Google Cloud, a division of Google LLC, announced Thursday that it’s been awarded a seven-figure Department of Defense contract to provide multi-cloud management.
A specific contract award amount was not disclosed.
The contract will be completed for the DoD’s Innovation Unit (DIU), which works to scale commercial technology across the agency. Google Cloud will build a multi-cloud solution on Anthos, which will allow the DIU to run web services and applications on Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. The DIU will then be able to monitor networks in real time, control access and see full audit trails for cloud security purposes.
“Google Cloud is a pioneer in ‘zero trust’ security and in deploying innovative approaches to protecting and securing networks worldwide,” said Mike Daniels, Google Cloud’s Reston-based vice president, global public sector, in a statement. “We’re honored to partner with DIU on this critical initiative to protect its network from bad actors that pose threats to our national security.”
Just last year, however, Google dropped its bid for another $10 billion DoD contract, the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) cloud contract, because it competed with its corporate values on how artificial intelligence should be used. The JEDI contract was awarded to Microsoft in late 2019, which will build out AI and cloud infrastructure for the Pentagon.
Google later published its AI values, which included that it would not design or deploy AI for weapons, surveillance or other tech designed principally to injure people.
More than 403,500 Virginians are still unemployed following the economic devastation from the COVID-19 pandemic, though the number of initial jobless claims in the commonwealth continues to decrease.
Nevertheless, a total of 403,557 Virginians filed for unemployment benefits last week — a 2.8% increase from the previous week. People receiving unemployment benefits through the VEC must file weekly unemployment claims in order to continue receiving benefits.
“Thus far, continued claims during the May 16 filing equaled 56% of all initial claims filed during the pandemic,” VEC Economist Timothy Aylor said in a statement. “This percentage was a significant drop-off from the previous week.”
More than 2.4 million people in the United States filed initial claims for unemployment last week, according to U.S. Department of Labor statistics, bringing the total of unemployed Americans to nearly 39 million in the wake of the economic crisis.
During the May 16 filing week, the hospitality and food service sectors continued to see the greatest percentage of initial claims for unemployment in Virginia. Many continued claims also came from retail workers, health care and social workers.
“This reflects impacts of public health and safety measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Aylor said in a statement.
The regions of the state that have been most impacted continue to be Northern Virginia, Richmond and Hampton Roads.
Below are the top 10 localities, listed by number of initial unemployment claims, for the week ending May 16:
Last week’s U.S. claims were down by 249,000. In the week ending May 2, 27 states reported that 6.1 million people are claiming federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, which provides temporary benefits for people who are not eligible for regular or traditional unemployment insurance.
Fifteen states reported 162,727 individuals claiming Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, which provides up to an additional 13 weeks of regular or traditional unemployment insurance benefits to those who have exhausted their eligibility.
The seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 17.2% for the week that ended May 9, a 1.7% increase from the previous week.
The states with the highest insured unemployment rates for the week ending on May 2 were Nevada, Michigan, Washington, Rhode Island, New York, Connecticut, Puerto Rico, Mississippi, Vermont and Georgia.
States with the largest increases in initial claims for the week that ended on May 9 were Florida, Georgia, Washington, New York and South Dakota, while the largest decreases were in California, Texas, Oklahoma, North Carolina and Missouri.
Reston-based government technology company Octo Consulting Group announced Tuesday that it has named Rob Albritton as the senior director of its AI Center for Excellence.
Albritton most recently worked as a machine learning engineer at McLean-based The Mitre Corp., a nonprofit that conducts research for government agencies. In his new role, he will lead AI development and strategy and will develop the company’s AI Center for Intelligence.
A U.S. Air Force veteran, Albritton has received the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center Award for Achievement in Technology Transfer, the Counter Improvised Explosive Device Technology Award, the Department of the Army Commander’s Award for Civilian Service and the Support to U.S. Special Operations Command and Joint Personnel Recovery Agency Award.
Albritton earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland and his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. He also holds a master’s degree from the National Intelligence University, a federally funded research university in Bethesda, Maryland.
Founded in 2006, Octo specializes in information technology consulting for the federal government. Some of its clients include the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the General Services Administration.
Falls Church-based health information technology company Cognosante LLC has acquired Vienna-based tech company Enterprise Information Services LLC (EIS).
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Cognosante plans to use the acquisition to expand its federal contracting market.
“EIS’ proven success in enterprise services, biometrics and cybersecurity provides expanded capabilities to offer to our existing customers, while bringing an exciting collection of new customers and relationships,” Cognosante’s Founder and CEO Michele Kang said in a statement.
Founded in 1994, EIS provides cybersecurity, biometrics, application development, cloud migration, IT operations and program management services to government agencies. Its clients include the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Intelligence Community and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
“This is an exciting time for both EIS and Cognosante,” EIS President Vinod Goyal said in a statement. “We are proud of the company and reputation we have built since 1994 and Cognosante is the ideal company to propel EIS to the next level.”
Founded in 2008, Cognosante currently works with public sector clients on application development, data integration, data standards and business process operations.
McLean-based online financial services company Folio Financial Inc. announced Tuesday it will be acquired by New York City-based The Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Both companies provide investment management, asset management and brokerage services.
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Acquisition discussions began in 2019, and the transaction is expected to close by the third quarter of this year, according to Folio Financial.
“This transaction … will further enhance our innovations and bring scale to our business, particularly in the execution, clearing and custody space,” Folio Financial CEO Steven Wallman said in a statement. “Goldman Sachs and Folio share a commitment to serving the needs of our clients and to expanding the scope of sustainable, responsible, and impact investing. The combination of Folio’s patented technologies and services with Goldman Sachs’ investment solutions and access to global resources will create material value for our clients.”
Tysons-based federal contractorBooz Allen Hamilton announced Tuesday it has won an $800 million, five-year contract from the U.S. General Services Administration to create artificial intelligence products for warfighting operations supporting the Department of Defense’s Joint Warfighter National Mission Initiative.
Booz Allen will embed AI decision-making and analysis at all tiers of DoD operations. As part of the contract, Booz Allen will handle data labeling, data management, data conditioning, AI product development and transitioning AI products to existing DoD programs.
“The Joint Warfighting mission initiative will provide the Joint Force with AI-enabled solutions vital to improving operational effectiveness in all domains,” Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan, director of the DoD Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC), said in a statement. “This contract will be an important element as the JAIC increasingly focuses on fielding AI-enabled capabilities that meet the needs of the warfighter and decision-makers at every level.”
The contract aligns with the White House’s Executive Order on AI, which seeks to apply AI solutions to government business challenges. GSA’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS) office and Federal Systems Integration and Management Center work together to bring AI products to the federal government.
“It is important to work closely with our customers to acquire the best in digital adoption to meet their needs,” TTS Director Anil Cheriyan said in a statement.
Glen Allen-based hourly online staffing platform Snagajob announced Tuesday it has named Brian Schmidt as its chief revenue officer. In his new role, he will lead business growth and expansion efforts.
Schmidt most recently led global sales and operations at online travel company Tripadvisor Inc. He also previously worked at Google LLC, where he focused on business growth and bringing new products to market.
“With nearly 36 million people currently unemployed, helping match hourly workers to the right fit opportunities is critical. And for businesses, there’s a lot to navigate as they reopen and make staffing decisions,” Schmidt said in a statement. “Snagajob has a strong vision for the future of hourly work and a product roadmap that will reinvent hourly hiring, and I’m thrilled to join the team at this important time.” Virginia Business recently interviewed Snagajob CEO Mathieu Stevenson, who outlined the company’s plan to address staffing challenges during the pandemic.
Schmidt earned his bachelor’s degree at Middlebury College and his master’s degree in business administration from Dartmouth College.
Founded in 1999, the Snagajob platform connects more than 47 million hourly job seekers to jobs at 470,000 U.S. employer locations.
The William & MaryLaw School announced Monday that A. Benjamin Spencer will become its next dean, effective July 1. Spencer will also serve as a Chancellor Professor of Law.
Spencer succeeds Davison M. Douglas, who has served as dean for more than 10 years. Douglas will return to the school’s faculty after Spencer takes the helm.
Since 2014, Spencer has been a member of the University of Virginia’s faculty and is currently U.Va.’s Justice Thurgood Marshall Distinguished Professor of Law. He was also previously the Bennett Boskey Visiting Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. Before U.Va., he was the director of the Francis Lewis Law Center and associate dean for research at Washington and Lee University. He started his higher education at the University of Richmond School of Law.
His teaching and scholarship focuses on civil procedure, federal civil litigation and military law. Without prior military experience, he joined the U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate General’s Corps and currently holds the rank of captain. On behalf of the Army, Spencer briefs and argues appeals at the Government Appellate Division.
Spencer serves on multiple committees for the Virginia State Bar and the Virginia Bar Association. He also has served on the board of directors for the Virginia Poverty Law Center and Piedmont Court Appointed Special Advocates.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Morehouse College, his master’s degree in criminal justice policy from the London School of Economics and his juris doctorate from Harvard Law School, where he was a member of the Harvard Law Review.
Spencer will be the first African American dean of any school at the university. His father is retired U.S. District Court Senior Judge James R. Spencer, who was the first African American chief judge in the 215-year history of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Founded in 1779, the William & Mary Law School is the oldest law school in the country.
The Port of Virginia announced Monday that the final group of stacking cranes needed to complete the $375 million crane addition portion of expansions at both the Norfolk International Terminals and Virginia International Gateway arrived May 14. The offloading process began the next day, Friday, May 15, and continued through the weekend.
During the past 27 months, 86 cranes have been delivered to the port to expand the port’s two main terminals, Norfolk International Terminals and Virginia International Gateway. The expansions at NIT and VIG — collectively totaling nearly $800 million, have also included an 800-foot extension of the berth at VIG, 19,600 feet of new railroad tracks and more room to stack and sort containers.
“We continue to mark milestones in the expansion of the Port of Virginia and this one signals that we are very close to completion of the work we started three years ago,” said John F. Reinhart, CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority, who announced Tuesday that he will retire in 2021. “We have modernized our cargo handling capabilities at NIT and VIG, and significantly increased our operational efficiency and these cranes are a big part of the reason.”
In Nov. 2016, the port approved a $217 million contract for Finland-based Konecranes to build and deliver 86 cranes to the NIT and VIG. The order called for NIT to receive 60 cranes and VIG to receive 26, making it the largest one-time order for automated stacking cranes in industry history, said Port of Virginia spokesperson Joe Harris.
Photo courtesy Virginia Port Authority
Konecranes sent the first six cranes in January 2018, creating a two-year delivery cycle. The process was repeated 14 times, with four deliveries made to VIG and 10 to NIT, including the final delivery last Thursday.
“The ability to receive the cranes at the terminals, do the final assembly and installation and then put them to work as soon as they were ready has been integral to the success of our overall expansion projects,” Reinhart said in a statement. “It allowed us to begin to move our customers’ cargo safer, swifter and more sustainably while demonstrating to the industry that we were bringing on the new capacity as soon as it was available. It is important to recognize Kone for working with us in developing the delivery schedule, and its dedication to ensuring that these cranes arrived on time and on budget.”
Konecranes manufactured the cranes, but partnered with Roanoke-based industrial electric and automation systems company Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corp. (TMEIC) to outfit the cranes with automation technology needed to drive the cranes. TMEIC produces power electronics, electric motors, drives and uninterruptible power supplies for industrial machinery.
It’s anticipated that the expansion project will be completed this fall after NIT construction is finished and the terminal receives two ship-to-shore cranes. Upon completion, the port will be able to process an additional 1 million containers — 600,000 at VIG and 400,000 at NIT.
“The maritime industry is facing unprecedented challenges, but there will be a recovery,” Reinhart said. “The Port of Virginia has the assets, equipment and capacity to be competitive and efficient while working with its customers and cargo owners to meet their needs.”
John F. Reinhart, CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority, which oversees the Port of Virginia, announced at a board meeting Tuesday that he plans to retire in March 2021.
“A lot of thought went into this decision, but when I consider the growth and maturity of this organization and the level of professionalism and dedication of the port team, I am very confident in the long-term future of The Port of Virginia,” Reinhart said in a statement. “This port has made tremendous progress during the past six years and we should be proud of what we have accomplished. Our brand is solid, our values guide us and our hard work continues to earn the respect and trust of our customers, partners and stakeholders. This port is going to be an economic force in Virginia for decades to come.”
Reinhart has led the Port for more than six years and has overseen the $700 million expansion of its terminals in Hampton Roads, as well as a dredging project that began last December, part of a program to make the Port of Virginia the deepest and widest port on the East Coast, allowing it to handle more ships and containers. He is only the fourth person to lead the agency.
“The VMA congratulates John Reinhart for his many accomplishments during his time at the helm of the Virginia Port Authority, which have delivered impressive results in increased port business and economic development statewide and have positioned the Port for much more growth in the years to come,” says David White, Virginia Maritime Association executive vice president. “We are grateful to have had leadership at the VPA such as his and John’s retirement is well earned.”
The effort to find the port’s next chief executive will be overseen by a search committee, which will include five Virginia Port Authority board members and an international search consultant. The Virginia Port Authority Board of Commissioners will be responsible for selecting and hiring Reinhart’s replacement.
“We will begin compiling information on candidates as soon as it becomes available,” John G. Milliken, chairman of the Virginia Port Authority Board, said in a statement. “There is going to be a significant amount of research and vetting so that when the board makes its decision, it’s made with absolute confidence. The goal is to find the right individual who is ready to step into the role by the date John has set for his retirement.”
In 2016, Virginia Business magazine named Reinhart its Virginia Business Person of the Year. When he took the helm at the port in 2014, “it was in disarray,” Virginia Business reported at the time. The Port had been bleeding money since the Great Recession, losing $120 million in five years.
Virginia Economic Development Partnership President and CEO Stephen Moret tweeted that Reinhart and his team “transformed the port” in just six-and-a-half years, “positioning it to be a modern, highly capable economic driver for many years to come.”
“John has built a first-rate team and has established a culture guided by a clear and compelling set of values,” Moret added in a statement. “He and his team have built the Port of Virginia into one of the most important economic assets in the Commonwealth of Virginia.”
At the @PortofVirginia board mtg today, CEO John Reinhart announced he will retire in March.
During Reinhart’s tenure, the Port of Virginia embarked on its largest capital spending program in its history – nearly $1.5 billion — and the state made its largest one-time investment in the port of $350 million. The agency also started its $350 million dredging project that will create deepest commercial harbor (to 55 feet) and shipping channels on the East Coast by 2024, which will deepen and widen the Norfolk Harbor.
“John Reinhart was the right man at the right time,” Milliken said. “His strength of character, combined with his clear vision and leadership skills, lifted The Port of Virginia from a very low point in early 2014 to its proper role as one of the nation’s pre-eminent commercial gateways. Upon arrival, he focused first on stemming the port’s financial losses and on restoring its credibility in the marketplace. He then reinvented the port from the bottom-up and rebuilt its terminals into modern, semiautomated facilities able to handle the largest vessels calling on the East Coast.”
Reinhart serves on boards including the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Board, the Hampton Roads Transportation Accountability Commission, the Marine Transportation System National Advisory Council, the Hampton Roads Business Roundtable, the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce Regional Board, the Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance and the Nauticus Foundation.
Before joining the port authority in 2014, Reinhart worked for the Maersk shipping company for 23 years, including as CEO of Maersk Line Ltd. from 2000 to 2014.
At Maersk, his first role was in the human resources department. After about six months, he transferred to the maintenance department at Port Newark in New Jersey and within a year was leading that terminal. Here he had his first exposure to the intricacies of terminal operations.
He eventually was promoted to president of Universal Maritime Services, a division of Maersk that ran six U.S. terminals. Under Reinhart’s leadership, the business went from losing $6 million to making money the next year.
Following his time in the sales division, Reinhart joined the integration team, and was named CEO after the company bought U.S.-flag carrier Sealand and moved to Norfolk in 2000.
“John has been an exceptional leader and change agent for the Port of Virginia,” says Devon Anders, president of Mount Crawford-based InterChange Group Inc., a logistics company located within miles from the Port of Virginia, Virginia International Gateway, Portsmouth Marine Terminal and Norfolk International Terminal — and operates throughout the commonwealth. “His private sector experience brought a customer-focused and aggressive strategic plan to position the Port of Virginia for long-term sustainability. His charisma and professionalism became a model for his team in their interactions with stakeholders throughout the world.”
He earned his bachelor’s degree in general studies and political science from Ohio University and his master’s of business administration from the University of Michigan.
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