Panelists Discuss DISA Plans and Priorities for 2015

During the chapter's January luncheon, Lt. Gen. Ronnie Hawkins Jr., USAF, head of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), led a panel discussion about DISA's reorganization and priorities this year. Gen. Hawkins told a sold-out crowd that DISA's reorganization would address four consistent complaints he hears wherever he goes: It's hard to reach people within the agency, and DISA is too costly, too slow and not agile enough. Gen. Hawkins said the agency is being transformed into a streamlined and efficient organization that is more agile in employing information technology personnel across the Department of Defense and more responsive to its customers. DISA is focused on the "five C's": cyber, cloud, collaboration, command and control, Gen. Hawkins said. The reorganization would include centralizing the work conducted at DISA among four centers: business and development, implementation and sustainment, resource management and operations. Each center would have a specific role and a point of contact. "We've got to have that cyber sovereignty the [Defense Department] expects of us," Gen. Hawkins said. He added that DISA is not getting rid of command and control. "We're the premier organization in the [Defense Department] that does this." Brig. Gen. Robert Skinner, USAF, DISA chief of staff, said the agency would be working closely with 39 organizations across the Defense Department, focusing on joint concepts and solutions, and that the number would likely grow. Gen. Skinner said DISA also would be leveraging industry to build partnerships and hone capabilities. The luncheon, the first one of 2015, was held at the Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City, in Arlington, Virginia. The chapter's monthly luncheon series draws 350-400 senior officers and information technology professionals from across the Department of Defense, armed services, intelligence and civilian agencies to discuss topics of interest to the government information technology community. Other speakers included Dave Bennett, chief information officer, DISA; Dave Mihelcic, chief technology officer and principal director, Global Information Grid Enterprise Services Engineering, DISA; Mark Orndorff, chief information assurance executive, DISA; and Alfred Rivera, principal director, Enterprise Services, DISA.

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