Year: 2020

FCC, USAID Sign Agreement on Int’l 5G Deployment; Ajit Pai Quoted

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have signed an agreement to drive U.S. efforts to deploy 5G connectivity to developing countries. The memorandum of understanding dated Oct. 14 states that FCC and USAID will work to “promote open, interoperable, reliable, and secure” 5G infrastructure in developing nations in line […]

Wolf Den Associates Co-Founder Kevin Robbins Receives His First Wash100 Award

Founder and CEO of Executive Mosaic Jim Garrettson presented Kevin Robbins, co-founder of consulting firm Wolf Den Associates and investment firm Blue Delta Capital Partners, with his first Wash100 Award on Wednesday. Robbins has received the most prestigious and coveted award in all of government contracting (GovCon) for his active involvement in some of the […]

James “Hondo” Geurts, Navy ASN (RDamp;A), Delivers Keynote Address During Potomac Officers Club’s 2020 Navy Forum

James “Hondo” Geurts, assistant secretary for Research, Development and Acquisition (ASN (RD&A)) with the U.S. Navy, delivered his keynote address during Potomac Officers Club’s 2020 Navy Forum on September 30th. If you missed the event, you can still register to watch the footage in Potomac Officers Club’s Event Archive. As the Navy’s acquisition executive, Geurts […]

USMC Vet Billy Bob Brown Named Asst Director at CISA

Billy Bob Brown Jr., a 20-year U.S. Marine Corps veteran, has been appointed assistant director for emergency communications at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Brown previously held the role of associate director at the agency's priority telecom services sub-division, CISA said Thursday. He led the first phase of the Next Generation Networks Priority […]

DoD’s Dana Deasy on Zero-Trust Network Mgmt, Vendor Challenges

Dana Deasy, chief information officer of the Department of Defense (DoD) and a 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, has said the Pentagon is assessing ways to implement zero-trust networks from a management and operations standpoint. Deasy said at a prior media roundtable that the DoD has been studying the implementation of zero-trust environments beyond the network […]

Bruce Jette on US Army’s Project Convergence

Bruce Jette, the U.S. Army’s acquisition chief and a 2020 Wash100 Award winner, told Defense News in an interview published Monday about Project Convergence and how it allows the service to integrate existing capabilities. “Project Convergence was, in many ways, a weaving together of existing capabilities that had not been brought together in the manner that they were […]

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine to Create Public-Private Partnerships

Jim Bridenstine, NASA administrator and Wash100 Award recipient, will deliver a keynote address during NASA’s Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium meeting, which will stream live on NASA Television and the agency's website on Oct. 14th.  Bridenstine will address NASA's Artemis program and announce the agency's latest Tipping Point selections and their potential impact on sustainable lunar […]

Pentagon Releases Data Strategy; Dana Deasy Quoted

The Department of Defense (DoD) has unveiled a new strategy to help DoD transform into a data-centric organization that considers data as a strategic resource critical to maintaining operational advantage on the battlefield. DoD said Thursday that the Data Strategy will help advance the National Defense Strategy and initially focus on the areas of business […]

Ryan McCarthy: Army Eyes Budget Realignment Following COVID-19 Efforts

Ryan McCarthy, secretary of the U.S. Army and a 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, has said the service branch is working to realign its budget priorities to relieve debt related to COVID-19 response. McCarthy told attendees at a Hudson Institute event that the Army intends to make internal funding cuts after accumulating debt from COVID-related efforts […]

Ellen Lord on DoD’s Updated Defense Acquisition Directive

Hon. Ellen Lord, the Department of Defense’s (DoD) acquisition head and a 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, has said the Pentagon’s release of a new directive to transform its acquisition procedures. Lord, who serves as the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, said at a recent briefing that updates to the DoD Directive 5000.01 represent a […]

OSTP Launches New Website, Report on Quantum Info Science; Michael Kratsios Quoted

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has unveiled a new website and a report that identifies priority areas that require continued research to advance quantum information science. “With the launch of Quantum.gov, the White House has created an online home for the National Quantum Coordination Office (NQCO) and a new digital hub for the […]

Katie Arrington, CISO for DoD’s Acquisition Office, Receives First Wash100 Award for Leading CMMC Initiative

Executive Mosaic founder and CEO Jim Garrettson presented Katie Arrington, chief information security officer (CISO) for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition (OUSDA) for the Department of Defense (DoD), her first Wash100 Award for pivotal her role in the DoD’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) initiative.  During Potomac Officers Club’s CMMC […]

Lt. Gen. David Thompson Assumes Vice Chief Role at Space Force

Lt. Gen. David Thompson has taken up his new role as the U.S. Space Force's vice chief of space operations, giving him the responsibility of supporting USSF's operational readiness.  Thompson, formerly vice commander of Air Force Space Command, will focus on establishing USSF's Pentagon headquarters and a new Space Warfighting Integration Center (SWIC) alongside Gen. […]

Mark Esper: US Must Expand Fleet by 2045 to Retain Naval Dominance

Mark Esper, secretary of the Department of Defense (DoD) and a 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, has said the U.S. Navy must launch fleet expansion efforts to ensure American military dominance against China. Esper told attendees at a Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments event that the U.S. needs to expand its fleet to over 355 […]