The Department of the Navy Chief Information Officer is pleased to announce the winners of the 2014 DON IM/IT Excellence Awards, the John J. Lussier Electromagnetic Spectrum Leadership Award, and the new DON Cyberspace/IT Rising Star and DON Cyberspace/IT Person of the Year Awards. There were also seven information technology leaders from the DON among this year's Federal 100 Award winners.
In addition, the DON CIO website was recognized for Outstanding Achievement in Web Development by the Web Marketing Association.
The annual DON IM/IT Excellence Awards recognize exceptional IM/IT projects, teams, and individuals helping to transform the Navy and Marine Corps through information technology.
The John J. Lussier Electromagnetic Spectrum Leadership Award is given to an individual who demonstrates superior achievement in Navy and Marine Corps electromagnetic spectrum management and use. This award is named for the former DON Principal Deputy Chief Information Officer, who was an advocate for protecting the DON's equities in the electromagnetic spectrum and advanced the DON's strategic vision for spectrum.
The DON Cyberspace/IT Rising Star of the Year and Person of the Year Awards were established to acknowledge senior and junior level individuals who strive to deliver significant management efficiencies and cost savings to the department, through visionary thinking, innovation, and superior leadership skills.
The following individuals and teams were selected as the 2014 winners.
DON Cyberspace/IT Person of the Year Award Winner
Randall Cieslak, USPACOM Chief Information Officer (CIO) for his astute planning and management of information resources which provided improved information technology and enhanced operational capabilities to the warfighters of the Pacific theater. The IT Portfolio Management System developed under Cieslak’s leadership — which provides a single data source to link multiple perspectives of budget execution and forecasting, certification and accreditation, and vulnerability management — coupled with a joint cost model to predict IT consolidation and transition savings is optimizing USPACOM’s ability prioritize IT funding in a resource constrained environment.
The strategy he proposed to collapse multiple networks into a shared infrastructure and enhance security with the implementation of Internet Protocol v6 is a model of modernization and transformation activity to be emulated by others. Cieslak also provided exceptional executive oversight and direction of technology demonstrations and advanced network architecture development implementing a layered Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) capability to protect national security information with agility, security and efficiency. The proof-of-concept architecture he developed provides combatant commanders with the ability to manage risk to command and control and to rapidly stand up mission environments in support of contingency operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, or peacetime information sharing with any combination of mission partners.
DON Cyberspace/IT Rising Star of the Year Award Winners
Chris Ferguson, Lead Applications Developer, Department of the Navy Assistant for Administration (DON/AA) for establishing himself as the go-to expert for the Secretariat’s systems and applications. Ferguson expertly meets every challenge presented to him, most notably during recent cyber operations. His DoD application security skills have proven crucial to ensuring the safety of the network. Chris was also the key technical advisor/lead developer for the DON/AA Public Portal, the first public website to receive full authority to operate in a commercial cloud environment. Ferguson consistently develops innovative solutions to complex information technology issues.
Anthony Winns, Customer Support Lead for the Department of the Navy Assistant for Administration (DON/AA) for his focus on customer satisfaction, creative approach to problem solving, and drive to produce results, which has drawn attention and praise from the DON’s top leadership including the Secretary of the Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations. Winns’ recent accomplishment in completing a complex, high-visibility network configuration issue marks him as an innovative thinker who has the potential to become a leader in the department’s information technology enterprise.
John J. Lussier Electromagnetic Spectrum Leadership Award Winner
Mark Johnson, Director for Electromagnetic Environmental Effects/Spectrum Policy and Programs, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations for his superior performance as the U.S. Navy Director for Electromagnetic Environmental Effects/Spectrum Policy and Programs. His unparalleled technical expertise and exceptional leadership provided the Department of the Navy with the insight necessary to balance national defense and economic priorities in association with the Federal Communication Commission’s National Broadband Plan. Johnson’s efforts identified 210 MHz of spectrum, worth over $20 billion, for potential reallocation or sharing while maintaining viability of the Navy’s 30-year shipbuilding plan. Johnson led the development of the Information Dominance Directorate’s Electromagnetic Spectrum Usage Roadmap, identifying the way forward in attaining increased spectrum efficiency and operational effectiveness while ensuring warfighter access to critical electromagnetic spectrum resources.
DON IM/IT Excellence Award Individual Winners
Rebecca Chhim, Computer Scientist, Lead Information Assurance Advisor for Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport, Undersea Warfare Combat System Department for process improvement and development of standard operating procedures and processes that led to efficiencies in IT operations. Her efforts decreased the configuration management burden of operations manual development and distribution; significantly supported improvements expected to lower the total process time for IT procurements for technical projects by up to 50 percent; and devised a standard process for assessing changes to programs of record to determine if security re-accreditation is required, which resulted in substantial cost avoidance.
Tracy Correll, Information Assurance Program Manager Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport, R.I. for her implementation of advanced information sharing and management capabilities that have enabled effective decision making, increased the efficiency of task accomplishment, and improved mission effectiveness, at an estimated cost savings of $300K in one year. As one of the founding members of the NAVSEA Warfare Center IAM Working Group, she helps foster collaboration on IA developments and sharing of best practices, innovations, and ideas across twelve Warfare Center Divisions.
Reese Olger, Knowledge Officer, Deputy Commandant, Combat Development and Integration (CD&I), U.S. Marine Corps for serving as the driving force in the development and continued management of several Marine Corps Communities of Practice (CoPs) that enable the prompt communication of information to all community members. By using existing SharePoint platforms, tools and programs he ensured that the enhanced capabilities came at no additional cost to the Marine Corps. Projected benefit from the Safety CoP alone is estimated to be over $390,000. Olger’s efforts are advancing the DON’s vision to manage information and knowledge to enable effective decision-making, increase the efficiency of task accomplishment, and improve mission effectiveness.
Adam Simonoff, Engineer, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren, Dahlgren, Va. for his technical vision and deep understanding of current shortcomings of the Navy’s cyber defenses that led to the creation of USS SECURE, an innovative standalone cybersecurity test bed. Using USS SECURE, engineers can determine the optimum combination of cyber defense technologies to secure a naval warship without impacting real-time performance requirements.
DON IM/IT Excellence Award Team Winners
DADMS/DITPR Migration Team (Multiple DON Organizations) for the migration of the Department of Defense Information Technology Portfolio Repository (DITPR) and the Department of the Navy Application and Database Management System (DADMS) to the SPAWAR Charleston Navy Enterprise Data Center (NEDC), which resulted in reduced operational costs, increased standardization, and improved cybersecurity posture. The migration team, composed of staff from the Navy Program Executive Office for Enterprise Information Systems PMW 240, SPAWAR Charleston NEDC and Data Center and Application Optimization (DCAO) team, and the Department of the Navy Chief Information Officer (DON CIO), successfully virtualized and migrated the DITPR and DADMS systems from a commercial hosting facility to the SPAWAR Charleston NEDC in under three months. The PMW 240 Cybersecurity team worked jointly with the Navy Certificate Authority, Operational Designated Approving Authority (ODAA), DON Assistant for Administration Information Technology Division, and the Charleston NEDC team to rapidly identify and address all security concerns.
Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center San Diego Wireless Team for engagement with DON staff, wireless carriers and contract users to generate wireless contract savings without sacrificing the quality of provided services. Over the course of fiscal year 2013, the wireless service contract expense management websites have assisted account managers to ensure devices are assigned to optimal service plans. The effort reduced the DON’s average monthly cost per device by $2.61, resulting in FY 2013 cost savings of $13.8 million.
Center for SEAL and SWCC / Personnel Tempo Process Improvement Team for modifying an existing enterprise system to develop the Navy Standard Integrated Personnel System (NSIPS), which tracks personnel tempo (PERSTEMPO), the time a servicemember spends away from home. Managing PERSTEMPO enhances quality of life and improves retention of trained, qualified personnel. Modifying NSIPS to track PERSTEMPO was accomplished in less than 18 months and leveraged the Navy investment in an enterprise system. The result was a reduction in administrative workload, a permanent record in an authoritative source, and a forecasting tool for projecting time away. This innovative project significantly improved the efficiency and effectiveness of Naval Special Warfare to support and execute its mission, and has resulted in significant improvement of the Navy’s reporting of information to all echelons of command, including the Chief of Naval Operations and combatant commanders.
The Department of the Navy Enterprise Software Licensing Team for collaborating effectively to establish DON-wide enterprise license agreements (ELAs) with companies that publish software that is widely used across the DON, or whose products are needed for effective transition to the Next Generation Enterprise Network (NGEN). The team’s ELAs with Microsoft, Oracle and Axway software have produced actual or projected savings of $80 million over the current Future Years Defense Program. The team’s participation in work to negotiate DoD wide Joint ELAs ensures that the DON's requirements and interests are addressed and that there will be additional savings in further consolidation at the DoD enterprise level.
Tactical Training Group Pacific Network Centric Warfare Syndicate for improving fleet knowledge and information management through shipboard and classroom mentoring, formal classroom instruction during the Afloat Knowledge Managers Course (AKMC) and knowledge capture through the Post Deployment Interview Program. The team uses previous experience and feedback from numbered fleet commanders prior to an event, active evaluation during an event, and knowledge capture after the event to shape improvements in the next training iteration. The team’s efforts have directly improved operational command and control and decision making in the fleet, directly enhancing warfighting combat readiness.
DON Next Generation Enterprise Network (NGEN) Source Selection Evaluation Board and Price Evaluation Board Team for the evaluation and award of the NGEN contract, the largest information technology acquisition services contract in the Department of Defense. The team worked over an 11-month period, with some members on temporary duty for more than 200 days, in order to award the contract in 2013. Their efforts resulted in a services contract that has the potential to save the DON an estimated $1 billion in comparison to the Navy Marine Corps Intranet Continuity of Services Contract it replaces.
In addition to the estimated $1 billion in cost savings, the NGEN contract also provides for:
- Government ownership of IT infrastructure.
- Government Command and Control of network operations.
- Continued security of the network and proactive enhancement of Information Assurance capabilities.
- Use of DoD enterprise security services.
- Continuity of service during transition from NMCI CoSC.
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- Implementation of IT Service Management (ITSM) methodology and practices.
- Staffing to support USMC Enterprise Services and Transport Services.
- Technology refresh of all IT infrastructure elements during the lifetime of the new contract.
- Ability of the DON to modernize and virtualize its IT infrastructure and systems.
2014 DON Fed 100 Award Winners
Seven information technology leaders from the Department of the Navy were among this year's Federal 100 Award winners. Federal Computer Week magazine annually presents the award to 100 government, industry and academic leaders who have gone above and beyond their daily responsibilities and made a difference in the way technology has transformed their agency or accelerated their agency’s mission.
The winners' accomplishments will be recognized in a March issue of Federal Computer Week magazine, and the awards will be presented at a black-tie gala held on March 20 in Washington, D.C.
The 2014 DON Fed 100 Award winners are:
- John Bergin, Contract Support to the Department of the Navy Chief Information Officer, Efficiencies Team
- Randy Cieslak, CIO, U.S. Pacific Command
- Ivy Estabrooke, Program Manager, Office of Naval Research
- Kathleen Kaluzienski, DCIO for NMCI, Naval Sea Systems Command
- Lynda Pierce, Chief of Staff/Director of Enterprise IT Policy and Communications, Department of the Navy Chief Information Officer
- Vice Adm. Michael Rogers, Commander, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. 10th Fleet
- Susan Shuryn, Efficiencies Branch Head, Department of the Navy Chief Information Office
- Lt. William Walders, CIO, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
Outstanding Achievement in Web Development
The DON CIO website was also an award recipient. It was recognized for Outstanding Achievement in Web Development by the Web Marketing Association, and received the Government Standard of Excellence award. The Web Marketing Association's annual WebAward Competition has been running since 1997, and is known as the premier award recognition program for Web developers worldwide.