Loading Events

USDA Stratus Launch Event

November 15, 2024, 7:30 AM - 3:00 PM ET | USDA Headquarters Complex - Washington DC

A forum for the USDA, our Federal partners, and Industry to collaborate and build the
future of Cloud through the STRATUS Program.

Register

STRATUS was conceived by USDA for USDA to address expiring and fragmented cloud
contracts, enabling cost optimization for cloud services, to maximize competition, enable
collective buying power, improve enterprise data management, and quickly connect
government agencies to commercial IT services and solutions.

}

7:30 AM

Registration   |    Breakfast

}

8:30 AM

Opening Remarks

Tom Suder

Tom Suder

Founder/CEO, ATARC

}

8:35 AM

Keynote Briefings

USDA C-level Executive Leadership to officially Launch STRATUS – Our keynote speakers panel include Gary Washington, Chief Information Officer; Don Bitner, Chief Technology Officer; Dave Peters, Associate Chief Information Officer, Digital Infrastructure Services Center; and Kelli Petrie, Assistant Chief Information Officer, Foreign Agriculture Service. This distinguished panel will discuss strategy for Enterprise IT and Cloud Modernization using STRATUS across the Department of Agriculture and beyond.

Gary Washington

Gary Washington

Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Don Bitner

Don Bitner

Chief Technology Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Dave Peters

Dave Peters

Associate CIO (ACIO), Digital Infrastructure Service Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Kelli Petrie

Kelli Petrie

Assistant CIO (ACIO), Foreign Agriculture Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture

}

9:05 AM

Overview of STRATUS goals and Objectives

This panel illuminates the goals of the STRATUS program and the organizational changes to become a managed service provider and provide examples of how DISC operations align with the USDA strategic plan.

Troy Hamilton

Troy Hamilton

Deputy Assistant Chief Information Officer, REE, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Dave Grundy

Dave Grundy

Strategy Management & Complex Solutions Division Director, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Fernando Gomez

Fernando Gomez

STRATUS Program Manager, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Frank Hodo

Frank Hodo

OCFO Acquistion Program Manager, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Moderator: Sasha Saeuberlich

Moderator: Sasha Saeuberlich

Chief, Enablement & Architecture Branch, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Digital Infrastructure Services Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture

}

9:45 AM

Customer Engagement & Solutioning

This panel addresses how STRATUS enables a secure enterprise modernization approach, fosters data-driven decision making, builds portfolios and a repository of reusable code with a customer-centric approach.

Sam Hultzman

Sam Hultzman

System Engineer, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Pending Agency Approval)

Dave Pasqualini

Dave Pasqualini

Customer Engagement Branch Chief, OCIO-DISC, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Casey Cook

Casey Cook

Enterprise Architect, OCIO-DISC, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Brandon Sifford

Brandon Sifford

Security Governance Division Director, OCIO-DISC, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Moderator: Victoria Turley

Moderator: Victoria Turley

Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Associate Chief Information Officer, Digital Infrastructure Services Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture

}

10:45 AM

Pipeline and Other Procurement Actions

This panel will focus on the STRATUS vendor pipeline and innovations in acquisition strategy to further develop and strengthen the STRATUS vendor community, including plans to on-ramp and off-ramp vendors throughout the ten-year lifespan of STRATUS.

Jason Kuhl

Jason Kuhl

Chief Acquisition Program Management Division, Procurement Operations Division. U.S. Department of Agriculture

Frederick Freeman

Frederick Freeman

Pool 1 Contracting Officer, Procurement Operations Division, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Emily Strunk

Emily Strunk

Pool 2 Contracting Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Christine Wallace

Christine Wallace

Pool 3 Contracting Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Modertor: Eric Bubar

Modertor: Eric Bubar

STRATUS Acquisition Subject Matter Expert, U.S. Department of Agriculture

}

11:15 AM

Enterprise Buying, Service Delivery Management, Enterprise Vendor Management 

This panel will address how USDA is improving service delivery and leveraging buying power for the enterprise, an overview of the current Enterprise Buying, Service Delivery Management, and Enterprise Vendor Management initiatives.

Wes Manning

Wes Manning

SDM Program Manager, U.S. Department of Agriculture (Pending Agency Approval)

Dave Grundy

Dave Grundy

Strategy Management & Complex Solutions Division Director, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Deb Choudhury

Deb Choudhury

Director, Digital Services Center Division, OCIO-DISC, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Dave Gatliff

Dave Gatliff

Director Financial Operations, OCIO-DISC, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Lauren Hilsabeck

Lauren Hilsabeck

Director, Branch Chief Application Services, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Moderator: Carmen Francis

Moderator: Carmen Francis

OCIO-DISC Contractor: ViaTrie, Enterprise Cloud Vendor Management (ECVM)/ Cloud Acquisition, U.S. Department of Agriculture

}

12:00 PM

Lunch

 

Breakout Sessions

 

}

12:30 PM - 1:00 PM

Meet & Greet Contracting Officers and STRATUS Program Manager

Avail the opportunity to meet and greet the STRATUS Contracting Officers and STRATUS Program Manager. 

 

}

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Breakout Session #1 – STRATUS 101

Learn about STRATUS pools and purchasing options.

 

}

1:30 PM - 2:00 PM

Breakout Session #2 – ECVM Dashboards for Mission Areas

Learn about the Task Order Governance dashboard and the Enterprise Cloud Vendor Management (ECVM) dashboards in development.

Open to USDA ONLY. 

}

2:15 PM - 2:45 PM

Breakout Session #3 – Getting Paid, Invoice Submission, BOA Compliance

Learn about STRATUS vendor invoice and BOA compliance expectations.

 

}

2:45 PM - 3:15 PM

Breakout Session #4 – Security Governance, Category Management

Learn about security expectations, potential enterprise level buys, and commonly purchased software/SaaS at the USDA.

 

Register

*Note: Please bring a form of identification and prepare to be checked in via USDA’s Security team. Below are the approved ID types. 

  • U.S. Passport or a U.S. Passport Card;
  • Permanent Resident Card or an Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-551);
  • Foreign passport;
  • Employment Authorization Document that contains a photograph (Form I-766).
  • Driver’s License or an ID card issued by a state or possession of the United States provided it contains a
    photograph; including RealID Complaint or ID’s indicating “Not for Federal Identification” (or similar language).
  • U.S. Military ID card;
  • U.S. Military dependent’s ID card; or
  • PIV Card

By submitting this form you acknowledge receipt of and consent to ATARC’s Privacy Policy For further information, please review our complete Privacy Policy. By registering for this event you agree to receive event reminders via email, text, and/or phone call communications.

Zoom for Government enables ATARC remote collaboration opportunities through its cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chats and webinars across all devices. Allowing for individuals from all areas of government, industry and academia to communicate directly.