Obituary: GSA’s Rob Coen | Federal News Community

The federal acquisition local community is mourning the loss of Rob Coen, the Common Companies Administration’s Federal Acquisition Service’s acquisition program director for expert companies PS-MAS and OASIS.

Coen died unexpectedly last Thursday in his household in Maryland.

The funeral will be held on Friday in Massachusetts.

“We are deeply saddened by the information of Rob’s unexpected and sudden passing. Rob was a close friend, supportive colleague, and consummate skilled. His passing has left us each shaken and heartbroken,” mentioned Tiffany T. Hixson, the assistant commissioner for GSA’s Business of Specialist Companies and Human Money Types in FAS. “As the director of FAS’s Experienced Services Program Management Division, he led the MAS-Specialist Expert services and OASIS agreement programs, working with his deep know-how and broad connections in the authorities contracting community to reward the two our buyers and marketplace associates. Rob deeply thought in his get the job done, but most importantly, he considered in the individuals he labored with—often serving as a mentor to those people all around him. No matter if lending an ear or taking the time to chat, Rob was normally out there. Though Rob’s expert accomplishments are unable to be overstated, it was his humanity that manufactured him uniquely special. Our thoughts are with his family members and buddies all through this extremely tough time.”

Coen joined federal services in 1995, doing the job for the Small Company Administration. He later joined the Nationwide Institutes of Overall health Facts Technologies Acquisition and Assessment Center (NITAAC) as its deputy director and moved up to be the GWAC application director.

In his function at NITAAC, Coen oversaw the roll out of CIO-SP3 and CIO-SP3 modest company procurements and significantly improved the organization’s outreach to business and amplified their business. Businesses have invested far more than $19 billion on CIO-SP3 and $13 billion on CIO-SP3 smaller business considering that 2012.

In becoming a member of GSA in 2016, Coen oversaw the OASIS several award experienced companies deal. Organizations have used additional than $22 billion on additional than 900 activity orders by way of this motor vehicle given that 2015.

“I labored with Rob when he was at both equally NIH and GSA. He was constantly a complete skilled and an individual who could be relied upon to give field the straight tale,” claimed Larry Allen, president of Allen Federal Company Associates and a federal acquisition specialist. “Rob appeared to get new electrical power from his part managing the GSA OASIS software. He was exceptionally responsive to consumer and industry questions to guarantee that agencies bought the most out of OASIS. He was a remarkable asset to GSA and a fantastic colleague. Rob will be sorely skipped.”

Coen typically was a guest on Federal News Community. He was client in explaining the minutiae of federal acquisition, and introduced enjoyment and enthusiasm to his job — which confirmed in each job interview.

His death leaves a gap in the federal acquisition group that will not be crammed whenever shortly.

Our condolences to Coen’s spouse and children and good friends.

CIOs land new work opportunities

Dominic Cussatt is the new chief data officer at the Point out Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research.

Bob Costello is coming back again to authorities to just take in excess of as the CIO of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Safety Company in the Homeland Security Department.

These are just two of the newest changes in the federal technology local community.

Cussatt joins Point out from the Department of Veterans Affairs exactly where he has been since 2016 and their performing CIO given that January.  His past day at VA was Aug. 27.

VA named Dr. Neil Evans, the main officer for the Workplace of Linked Care in the Veterans Health and fitness Administration, as the acting CIO.

The move for Cussatt is not as surprising as some may perhaps imagine. He begun his federal vocation with the Defense Office as deputy main facts stability officer. He also served as co-chairman to the U.S. Committee on National Security Units Subcommittee and nationwide co-chairman to NATO Information Assurance/Cyber Defense Functionality Panel in Belgium for virtually two many years.

Cussatt also has spent time in field with IBM, SAIC and other contractors.

Cussatt replaces Juan Conde it is unclear when Conde still left.

As the CIO of the INR, Cussatt will guidance the bureau’s mission “to harness intelligence to provide U.S. diplomacy.”

Cussatt will direct the Technologies and Innovation Office environment, which “manages intelligence IT functions and the innovation and alter administration procedures of the Bureau. The TIO originates new tips and innovations generated by other people to involve technological innovation and production functions that support INR and IC aims and missions.”

Costello rejoins DHS after a quick stint in field. He labored at U.S. Customs and Border Security for 9 a long time and Immigration and Customs Enforcement for 4 several years, respectively.

He changed Dave Epperson, who moved from CIO to CISO of CISA in October. Sam Vasquez experienced been acting CIO given that then.

At CBP, Costello served as the government director for the Organization Networks and Engineering Guidance Directorate for just about 4 many years as effectively a yearlong detail as the government director of the Border Enforcement and Administration Methods Directorate.

He did a 5-thirty day period stint in the non-public sector with Planet Wide Know-how as a system adviser in their regulation enforcement and civilian agency division.

Signing up for Cussatt at Condition is Donna Bennett, who grew to become the new CISO in April.

Bennett joined Condition from the Commerce Division in which she was deputy CISO for nearly a few a long time. She also worked at FEMA as its CISO and DoD as a senior info assurance officer.

She replaces Al Bowden, who had been CISO considering the fact that 2016

And talking of FEMA, the company promoted Greg Edwards to be its CISO. He experienced been a senior technological advisor considering the fact that July 2020. He joined from marketplace, but put in time with the Defense Facts Systems Company and NATO Conversation and Data Agency.

At last, the Air Power has a new main technological know-how officer.

Jay Bonci took over the part in early August, changing Frank Konieczny, who retired in February.

“I’m rolling up my sleeves to keep on the operate I’ve performed in excess of the past handful of many years supporting Air Power programs and initiatives, now in a management purpose inside of SAF/CN. My portion of the mission is to empower and speed up all those on the ground by offering a cohesive organization architecture and services shipping and delivery tactic,” Bonci wrote on LinkedIn. “In order to keep on to rise to the issues of a fashionable earth, we need to nail a rock strong electronic basis that works for the complete of the department, from weapon techniques to commodity IT capabilities. This is in part prioritizing and integrating the ideal technological techniques, creating the right adoption and enablement mechanisms, up-skilling our workforce, and building certain we are funding the proper attempts. We’ve acquired an astounding team assembled in SAF/CN to get that accomplished and I’m energized for the potential.”

Bonci joined the Air Pressure after investing 14 several years at Akamai Systems.

“It’s heading to consider me some time to get my legs beneath me and to solve my outsider’s watch of the world with the insider 1. I intend to make LinkedIn component of the communications channel concerned in this role so that marketplace and other authorities entities can have a very good sense of how we are imagining and exactly where our priorities are,” he wrote. “The Air Pressure and the greater Division of Protection is substantial and crammed with various tribes, so I’ll be investigating and experimenting with how finest to use these open up-air interaction platforms.”

Two technological know-how executives leave govt

Jim Russo, the department chief of the Remedies Progress Technical Account Management for company technology solutions in the Information and facts Technology Classification in the Federal Acquisition Assistance at the Basic Providers Administration, retired Aug. 27 soon after 41 years in the public and personal sectors.

“I’m fortuitous that I’ve been part of meaningful systems (especially company infrastructure methods (EIS) and business satellite interaction COMSATCOM) whilst in governing administration and in particular our partnerships with DoD and CISA,” Russo claimed in an e mail.

Russo, who put in 17 a long time at GSA, performed a key part in the advancement and implementation tactic for the Dependable World wide web Connections 3. architecture underneath the EIS application.

He reported he strategies to “rest, recharge and then take into account attainable options.”

In a little bit of a shocking go, Donna Roy, the chief running officer and former CIO at the Shopper Money Security Bureau, remaining in July to join the personal sector. She joined Guidehouse in August as technique adviser in the company’s nationwide stability phase.

Roy returns to the sector the place she spent 13 years functioning for DHS. She was the govt director of the Info Sharing and Products and services Business right before joining CFPB in 2019.

“I am thrilled to sign up for this revolutionary group. I am deeply honored to have served in federal services for above 20 years with so several dedicated civil servants. I am wanting forward to this next chapter and the adventures it will bring!!!” Roy wrote on LinkedIn.