Keynote: Michael D. Griffin, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
Dr. Griffin is the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. He is the Department’s Chief Technology Officer, and is responsible for the research, development, and prototyping activities across the DoD enterprise and is mandated with ensuring technological superiority for the Department of Defense. He oversees the activities of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Missile Defense Agency, the Strategic Capabilities Office, Defense Innovation Unit Experimental, the DoD Laboratory enterprise, and the Under Secretariate staff focused on developing advanced technology and capability for the U.S. military.
Mike was previously Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Schafer Corporation, a professional services provider in the national security sector. He has served as the King-McDonald Eminent Scholar and professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, as the Administrator of NASA, and as the Space Department Head at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. He has also held numerous executive positions in industry, including President and Chief Operating Officer of In-Q-Tel, CEO of Magellan Systems, and EVP/General Manager of Orbital ATK’s Space Systems Group. Griffin’s earlier career includes service as both Chief Engineer and Associate Administrator for Exploration at NASA, and as the Deputy for Technology at the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization. Prior to joining SDIO in an executive capacity, he played a key role in conceiving and directing several “first of a kind” space tests in support of strategic defense research, development, and flight-testing. These included the first space-to-space intercept of a ballistic missile in powered flight, the first broad-spectrum spaceborne reconnaissance of targets and decoys in midcourse flight, and the first space-to-ground reconnaissance of ballistic missiles during the boost phase. Mike also played a leading role in other space missions at the John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Full bio HERE.
Richard L. Dunn, Founder, Strategic Institute for Innovation in Government Contracting
Referred to as “the godfather of OTs” as a result of his pioneering work as DARPA’s first General Counsel. Mr. Dunn provides advice and engages in research and analysis related to the deployment and implementation of technology in the military and civil sectors through partnering and other innovative means; he conducts research in national security operations, technology and their interactions; and, analyzes laws, policies and practices that impact the effective implementation of technology.
As General Counsel of DARPA, he pioneered innovative techniques to support science and technology projects by championing the enactment of Other Transactions legislation that authorized DARPA to enter into cooperative relationships with commercial companies or “partnerships” of companies and other organizations. Other pioneering efforts involved obtaining authority to conduct prototype projects outside the normal contracting statutes and special authority to recruit and pay scientists and engineers without regard to Civil Service laws. Additionally, he championed and obtained authority to award incentive prizes to spur technology developments. All these authorities are in use and have served as models for other agencies. Awards include the Presidential Rank of Meritorious Executive and the Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service.
Full bio on this website click HERE.
David Rothzeid, Director of Acquisition Pathways, Maj. USAF, Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)
Maj. Rothzeid works on strategic initiatives focused on streamlining DoD acquisition across the Department of Defense. He also works within the Information Technology and Machine Learning/Artificial Intelligence Portfolios at DIUx. Additionally, David operates as a liaison officer to Air Force program offices and educates acquisition professionals across all the services in Other Transactions utilization.
Prior to DIUx, David worked as an Executive Officer and Program Manager in the Special Programs Division (AFLCMC/HNJ) at Hanscom AFB, MA from July of 2012 to July of 2016. His first assignment was as a Project Officer for the Air Force Satellite Control Network (SMC/RNL) at Peterson Air Force Base, CO from July 2008 to July 2012. Additionally, he deployed as a member of USSOCOM GHOST program in 2013 to MacDill, AFB, FL and Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. He has BA from Miami University in Economics (‘08) and an MBA from University Colorado, Colorado Springs (‘11).
Benjamin McMartin, Chief, Acquisition Management Office, U.S. Army TARDEC
Mr. McMartin currently serves as Chief of the Acquisition Management Office for the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) in Warren, Michigan, responsible for management of two consortium-model Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs): The Detroit Arsenal Automotive OTA (DA2-OTA) (7 years / $700M); and the Ground Vehicle Systems OTA (GVS-OTA) (5 years / $2B), with technical focus areas in automotive, autonomy, mobility, ground combat systems, and related technologies.
Mr. McMartin is a former Contracting and Grants/Agreements Officer, responsible for planning, solicitation, evaluation, award, and administration of contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and other transaction agreements at the Army Contracting Command – Warren (ACC-WRN). Prior to entering Federal service, Mr. McMartin practiced law in the areas of commercial transactions and litigation.
Mr. McMartin is DAWIA Level III certified in Contracting; DAWIA Level I certified in Program Management; and a member of the Army Acquisition Corps. He is twice the recipient of the Department of the Army Achievement Medal for Civilian Service, for exemplary service in support of ACC-WRN, and for service to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (ASAALT). Additionally, he is a Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM) through the National Contract Management Association and current President of the National Contract Management Association – Great Lakes State Chapter.
Ellen M. Purdy, Director, Emerging Capabilities & Prototyping Initiatives & Analysis, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (R&E)
Mrs. Ellen M. Purdy currently serves as the Director, Emerging Capabilities & Prototyping Initiatives & Analysis in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (R&E). She is responsible for rapid development of fieldable prototypes and capability supporting emerging needs in autonomy, communications, sensing, and electronic warfare. She leads the Spectrum Access R&D Program and Rapid Innovation Fund Program. Mrs. Purdy focuses on assessing resilience of new capabilities against adaptive adversaries. She fosters collaborative engagement with traditional defense industry.
Previously, Mrs. Purdy served as the Enterprise Director, Joint Ground Robotics where she had oversight of the unmanned ground systems portfolio, strategic planning for ground robotics and the annual RDT&E funding for ground robotic technology development. During her tenure, Mrs. Purdy secured Congressional support and Undersecretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology & Logistics) approval for a $175M Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) with the Robotics Technology Consortium. This unique approach with industry resulted in rapid transition of technologies into a ground robotics inventory that grew from under 1000 systems to over 6000 during her tenure.
Joseph Dyer, Chief Strategy Officer, National Spectrum Consortium
Vice Admiral (ret.) Joe Dyer is a consultant in the tech, aerospace and defense markets. He operates at the intersection of technology, finance, and risk mitigation. Additionally, he chaired NASA’s Aerospace Safety and Advisory Panel for almost 13 years. He is often quoted in the WSJ, NYT, and AW&ST.
Progressively, from 2003 through 2013, He was Business Unit President, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Strategy Officer at iRobot Corp. He came to iRobot from a career in the U.S. Navy where his last assignment was as the three star Commander of the Naval Air Systems Command. There, he was responsible for contracting, research, development, test and evaluation, engineering and logistics for naval aircraft, unmanned systems, air launched weapons, and sensors. He was the Navy’s senior, uniformed acquisition/procurement official. His naval career also included positions as naval aviation’s chief engineer, Commander of the Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division, and F/A-18 program manager.
Dr. Arun Seraphin, Professional Staff Member, Senate Armed Service Committee
Congressional Professional Staff Member with oversight responsibilities for Department of Defense acquisition and procurement policy; science, technology, and innovation; test and evaluation; STEM and acquisition personnel policy; and information technology programs and policy. Previously, Dr. Seraphin served as a deputy director of National Security and International Affairs division at the White House Office of Science a Technology Policy, assisting in supervising senior policy advisors and support staff in developing policies, programs, technical analyses, and support to the President’s Science Advisor and other senior leaders. He also led initiatives in defense laboratory revitalization, Small Business Innovation Research program policy development. Additionally, he was a Special Assistant for Policy initiatives providing support and analyses to the Director and Deputy Director on policy issues, including DARPA small business programs, personnel management authorities and systems, inter-agency coordination, Congressional relations, and legislative and policy initiatives. Prior he was Professional Staff Member, Senate Armed Services Committee, Research Staff Member with The Institute for Defense Analysis, and Professional Staff Member, Committee on Science, US House of Representatives.
Moshe Schwartz, Specialist, Defense Acquisition Policy at Congressional Research Service
Mr. Schwartz is a Specialist in Defense Acquisitions at the Congressional Research Service. He has written numerous reports and testified before Congress on a variety of issues, including the acquisition of major defense acquisition programs, defense acquisition reform, contractors in military operations, DOD energy, and GAO bid protests. He is also an adjunct professor at National Defense University’s Eisenhower Center (2013-2017).
Mr. Schwartz served as Executive Director of the Advisory Panel on Streamlining and Codifying Acquisition Regulations (2016-2017). Other assignments included serving as a senior advisor to the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan, and as an advisor at ISAF headquarters in Afghanistan.
Before joining CRS, Mr. Schwartz served as a senior analyst at the Government Accountability Office, as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn NY, and as Vice President of the Public Relations firm KCSA Strategic Communications.
Michael Atkinson, Senior Program Manager, Advanced Technology International
Mr. Atkinson has a passion for providing US warfighters with the innovative technologies needed to ensure the United States remains ahead of our adversaries—a passion rooted in his more than two-decade career in the Navy. Today, Mr. Atkinson pursues that passion as a Program Manager and Division Lead at Advanced Technology International (ATI), where he oversees the management of nearly one quarter of the Other Transaction (OT) consortia in existence today. With more than ten years of experience at ATI, Mr. Atkinson has acted as the Program Manager for the National Spectrum Consortium (NSC) for the last four years and as the Vertical Lift Consortium (VLC) Program Manager for the last three years. He also led the stand-up of the recently-awarded Undersea Technology Innovation Consortium (UTIC) and the Information Warfare Research Project Consortium (IWRP), and he oversees the operations of the Space Enterprise Consortium (SpEC). Under Mr. Atkinson’s leadership, each of these five OT consortia develops cutting-edge technologies that advance warfighter capabilities and enhance national security.
Mark “Puck” Mykleby, Co-Founder, Long Haul Capital Group; Principal, Innovation Finance Group
Mr. Mykleby is co-founder of Long Haul Capital Group and principal member of Innovation Finance Group. From 1987 to 2011, he was a career Marine Corps officer, serving as an F/A-18 pilot, a strategic planner for U.S. Special Operations Command, and as a special strategic assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. After retiring as a colonel in August 2011, he joined the New America Foundation as a senior fellow. In September 2014, he helped found and co-directed the Strategic Innovation Lab at Case Western Reserve University where he coauthored The New Grand Strategy: Restoring America’s Prosperity, Security and Sustainability in the 21st Century.
Mica Dolan, Director of Contracts and Procurement, Advanced Technology International
Ms. Dolan is responsible for managing ATI’s contracts team that supports ATI’s Consortium-based Other Transaction Agreements. Ms. Dolan has served as the contracts manager for the National Armaments Consortium (NAC) since ATI assumed its management in 2009. Starting from an annual throughput of $50M in 2009, Ms. Dolan has been instrumental in developing a set of best practices in conjunction with government leadership that has enabled project throughput to increase ten-fold since then. She has been involved with the startup of a number of OTA-based consortia, to include consortia formation, negotiating terms and conditions with the government, establishing solicitation processes, providing member training, and working hand in hand with the government throughout the execution of the OTA; she is a leading practitioner in the space.
Bryan Smith, OSD Task Manager, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division
Mr. Smith serves as a part of a group that is responsible for management of Other Transactions (OTs) at Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane Naval Base in Southern Indiana. Mr. Smith is also task manager for Trusted and Assured Microelectronics (T&AM) program under the Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD) within Flight Systems Division at NSWC Crane. In this role, Mr. Smith oversees day to day tasking of functions in research, design, development, testing, and evaluation of microelectronics and program interactions. Prior to becoming Task Manager, Mr. Smith served as the Acquisition Lead and Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for all Seaport Service Contracts within Flight Systems Division.
Brandon Pender, Director of External Business Development, U.S. Army TARDEC
Mike Karaki, Partnership Developer, U.S. Army TARDEC
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