Chapter's Third Annual IC IT Day Hosts Intelligence Community Guests

In February, the chapter's Third Annual IC IT Day kicked off 2021 with this year's theme of Balancing Security and Accessibility in the Virtual Environment. The day offered a variety of IC Leadership and provided timely insights and opportunity for industry. Sean Caufield, IC IT Day chairman and current chapter executive vice president kicked off the day with the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) Panel "Reimagining Readiness: Building an AI/Emerging Tech-Ready Organization." The panel included Jacqueline Tame, acting deputy director; Jane Pinelis, chief, Test and Evaluation of Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML); and Alka Patel, head of AI ethics policy. The panel was moderated by Kari Bingen, nonresident senior adviser, Center for Strategic International Studies (CSIS). As part of the discussion on the JAIC 2.0 effort, Pinelis provided some insight into a new forthcoming multi-award contract for data readiness assessments that will help connect U.S. Defense Department components to industry partners with readily available services facilitating AI adoption. "One of the ways to avoid the valley of death and one of the ways to get this technology into the warfighters' hands is to be able to at least readily connect those vendors, those industry partners that have the technology to the warfighter," Pinelis said "And that connection is funding and that connection is a contract vehicle, and that's the connection that we've been working really hard on providing to the rest of the department." Next was a discussion about cryptocurrency and smuggling with Chris Hoffmeister, criminal analyst, Cryptocurrency Intelligence Program, National Bulk Cash Smuggling Center, Homeland Security Investigations. The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) followed with Todd Paulsen, innovation lead. DIA Future Capabilities and Innovation Office was moderated by Kelly Wenner, chapter vice president of special programs.

After a virtual industry event, the afternoon program began with Jason Miller, executive editor of Federal News Radio, who hosted a conversation with Stacy Bostjanick, director of Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (OUSD(A&S)). CMMC was on the attendees' minds with a variety of interaction and discussions on the latest updates and rollout for CMMC to industry. The day concluded with a Small Business Directors Panel from a variety of agencies including: Natalie Yacoub-Pugh, contract/small business specialist, DIA; Scott Jackson, director, Small Business Programs, National Security Agency; and Dale Rainey, director, Office of Small Business Programs, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

This was the last IT Day for the current chapter year, and in all, over 300 people registered for this event. The chapter raised funds and awareness for the chapter's STEM and Scholarship programs for continuing the education of students in Northern Virginia. Lloyd McCoy, chapter president, remarked, "In these times, we are looking for ways to connect and the chapter membership and government have responded. We are grateful to our sponsors, attendees, and panelists for their time and commitment to the chapter and to the government's mission success in 2020-21 and beyond!"

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