The chapter's March Luncheon, "DoD Acquisition - Navigating Defense Procurement," was a standout success, thanks to the leadership of Daniel Thomas and the dedicated team behind the event.
Keynote Insights and Procurement Trends: The event opened with David Hutchins of GovTribe, who delivered a data-rich presentation on defense procurement trends. He outlined the top funding types by service branch and spotlighted key contracting vehicles-most notably OASIS and SeaPort-NxG-as leaders in today's procurement environment.
Cyber Readiness and Standardization: Khoi Nguyen, CISSP-ISSAP, PMP and command acquisition executive for U.S. Cyber Command, delivered a powerful keynote on the urgent need to fund cyber initiatives. He emphasized the role of the Joint Cyber Warfighting Architecture (JCWA) in enabling coordinated cyber defense and offered a forward-looking perspective on JCWA NextGen, which promises to drive even greater standardization and impact across military services.
Driving Innovation in Acquisition: A dynamic panel discussion followed, moderated by Jason Miller of Federal News Network. Panelists brought a wealth of expertise from across the defense innovation landscape:
Col. Richard Kniseley, senior material leader, Commercial Space Office, U.S. Space Force, highlighted the need to accelerate build cycles and better integrate commercial space innovation into defense capabilities.
Lt. Col. Kate Stowe, Air Force service lead at the Defense Innovation Unit, spoke to the importance of seamless transitions between commercial and government technologies, stressing industry collaboration as a key enabler.
Throughout the luncheon, a clear theme emerged: While navigating defense acquisition remains complex, innovation and collaboration are paving the way for more agile and effective procurement strategies.
The chapter extends its sincere gratitude to its program underwriter, HashiCorp, and insights sponsor, GovTribe, for their generous support. Special thanks also go to RMK Productions and all sponsors who help make this luncheon series possible.
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