The Wrap: All About the People – FedRAMP, NCD, Rep. Lee, NIH, HHS

Welcome to The Wrap for Monday, May 15!

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From the newsroom at MeriTalk, it’s the quickest read in Federal tech news. Here’s what you need to know today:

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GSA Names Cloud Advisory Panel

The General Services Administration (GSA), in consultation with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), late Friday announced the inaugural members of the Federal Secure Cloud Advisory Committee (FSCAC). The FSCAC was created by legislation?approved?late last year that codified the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) into law. “We’re eager to get feedback from both industry and agency partners about how we can improve the experience of using FedRAMP by streamlining the process and enhancing security,” GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan said in a May 12?press release. Chairing the panel is Ann Lewis, who directs GSA’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS) organization. The panel includes Federal CIOs, CISOs, and industry reps from IBM, Google, and Palo Alto Networks.

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Walden Gets NCD Backing from King, Gallagher

House and Senate lawmakers are calling on President Biden to expedite the nomination of Kemba Walden to head the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD), which she has run in an acting capacity since February. In a May 11?letter?addressed to President Biden, Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, and Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., said that Congress would receive Walden’s nomination as the new National Cyber Director (NCD) with “fair consideration and swift confirmation.” Sen. King and Rep. Gallagher are co-chairs of CSC 2.0, a nonprofit that succeeded the?Cyberspace Solarium Commission (CSC) created by Congress in 2019 to develop policy and legislation reflecting a strategic approach to defending the U.S. against cyberattacks. Walden stepped in as acting head of ONCD when the inaugural NCD, Chris Inglis,?left?the White House on Feb. 15.

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New NIH Nominee

President Biden today?announced?his intent to nominate Dr. Monica Bertagnolli as director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She currently serves as the director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The NIH position has been vacant for over a year, and if confirmed, Dr. Bertagnolli would oversee the department’s extensive medical research institutions and the vast amount of data they use and produce. “Dr. Bertagnolli has dedicated her career to groundbreaking scientific discoveries and pushing the boundaries of what is possible in improving cancer prevention and treatment for patients, ensuring quality care is accessible to all communities,” said President Biden.

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Rep. Lee Stakes out CISA Focus

A new congressional voice on cybersecurity issues is vowing to heighten oversight of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to help fight the growing threat of cyberattacks. Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Fla., told the annual?Hack the Capitol?conference on May 11 that she and other members of the House Homeland Security Committee will be focusing on CISA in the coming months “to ensure that it can properly protect the nation’s federal networks and 16 critical infrastructure sectors that support the American way of life.” Lee, who took office in January, is a former Florida Secretary of State. In that job, she said, “cybersecurity was my administration’s main priority” and she worked closely with CISA “to ensure that our election systems were secure.”

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HHS Fills out Operational Data/Analytics Leadership

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has hired in for two key positions in its Division of Operational Data and Analytics. Earlier this month, the department selected Sachiko Kuwabara as the new deputy director of the Division of Operational Data and Analytics, according to her?LinkedIn?profile. Kuwabara brings over 10 years of experience in various government agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the HHS parent agency. That hire follows the February appointment of Kelly Bennett as the new director of the Division of Operational Data and Analytics, according to her?LinkedIn?profile. Bennett assumed the new position after serving for over 11 years at the HHS in various roles, including as an IT director for the HHS Coordination and Operations Response Element (H-CORE).

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Once again, let’s “call IT a day,” but we'll bring you more tomorrow. Until then please check the MeriTalk breaking news website throughout the day for the latest on government IT people, process, and policy.

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