.

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McAleese’s FY2023 Defense Programs Conference to Feature Gen. Jay Raymond, Frank Kendall on March 9th
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McAleese’s FY2023 Defense Programs Conference to Feature Gen. Jay Raymond, Frank Kendall on March 9th

On March 9, McAleese and Associates, a consulting and legal firm specializing in military and defense contracts and acquisitions, will host its 13th Annual “FY2023 Defense Programs” Conference, which brings together prominent Department of Defense leaders to discuss DOD priorities for this year, next year and beyond.

Visit McAleese.com to view the full schedule of events and register for the 13th Annual “FY2023 Defense Programs” Conference on March 9.

The conference, held in Washington, D.C., opens with Ltg. Neil Thurgood, the U.S. Army’s director for Hypersonics, Directed Energy, Space and Rapid Acquisition, followed by a day-long program of distinguished officials from the DOD.

Among the roster of high-ranking Defense Department executives, notable speakers include:

  • Gen. Jay Raymond, chief of space operations for the Space Force and 2022 Wash100 Award recipient
  • Frank Kendall, secretary of the Air Force and previous Wash100 awardee
  • Christine Wormuth, secretary of the Army
  • Carlos Del Toro, secretary of the Navy

 

The conference kicks off with a virtual panel briefing streaming on McAleese.com on March 8. The discussion will feature Wash100 Award winners Heidi Shyu, the Defense Department’s undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, and Derek Tournear, director of the Space Development Agency, along with Anthony Cotton, commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command.

“I have attended and enjoyed this event multiple times,” said Jim Garrettson, CEO and founder of Executive Mosaic. “McAleese hosts an impressive speaker line up and an equally impressive attendance list of key DoD contacts of consequence.”

Jim McAleese, principal and founder of McAleese and Associates, previous Wash100 Award winner and GovCon Expert, has been described by Garrettson as an executive and leader who “puts the ‘Master’ in ‘Master of Ceremonies.’”

Ltg. Neil Thurgood will also serve as the keynote speaker for the upcoming Hypersonics Forum hosted by ExecutiveBiz Events on Apr. 19. Click here to register.

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Former Tenable Exec Bill Kurtz Appointed Public Sector VP at Informatica
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Former Tenable Exec Bill Kurtz Appointed Public Sector VP at Informatica

Informatica has added data security business leader Bill Kurtz to its team as public sector vice president.

In a LinkedIn post from the week of February 28, Kurtz announced he will continue his over two-decade career working with federal government clients at the Redwood City, California-based software company.

Kurtz also said he was “excited to join” the company and anticipates working with the “already fantastic” staff at Informatica.

The executive began his career as a senior account manager at Wallace Computer Services working with commercial sector customers but pivoted to the public sector market with a job as federal account manager at Computer Associates.

Following CA, Kurtz spent 13 years at McAfee, first as a senior account manager and then as director of civilian sales. In the latter position, his work focused on civilian healthcare agencies such as the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Health and Human Services and the Social Security Administration.

At McAfee he was responsible for expanding the civilian business team from a $14 million enterprise to one with a budget of $40 million.

Subsequently, Kurtz held roles as vice president of federal sales and vice president of public sector at RSA Systems, which specializes in digital security, risk management and fraud prevention.

Most recently, Kurtz was vice president of public sector sales at computer and network security company Tenable for nearly four years. His expertise lies in software as a service, cloud computing and developing and executing go-to-market business strategies.

Informatica is a cloud data management company that utilizes artificial intelligence technology to configure its end-to-end platforms. Kurtz’s experience at Tenable (which offers similar services), in addition to his substantial past government interactions, will likely provide ample preparation for his new position.

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Intelsat Announces David Wajsgras as CEO
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Intelsat Announces David Wajsgras as CEO

Intelsat, operator of the world’s largest integrated satellite and terrestrial network, announced on Monday that David Wajsgras, aerospace industry executive of more than two decades as well as a six-time Wash100 Award recipient, has been named as the company’s next CEO, effective April 4th.

Wajsgras will succeed Stephen Spengler, who previously announced his retirement plans back in Oct. 2021. Lisa Hammitt, chairperson of the Intelsat Board of Directors, commented that Spengler made tremendous contributions to the company for 18 years and has greatly earned his rest following his accomplishments over his seven year tenure in the role.

“Intelsat has a leading position in the market and a strong, global team of professionals,” said Wajsgras. “While the company has made history over nearly 60 years, it’s Intelsat’s future that excites me most. With a focus on customers and a commitment to delivering on our promises, we’re ready to write the next chapter in the story of communications and connectivity.”

Wajsgras has two decades of experience at the senior executive management level and at the director level since 2020. Over the course of his illustrious federal career, Wajsgras has served in a range of significant senior leadership roles with multiple companies to provide operational, strategic and financial leadership in both the commercial and defense industries.

Most recently, Wajsgras served as president of Raytheon’s global, $7.5-billion, advanced-technology Intelligence, Information and Services (IIS) business between March 2015 and April 2020. Before joining the company as its chief financial officer, Wajsgras was the executive vice president and chief financial officer at the Lear Corporation.

“Dave Wajsgras is a results-oriented leader with a great track record of performance throughout his career,” Hammitt explained. “He develops talent and builds teams, thinks and acts strategically, and engages positively with customers and other stakeholders to the benefit of the business. Dave is just the right person to lead Intelsat at this important time.”

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