Page 88 - FCW, August 2021

Elham Tabassi
Chief of Staff, IT Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Advancing the AI discussion.
Tabassi mapped an ambitious path for NIST’s work on measuring and enhancing the trustworthiness of AI systems while urging the institute
to partner with other federal agen- cies and industry leaders to explore desirable characteristics in security and usability. She then created a hub for AI research and development programs that allows agencies to review research related to the secu- rity, interoperability and resilience of AI tools. From hosting workshops to issuing critical guidance for agencies, Tabassi and her team are charting a way forward for federal AI initiatives.
Theresa Terry
Branch Chief, Contracting
Department of the Air Force
Acquisition architect. Terry cre- ated and executed the $990 million Air Force Strategic Transformation Support contract, which enables the Air Force and Defense Department
to collaborate with industry to tackle organizational and operational chal- lenges related to improving readiness, speed, affordability, technological innovation and talent. By conducting multiple industry feedback sessions, she set a new standard for transpar- ency and incorporation of commercial experience in building an acquisition strategy. Additionally, she ensured that the Air Force leveraged com-
mercial medical, pharmaceutical and supply chain expertise in its pandemic response and recovery while building in the flexibility to ramp services up or down as circumstances evolved.
Michael Thieme
Assistant Director for Decennial Census Programs, Systems and Contracts Census Bureau
Delivering a digital census. Thieme led IT, cybersecurity and business integration for the 2020 census and brought the decennial count online for the first time in U.S. history. He pioneered the use of an internet self-response platform and led the modernization of data collection, hir- ing and payroll. He spearheaded the creation of a modernized system to digitize and protect the census while integrating 52 mission-critical sys- tems, deploying a scalable multi-cloud solution and implementing a state- of-the-art cyber defense capability. Colleagues say the decennial census would not have been possible during an unprecedented global pandemic without Thieme’s leadership and talents.
Kiersten Todt
Managing Director
Cyber Readiness Institute
Coaching the community. Todt worked with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to safeguard small businesses as they transitioned to remote work during the pandemic. She played a key role in developing critical CISA resources,
including the Telework Essentials Toolkit, and collaborated with CISA
to create the institute’s Ransomware Playbook. She enabled CISA to quick- ly create relevant guidance and advo- cated for overlooked considerations, such as the challenges of a hybrid workplace and ways to improve users’ security behavior. The toolkit and playbook empowered tens of thou- sands of executive leaders, IT profes- sionals and teleworkers to minimize the risks that arose during the rapid, unplanned move to remote work.
Nick Totten
Associate CIO
Treasury Department
Bringing legislation to life. Totten guided multiple successful programs in support of critical legislation in 2020. He led the rapid deployment of a case management system with
a public-facing portal in under seven months to support the interagency Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. under the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act. He also led a variety of efforts related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Eco- nomic Security Act, which provided fast and direct economic assistance to American workers, families and small businesses and preserved jobs for American industries. His leadership was vital in the expedient dissemina- tion of funding for airlines, national security firms and state, local and tribal governments.
2021 FEDERAL 100
Elham Tabassi Theresa Terry Michael Thieme Kiersten Todt Nick Totten
86 August 2021 FCW.COM