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ACT I Names Claudio Monticelli, John Dillon, Randy Mahr to Executive Leadership Roles; Michael Niggel Quoted
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ACT I Names Claudio Monticelli, John Dillon, Randy Mahr to Executive Leadership Roles; Michael Niggel Quoted

Advanced Concepts and Technologies International (ACT I) has named Claudio Monticelli, John Dillon and Randy Mahr as the newest senior vice presidents on the company’s executive leadership team.

The newly appointed SVPs will drive portfolio expansion initiatives and report directly to Michael Niggel, ACT I’s chief executive officer, the company said Friday.

Claudio Monticelli, the company’s former chief operating officer, will now lead the aviation portfolio at ACT I. In his new role, Monticelli will oversee a range of F-35, DoD and DHS aviation contracts covering engineering, logistics, business, financial management and security services. Additionally, he will be responsible for driving the company’s acquisition strategy and expanding the aviation business’ core offerings.

Monticelli’s 30 years of military and commercial aviation experience, coupled with deep contract management expertise, will position the new SVP to scale ACT I’s processes, systems and personnel in the company’s next phase of growth.

ACT I has tapped John Dillon, who previously served as the company’s vice president of business development, to lead and expand ACT I’s space, intel and cyber portfolio. Dillon will manage DoD, U.S. Space Force, National Reconnaissance Office, National Security Administration and Intelligence Community programs, among others in his new position.

CEO Michael Niggel said Dillon has already “submitted $300 million in bids and developed a solid growth pipeline in his portfolio,” positioning the new leader of the portfolio to achieve the company’s expansion goals.

Prior to joining ACT I two years ago, Dillon served in multiple executive leadership roles at CACI, Booz Allen Hamilton and Obsidian Solutions Group, among others. Dillon also served in the military for 32 years and brings deep intelligence community expertise to his new role.

Randy Mahr joins ACT I as senior vice president of the acquisition management and security cooperation portfolio. 

Mahr will leverage his 34 years of U.S. Navy and industry expertise and knowledge in key areas of management, aerospace and defense to push ACT I’s internal growth and acquisition strategies.

His prior experience notably includes managing international programs for E-2 Hawkeye and C-2 Greyhound aircraft for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, as well as founding and leading his own company, which offers technical and business consulting services.

Niggel expressed his excitement in promoting Monticelli and Dillon, as well as hiring Mahr, and said each will help scale the company and drive new growth strategies in their respective portfolio areas.

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VA Outlines 4 Objectives of AI Strategy; Gil Alterovitz Quoted
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VA Outlines 4 Objectives of AI Strategy; Gil Alterovitz Quoted

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has adopted a strategy to harness the potential of artificial intelligence technology to modernize the delivery of health care services and benefits to former military personnel. 

VA said Thursday that it looks to AI to manage veterans' health outcomes, expand technical capabilities, build trust in the emerging technology and grow partnerships with the business sector. 

The department vowed to ensure the ethical use of the technology across its enterprise and the security of data on veterans. 

“To this end, VA leadership, practitioners and relevant end-users will be trained to ensure all AI-related activities and processes are ethical, legal and meet or exceed standards,” said Gil Alterovitz, director of the VA National AI Institute.

Alterovitz previously said that the department was working with other federal agencies to compile AI use cases.

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Navy’s Fleet Readiness Center Replaces Aging Machinery for Aircraft Tech Measurement
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Navy’s Fleet Readiness Center Replaces Aging Machinery for Aircraft Tech Measurement

A U.S. Navy aviation depot in North Carolina has purchased equipment designed to help technical personnel obtain more detailed and accurate measurements of individual aircraft components. 

The Fleet Readiness Center East's Precision Measurement Center has a new optical comparator and laser tracking system that mechanical engineering technicians use to assess aircraft parts and support fixtures, Naval Air Systems Command said Thursday.

The comparator is built to generate two-dimensional images of small hardware and allows users to conduct inspections without making contact with the object.

Meanwhile, the laser tracker works to emit beams to an object's mounted reflector for calculating dimensions to perform tasks such as fixture calibration and weapon system alignment.

NAVAIR noted that new machines at the center require only one operator compared with legacy equipment.

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Former FAA Official Ravi Chaudhary Nominated to Lead Air Force Installations Office
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Former FAA Official Ravi Chaudhary Nominated to Lead Air Force Installations Office

Ravi Chaudhary, former director of advanced programs and innovation at the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) commercial space office, has been nominated to serve as assistant secretary for energy, installations and the environment at the Department of the Air Force, the White House announced Thursday. 

He will replace Jennie Miller, who has led the SAF/IE organization on an acting basis since January, if the Senate confirms his nomination. Chaudhary previously served as a commissioner for the White House Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders from 2014 to 2019. 

His 22-year Air Force career included senior staff, operational and engineering positions. He supported the service branch's global flight operations as a C-17 transport aircraft pilot. 

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Sen. Gary Peters Requests Info on DHS’ Efforts to Address Domestic Extremist Content on Social Media
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Sen. Gary Peters Requests Info on DHS’ Efforts to Address Domestic Extremist Content on Social Media

Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, has asked the Department of Homeland Security to provide policies, strategies and guidance for countering domestic extremism and domestic extremist threats on social media platforms. 

Peters wrote a letter to DHS Tuesday asking the department to submit information on its coordination efforts with social media companies to detect and prevent such threats on online platforms and strategies and actions taken to avoid extremist violence online. 

The letter addressed to DHS Secretary and 2021 Wash100 Award winner Alejandro Mayorkas is requesting the department to provide documents related to HSI and I&A investigations involving domestic extremist threats on social media platforms; I&A products related to domestic extremist threats online, and information on DHS offices responsible for receiving notifications from social media companies. 

DHS should submit the documents and information to the Senate panel no later than Oct. 27th.

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Report: Department of the Air Force to Realign Space Policy Development
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Report: Department of the Air Force to Realign Space Policy Development

The Department of the Air Force will shift responsibility for initial space policy development from civilian officials to the military chain of command within the office of the Space Force chief as part of a realignment effort, Breaking Defense reported Thursday.

A spokesperson for the department said Brig. Gen. Steve Whitney, who oversees the realignment, is set to announce Friday details about the structure of the space acquisition and integration office, now known as SAF/SQ, and changes at the international affairs office, now designated SAF/IA. 

“Brig. Gen. Whitney is presenting to the SAF/SQ team on 15 Oct the organizational structure of SAF/SQ and personnel alignment which will take effect on 18 Oct. There is not a plan for a formal announcement,” the spokesperson told the publication in an email.

“Regarding space policy, space acquisition policy remains in SAF/SQ while broader policy discussions will occur across the USSF. The shift of the international affairs efforts to SAF/IA is in progress and involves the shift of a handful of specifically skilled individuals. The remaining members of SAF/SQ will be assigned to positions inside of SAF/SQ to accomplish the SAF/SQ mission set of Space System Acquisition and Integration,” the spokesperson added.

Lt. Gen. Bill Liquori, chief strategy and resourcing officer at the Space Force, will be responsible for space policy development, according to the report.

Air Force officials told the publication that the civilian chain of command will continue to have decision-making authority over space policy.

Space Acquisition Forum

GovCon Wire will hold its Space Acquisition Forum on Jan. 19. Click here to register for the virtual forum to hear from defense officials as they share their insights on military acquisition reform and modernization efforts.

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White House Details 4 Lines of Effort to Fight Ransomware
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White House Details 4 Lines of Effort to Fight Ransomware

The Biden administration has outlined several initiatives aimed at countering ransomware incidents. 

The initiatives are classified into four lines of effort: disrupting ransomware actors and infrastructure; bolstering resilience to withstand ransomware attacks; addressing the abuse of virtual currency to launder ransom payments, and leveraging international cooperation to disrupt the ransomware ecosystem and address safe harbors for ransomware criminals, the White House said Wednesday.

For the first line of effort, the Department of Justice (DOJ) formed a task force to improve coordination of law enforcement and prosecutorial efforts to fight ransomware, while the Department of the Treasury released an updated sanctions advisory to encourage reporting of ransomware payments and incidents to authorities.

Some of the initiatives launched to improve resilience against ransomware include the introduction of an Industrial Control System Cybersecurity Initiative in April and the creation of a website by DOJ and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to help public and private entities reduce ransomware risk.

The White House also cited an international event hosted by the National Security Council (NSC) to speed up cooperation on network resilience improvement as part of efforts to fight ransomware.

Supply Chain Cybersecurity: Revelations and Innovations

ExecutiveBiz, sister site of GovConDaily and part of the Executive Mosaic digital media umbrella, will host a virtual event about securing the supply chain on Oct. 26. Visit ExecutiveBiz.com to sign up for the “Supply Chain Cybersecurity: Revelations and Innovations” event.

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Air Force’s Tanker Refueling Mission Software Put to Test by NATO Centers; Lt. Col. Jonathan Clow Quoted
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Air Force’s Tanker Refueling Mission Software Put to Test by NATO Centers; Lt. Col. Jonathan Clow Quoted

Two NATO air operations centers tested an aerial refueling planning application developed by the U.S. Air Force's software factory during separate exercises in Italy and Spain in Sept. 2021.

According to one NATO official, the JIGSAW software impressed the alliance that it was immediately implemented as the primary application for arranging tanker fuel missions, Kessel Run said Wednesday.

Lt. Col. Jonathan Clow, the NATO Foreign Military Sales officer for JIGSAW, pointed out that the Kessel Run software makes mission planning 800 percent faster than the alliance's legacy method with half the manpower and time required.

“When the user says ‘I trust this. This works the way I think about doing this task and I don't need to use that legacy method anymore,’ that is the ultimate datapoint – the user,” explained Clow.

Earlier in 2021, Kessel Run partnered with NATO Headquarters, Supreme Allied Command Transformation to deliver JIGSAW as part of a foreign military sale. 

Used by the Department of Defense since 2017, the software has since saved over $500 million in fuel costs and shortened the time to organize and execute refueling missions.

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DOE Announces $61M Funding to 10 Grid-Interactive Efficient Building Project
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DOE Announces $61M Funding to 10 Grid-Interactive Efficient Building Project

The Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded $61 million to 10 projects aimed at transforming housing communities and workplaces into grid-interactive efficient buildings to decrease carbon emissions and reduce energy costs. 

The pilot projects will deploy smart controls, sensors, analytics and other technologies that will enable residents and tenants of over 7,000 buildings to communicate with the electrical grid and control their power consumption, DOE said Wednesday.

The awardees are: 

  • Electric Power Research Institute
  • IBACOS
  • Open Market ESCO
  • PacifiCorp
  • Portland General Electric
  • Post Road Foundation
  • Slipstream Group
  • Spokane Edo
  • SunPower
  • Ohio State University

 

The projects, covering a cross-section of the buildings industry, will demonstrate the capability of a grid-interactive infrastructure to lower utility bills, reduce system costs and other benefits across a wide range of applications.

“From our homes to workplaces, this groundbreaking, grid-connected building technology will help reduce our impact while cutting energy bills, maximizing convenience, and propelling our efforts to reach a carbon-neutral, clean energy economy by 2050,” explained Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.

DOE's Building Technologies Office is leading the project in partnership with other related agency offices and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

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U.S. Navy Plans Enterprise-Wide IT Services Approach
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U.S. Navy Plans Enterprise-Wide IT Services Approach

The U.S. Navy will implement a new information technology approach that allows for IT services sharing across the service's entire enterprise, Nextgov reported Wednesday.

Navy officials said in a memorandum that the planned change aims to reduce redundancies, expand data availability, align with modern industry practices, boost productivity and decrease cyber risks in IT services.

Aaron Weis, the Navy's chief information officer (CIO); and Frederick Stefany, acting assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, wrote the memorandum.

The document refers to IT services as technologies that address specific use cases and are not difficult to adopt.

The Navy's chief technology officer, within 60 days of the document's release, will establish a new forum to come up with policies, procedures and a systematic structure for the enterprise-wide implementation.

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