Symposium Home Agenda Abstracts and Bios
Robert Foster
Deputy Director, Information Operations Defense Logistics Agency
May 25, 2017 10:30 – 12:00
ROBERT (“BOB”) FOSTER, a member of the Senior Executive Service, currently serves as Deputy Director, DLA Information Operations (J6), Defense Logistics Agency. In this role, Mr. Foster helps oversee a workforce of approximately 3,000 information technology professionals that maintain a vast global network of automated systems and support DLA’s mission of providing the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and other federal agencies with a variety of logistics, acquisition and technical services in peace and war, as well as emergency preparedness and humanitarian missions.
Mr. Foster is a native of Tennessee and attended high school in the small rural town of Oneida. Graduating in 1971, Mr. Foster enrolled at Tennessee Technological University and graduated in 1975 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry. Choosing to continue his formal education at Tennessee Technological University, in 1977 he earned a Master of Science degree in biology. In 1986, the U.S. Army-Baylor University accepted him into the Healthcare Administration Graduate Program, where he was awarded a Master of Healthcare Administration degree in 1988.
In 1977, Mr. Foster began a military career in the United States Army that spanned more than 20 years of service. Highlights included assignments as the Chief Information Officer for the North Atlantic Regional Medical Command, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C.; Deputy Commander for Administration at Ireland Army Community Hospital, Fort Knox, Ky.; and Human Resources Manager for the Medical Service Branch, United States Army Personnel Command, Alexandria, Va. Mr. Foster also served with the 47th Field Hospital during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. His military awards and decorations included the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal and the Army Achievement Medal.
After retiring from the military in 1999, Mr. Foster supported the Directorate of Information Management, Office of The Surgeon General, Falls Church, Va., as a Senior Systems Analyst. In November of 2000, Mr. Foster transitioned to supporting the Military Health System working for the Joint Medical Information Systems Office, in Falls Church. In March of 2002, Mr. Foster was selected to serve under an intergovernmental personnel agreement, serving as the Certifying Authority for MHS central IT systems, the Director of the Advanced Technology Innovation Center, and the Director of Integration and Security. Mr. Foster was selected to fill a civil service position as the Deputy PEO in January of 2005. Effective April 29, 2005, he was appointed to the Senior Executive Service and was assigned as the Program Executive Officer for the MHS, where he oversaw the deployment of enterprise medical systems that supported the provision of medical care to warfighters, families and retirees around the world. On Oct. 1, 2007, Mr. Foster was also appointed as the Deputy Chief Information Officer for the MHS. On Oct. 20, 2008, Mr. Foster was appointed as the Program Executive Officer for the Defense Logistics Agency.
John Hale
Chief, DISA Cloud Portfolio and
Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)
May 25, 2017 10:30 – 12:00
JOHN E. HALE is Chief of Enterprise Applications, Defense Information Systems Agency.
Mr. Hale is responsible for a host of enterprise services, including DoD Enterprise Email, DoD
Enterprise Portal Service, and Defense Connect Online. Enterprise Applications provides a
diverse portfolio of capabilities to the Department of Defense (DoD) that enhances operational
effectiveness, cross-organizational collaboration, and cyber-security. As a key focus area of
DISA’s Enterprise Services offerings, Enterprise Applications balances cost-effective solutions
with the department’s unique requirements for physical and virtual security.
Originally from Decatur, Alabama, Hale is a graduate from The University of Maryland,
University College. Prior to his civilian service, he served 8 years in the United States Air Force
and 11 years in the commercial sector. Mr. Hale started his civilian service with the Director of
National Intelligence and moved to the Defense Information Systems Agency in 2009.
Jason March
Vice President Natoma Technologies
May 25, 2017 10:30 – 12:00
JASON MARCH has over 20 years of experience in management and technology consulting. He has extensive experience in the public sector technology industry with emphasis on serving public sector clients. Jason has managed client engagements for software development programs, business transformation initiatives, and legacy systems modernization projects. He has extensive experience migrating legacy government applications onto modern, cloud-based platforms.
Throughout his career, Jason has worked for leading technology providers, including BearingPoint, Deloitte Consulting, and Apptis-URS. Prior to joining Accelera, Jason served as the federal practice leader for Natoma Technologies, a small business based in Sacramento, where he established their Washington DC office and built a practice around migrating systems onto Amazon Web Services (AWS). He was At URS Federal Services, he served as Director, Public Sector Cloud Computing Solutions where he helped to build a business focused on helping the federal government leverage next-generation solutions like cloud computing, virtualization, and other Web 2.0 technologies to drive efficiencies and cut IT infrastructure costs. He served as Vice President, Federal Programs for Project Time & Cost (PT&C), a high-end consulting firm focused on energy, environmental, and large-scale engineering programs. Jason served as founder and Managing Partner of March Consulting Group, a boutique advisory firm focused on helping early-stage technology start-ups enter the federal market and transition from development to growth stage.
Jason is active in the Washington DC technology community and has served on the board of directors for Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association (AFCEA) Northern Virginia (NOVA) chapter. He was named a 2012 Emerging Leader, recognizing AFCEA members under 40 and in 2013 received the organization’s Meritorious Service Award for sustained contributions to the association in combination with exceptional professional performance in the fields of communications, electronics, intelligence, and information systems.
Jason earned a B.A. from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA, and holds an M.S. degree in Engineering Management & Systems Engineering (EMSE) from George Washington University in Washington, DC. He is a Certified Scrum Master (CSM). Jason is an endurance athlete and competes regularly in Olympic distance and half-Ironman distance triathlons. Jason lives in Fairfax, VA with his wife and three children.
Ted Brunell
Principal Solution Architect at Red Hat
May 25, 2017 10:30 – 12:00
TED BRUNELL is a Red Hat Certified Architect (Level III) and serves as the Principal Architect for Red Hat’s DoD team. He works with customers, Red Hat Business Units and multiple sales teams across the North America Public Sector to discuss customer requirements and solutions that Red Hat can provide to meet them. Ted has been at Red Hat since 2011 and brings with him a unique view and knowledge on tactical and DoD-centric data communications based on 20 years of active duty in the United States Marine Corps. During his tenure in the Marine Corps, Ted worked at every echelon of command, including the Marine Network Operations and Security Command and the I Marine Expeditionary Force, where he served as a Data Chief. Since joining Red Hat, Ted has been recognized for is efforts by being awarded the Red Hat Chairman’s Award in 2015.
Frank Konieczny
CTO United States Air Force (USAF)
May 25, 2017 10:30 – 12:00
Frank Konieczny, a Senior Level executive, is the Chief Technology Officer, Office of Information Dominance and Chief Information Officer, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. He has primary responsibility to advance the technology landscape of the Air Force. His current focus areas include the developing the technical target baseline, mobile enterprise solutions, data management, IdAM access/claims management, cyber and technology innovation pathfinders and advancing the Joint Information Environment.
Mr. Konieczny has completed advanced degrees in computer science engineering and administrative science, and in 1987 he completed all coursework for a doctorate in computer science. He has extensive experience as a systems analyst and chief programmer, working with a variety of firms including Teledyne Brown Engineering, SAIC and General Research Corporation. He has supported the programming and analytical analysis for a wide spectrum of government projects including ballistic missile defense, network design, missile test analysis, radar systems analysis and simulation, and operations research and statistical analysis. Mr. Konieczny would go on to serve as a project manager, business unit manager, Chief Scientist and Chief Technology Officer. He has managed more than 20 significant government sector programs involving multiple large and small business subcontractors and academic institutions in areas of Army and Navy manpower, logistics, force structure, undersea warfare, real time statistical analysis, biometric authentication, enterprise architecture, work flow management, and simulation and modeling.
Prior to his current assignment, Mr. Konieczny was employed for 10 years with AT&T Government Solutions professional services business unit. He served as the CIO, CTO and Executive Director for Operations where he managed internal research and development efforts; multi-location infrastructure management and upgrade; process improvement and standardization; support organization coordination; and development of technical solutions for a wide spectrum of projects within the government sector.