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NSI Expands Florida Operation with Appointment of Sales and Procurement Expert Traci Small

Heather Sabharwal — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Former Gartner Inc. executive strengthens Tallahassee presence

Washington, D.C., Nov. 4, 2011 – National Strategies LLC (NSI) today announced that Traci Small has joined as managing partner of NSI’s Florida operation.

Small brings more than 20 years of business experience in the commercial and public arenas with an emphasis in the information technology industry. Small has extensive expertise and tenure in developing go-to market strategies as well as sales and procurement campaigns in the state of Florida. As the former vice president of operations of strategic accounts for Gartner, Inc., an information technology research and advisory firm, she was instrumental in building the vision of the strategic accounts channel, running operations, developing and implementing business development programs and executing sales learning and development to drive business within the government, commercial, high tech and telecomm verticals.

"Traci brings tremendous expertise, a track record of success and an in-depth understanding of the global business landscape, government markets sector as well as the IT industry. Her leadership will be instrumental to NSI’s growth in Florida," stated Al Gordon, CEO of NSI. "Her experience and deep understanding of the business of government and more specifically, the strategy, planning and execution required for companies to succeed not only in Florida, but nationally, will prove vital to delivering the best counsel to our clients.”

Small graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. In addition, she holds certifications in expert facilitation, curriculum development, strategic selling and prospecting methodologies.

“With Traci, NSI is going right to the roots of our core business of providing clients with consulting, coaching and strategic advice to assist them in entering the government market or improving their performance in the government marketplace” said Gordon. “Her entrepreneurial spirit, long-standing relationships with key officials in Florida, ability to identify and create opportunities, solve problems and implement more efficient ways of doing business will be a tremendous value to our clients,” added Gordon.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.

Former Congressman James Oberstar joins NSI

Heather Sabharwal — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. — Nov. 2, 2011 — National Strategies LLC (NSI) today announced that former Minnesota Congressman James L. Oberstar has joined the company as senior adviser for its transportation and infrastructure practice, effective immediately. As the preeminent leader on transportation and infrastructure issues in the country, he will provide counsel and strategic insights to NSI’s clients and partners.

“Congressman Oberstar’s astute understanding of the fast changing world of transportation and infrastructure is unparalleled,” said Al Gordon, CEO of NSI. “His experience and stature will lend invaluable counsel to our clients and colleagues.”

Elected in 1975 to represent the 8th Congressional District of Minnesota in the U.S. House of Representatives, Oberstar became the body’s leading expert on transportation policy and aviation safety. From 1989 through 1995, he chaired the Subcommittee on Aviation, passing important legislation that led to better maintenance, safer aircraft, and increased investment in airports and the air traffic control system. Later, as the Ranking Democrat of the full Transportation Committee, he worked in a bipartisan manner to enact legislation that treats the Highway Trust Fund as though it were off budget to ensure that gas taxes are used to fix roads and bridges and not to make the budget deficit look smaller.

In January 2007, Oberstar was elected chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure; during his tenure, some 300 bills and resolutions under the Committee’s jurisdiction were passed by the full House of Representatives, nearly 200 of which were approved by both the House and Senate and became law. The bills included several pieces of legislation that had not been considered by previous Congresses, even though they enjoyed broad bipartisan support.

As part of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s charge to oversee public buildings, Oberstar helped bring new green technologies to federal civilian office facilities across the nation, cutting down on the $500 million dollar electricity bill the U.S. government pays each year. In addition to his role at NSI, Oberstar serves as visiting scholar at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs, and the Center for Excellence in Rural Safety. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for The Kennedy Center and is a Board Member for the Mineta I.I.STPS Institute at San Jose State.

“Joining the NSI team is an exceptional opportunity to put my understanding of transportation and infrastructure to task with different clients,” said Oberstar. “NSI’s strong culture, collaborative approach and reputation for client service in the transportation and infrastructure fields make this an ideal fit.”

An avid cyclist, Oberstar has been a champion of creating trails for cycling and hiking to promote healthy living and more active lifestyles. In 2005, he authored through to enactment The Safe Routes to Schools Act, a $612 million program that helps school districts address the growing problem of childhood obesity by building biking and walking paths to schools, establishing crossing guards and promoting safety programs.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.

NSI Expands Information and Technology Offerings with Appointment of Jay Harmon

Heather Sabharwal — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C., Oct. 12, 2011 – National Strategies LLC (NSI) today announced that Jay Harmon will lend his strategic sales, marketing and management consulting expertise to the Atlanta office.

Mr. Harmon offers more than 25 years in governmental and organizational leadership skills with expertise in the files of software development, electronic commerce, mainframe solutions, business continuity and disaster recovery, regulatory compliance, information security and cyber intelligence. He has overseen the development of complex customer solutions in technology-oriented companies across the healthcare, state and local government markets. He has assisted multiple technology providers in their desire to become marketable to the state and local government community.

Before joining NSI, Mr.Harmon led the formation of government-focused professional services sales strategy and delivery practices for companies such as Computer Associates, Ajilon Consulting, Verity Professionals, FusionWare Corporation, Pacific Software Associates, and most recently, serving as the president of Borderhawk, a government-focused information security consulting firm.

Mr. Harmon’s market development efforts lead to the award of an IT Master Services agreement with the state of Florida for verity professionals in two of four categories and Ajilon Consulting in four of four categories; as well as the Security Fabric Project for the State of Oregon and a Security Project for the State of Montana. For Borderhawk, Mr. Harmon produced a formal partnership with Dyntek to provide enterprise security vulnerability assessments for government agencies in the states of Florida, New York, Nevada and California and a multi-million dollar security contract for Wostmann Associates for the state of Alaska.

Mr. Harmon served the citizens of Florida in the state's Department of Business and Professional Regulations, assisting in multiple enterprise technology system conversions and development efforts. He served as the general manager of a national software development and services company and as the vice president of operations for an Atlanta-based healthcare informatics firm.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.

NSI Expands Performance Management Offerings with Appointment of Colleen Morton

Heather Sabharwal — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C., Sept. 20, 2011 – National Strategies LLC (NSI) today announced that Colleen Morton has joined its D.C. headquarters. Most recently, Ms. Morton managed her own firm, Bridge Solutions International, a woman-owned business providing training and knowledge management, performance and change management services. Her clients included domestic and international firms, nonprofits and government agencies.

Ms. Morton has more than 20 years of experience working on international and domestic economic issues in senior executive positions. She is fluent in Spanish and has designed and implemented a variety of training, trade, investment and strategic planning projects throughout the Americas. From 2004 to 2008, Ms. Morton managed the monitoring and evaluation practice for Nathan Associates Inc., in the District, where she provided consulting services for projects based in Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia, and several countries in Central and South America. She has designed and executed executive training seminars and graduate student courses on a variety of subjects, including performance management, business development and project management.

Previous positions included vice president of the Institute of the Americas, based in San Diego, executive director of the U.S.-Mexico Business Committee for the Council of the Americas, director of the Canadian American Committee for the National Planning Association, and as a Foreign Service Officer in Venezuela, New Zealand and Canada.

She recently carried out a number of management projects for business and academic clients, including providing strategic planning consulting services in Mexico to the national life sciences consortium; running workshops for the city of San Jose on non-profit “fitness” and developing criteria sets in the fields of sustainability, gang reduction strategies, organizational and project risk management, city police recruitment, internal controls certification programs, foreign direct investment, and government transformation. Ms. Morton has completed all but the dissertation for a Ph. D. in International Political Economy from the University of Washington in Seattle, and received her B.A. in International Relations from Carleton College, in Northfield, Minn. She is married to Jim Morton, a retired Foreign Service officer and they have one son, Luke, who is completing his B.A. at the University of California Riverside in neurobiology.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.

Green definition varies, but doesn’t really matter

Kevin Matthews — Fri, 06 May 2011 05:00:00 GMT

The U.S. Department of Commerce issued a report last month that indicates — as many have over the past several months — that the green sector of the U.S. economy appears poised to grow quickly.

We already knew this, but it’s always nice to hear.

The report also said a lack of data and multiple definitions of “green” make identifying trends difficult. Specifically, the “green share” of total product shipments in the manufacturing sector grew from 1.3 percent in 2002 to 1.4 percent in 2007, using a broad definition of what constitutes “green,” according to a press release. Using a narrower definition led to a finding of zero growth between the two years, according to charts in the document.
The report surmises consumer demand for green products and services and high energy prices that create incentives for firms to develop more energy-efficient goods and services are driving growth.

Exactly.

Regardless of the trends, we’re moving in the right direction. And government has been and will continue to be a crucial driving force as we navigate the road ahead.

In fact, here’s what Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said in a statement accompanying the report:
“The Obama Administration's agenda for economic recovery depends in part on efforts to develop clean energy and energy-efficiency technology. These reports provide important insights and are a valuable foundation to measure our success as that agenda moves forward.”

And as that agenda moves forward, the private sector would do well to incorporate a strong government strategy within business development plans. Executives might also want to brush up on their knowledge of Environmentally Preferred Purchasing directives.

We’re moving in the right direction, but now is definitely not the time to cruise.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.

NSI Expands Health Care Practice with Appointment of Former Pfizer Executive William Smith

Heather Sabharwal — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. — Sept. 21, 2010 — National Strategies LLC (NSI) today announced that William (Bill) Smith will be joining the firm as a managing director. Smith will manage NSI's health care group, providing clients with comprehensive strategies to navigate the current public policy landscape. Smith brings more than 20 years of strategic advisory experience and industry expertise to NSI.

As the vice president of public affairs and policy for Pfizer Inc., Smith was the lead executive responsible for developing, executing, and coordinating public affairs and government relations strategies to protect and advance Pfizer's $23 billion U.S. business units. Smith built and managed a nationwide network of experts in government and community relations, alliance development and grass roots, as well as public affairs. Smith is recognized for both strong expertise in health care policy and broad experience in managing public policy challenges at both the state and federal level.

"The health care marketplace is evolving quickly, largely in response to the new federal legislation," said Smith. "The changes have significant implications for all involved in providing or accessing health care services in the United States. I look forward to equipping our clients with effective, comprehensive strategies to overcome potential hurdles and to identify new opportunities for achieving long-term goals and growth."

In his new role, Smith will build out the healthcare division as a core practice group for the company. Smith has a track record of advancing successful public policy goals by incorporating government relations, alliance-building and media support into a comprehensive public affairs strategy.

Smith has high-level government experience at both the state and federal levels. His background includes serving as a senior staff member to Massachusetts Governors William Weld and Paul Cellucci; as senior staff member in the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy under President George H.W. Bush; and as a leadership and committee aide to Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives.

"Bill Smith brings tremendous expertise and an in-depth understanding of the biopharmaceutical world and the health care industry," stated Al Gordon, CEO of NSI. "His experience and understanding of the political landscapes in Washington, D.C. and states across the country will be vital to expanding our health care practice across the nation."
Smith will have offices in Washington, D.C., and Greenwich, Conn.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.

NSI secures $464 million in funding for clean energy clients

Heather Sabharwal — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. — June 23, 2010 —National Strategies, LLC (NSI) has helped clients obtain $464 million in government funding for clean energy projects in the past year, including significant funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), it was announced today.

"This is a three-fold win," said Al Gordon, chief executive officer of NSI. "Cleantech companies gain access to the capital they need to grow, while the economy gains jobs and the environment benefits from the introduction of new, cleaner technologies. Now is the time for companies that are in the process of developing sustainable products to pursue and access the federal funds they need."

NSI assisted in securing a commitment for more than $450 million in government contracts for MWH Constructors, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of MWH Global, a Colorado-based engineering, design and construction firm. MWH Global is known for its work on some of the most challenging water infrastructure projects in communities around the world, providing water, wastewater, energy, natural resource, program management, consulting and construction services to industrial, municipal and government clients in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, India, Asia and the Pacific Rim.

"We have benefitted greatly from our strategic partnership with NSI. Their team assisted us in developing the right relationships and in communicating our key messages," said Blair M. Lavoie, senior vice president and director of US Operations for MWH Constructors. "NSI's assistance was invaluable."

NSI also obtained funding for venture capital-backed companies, Power Assure and SeaMicro, both of which develop data management products that increase energy efficiency. Initially supported by Silicon Valley investment capital companies, NSI helped them secure $14 million in grants from DOE to apply their innovative products to improve energy efficiency IT projects.

"NSI has been invaluable in ensuring the success of our portfolio by helping SeaMicro and Power Assure gain access to the funding they need for continued growth," said Warren Packard, managing director at Draper Fisher Jurvetson, who also serves on SeaMicro's Board of Directors. "These are companies that are making a significant difference in this space, and NSI has played a vital role in helping to foster their continued vitality and growth."

Power Assure helps companies meet energy reduction targets and regulatory requirements by lowering the amount of energy consumed at data centers by an average of 50 percent. The DOE award was granted to Power Assure based on its principal goal of transforming data center energy strategy from an "Always On" to an "Always Available" model. A root cause of high-fixed energy expenses in data centers is that they are built to remain "always on," consuming their full power load regardless of user demand.

"NSI's expertise was a major factor in our ability to secure these grants," said Brad Wurtz, president and CEO of Power Assure. "Without their skill and assistance, we would not be where we are today."
Since its inception in 1995, NSI has generated more than $7.3 billion in new revenue from government sources for its clients. In addition, NSI has helped shape the legislative and regulatory environment in which its clients function, creating and protecting markets for a variety of goods and services. NSI's Sustainability team focuses on helping clients drive revenue from federal, state and local governments as well as creating opportunities and solving problems through legislative, policy and regulatory activities. Its success is based on a strong foundation of seasoned experts who have served at the highest levels of private business and government.

"Building a partnership with government requires a completely different approach and skill set than is normally found in the private sector," said Kevin Matthews, Director of NSI's Sustainability Practice. "Knowing government expectations and knowing how to meet them are vital when competing for federal, state and local dollars. We help our clients make their case in a way the market they are trying to penetrate understands. A grant proposal could be dead in the water if every step isn't executed flawlessly."

NSI's Sustainability group is composed of a distinguished cadre of senior experts who share their considerable experience with clients to successfully navigate the complexities of procurement, legislative and regulatory issues. Mr. Matthews' team includes Scott Sklar, president and founder of the Stella Group, Ltd and former executive director of the Solar Energy Industries Association; Terry Tamminen, former advisor to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger; and former Maryland Governor Parris Glendening, president of the Smart Growth Leadership Institute.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.

New Energy Star program promotes commercial building energy efficiency

Bruce Gruenewald — Tue, 25 May 2010 05:00:00 GMT

A new Energy Star pilot program designed to further improve commercial building energy efficiency offers state and local governments another way to meet their greenhouse gas reduction (GHG) targets..

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in partnership with several states and utilities, introduced the Building Performance with Energy Star program last month. It will link eight Energy Star partner utilities and state energy efficiency programs throughout the country in a pilot designed to strategically pursue whole-building energy improvements with commercial customers, according to a Department of Energy newsletter.

Modeled after the successful Home Performance with Energy Star program, Building Performance with Energy Star will provide a framework for regional energy efficiency programs to align their financial incentives and technical assistance with a comprehensive approach to building upgrades, according to the EPA press release.

The new program includes several key elements to help states and utilities promote an inclusive strategy for improving energy efficiency, including measuring energy use, approaching energy efficiency opportunities based on building assessments, and creating a delivery network for whole building efficiency services. It will also reinforce the Obama Administration’s clean energy investment effort by helping to reduce energy use in commercial buildings, which accounts for 17 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions at a cost of over $100 billion per year.

NSI will certainly look to this program as a tool for clients capable of assisting state and local governments in ways that meet their energy efficiency objectives.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.

NSI welcomes CFO to growing practice

Heather Sabharwal — Mon, 24 May 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. — May 24, 2010 — National Strategies LLC (NSI) is pleased to announce Andrew (Drew) Golub, has joined its Washington, D.C.-based practice as Chief Financial Officer for NSI and its parent company, Interpoint Group.

Mr. Golub, who most recently served as Senior Vice President of Finance and Regional Director at Edelman Public Relations, brings nearly two decades of financial management experience that spans across the corporate and professional service landscape. As NSI's CFO, he will manage the firm's financial operations including directing financial analysis, budgeting, forecasting and strategic development, as well as oversee its corporate information technology and human resources functions. He will also manage the finances of Kratos Global, Interpoint Group's strategic communications and public affairs consulting firm. Mr. Golub holds a seat on the executive committee of each.

"We are thrilled to have Drew join our team and look forward to his leadership and vision as we streamline our firms' financial future," said Al Gordon, Chief Executive Officer of NSI and Chairman of Interpoint Group. "I am personally honored to have the opportunity to partner with him in strengthening our strategic vision."

Building on Mr. Golub's experience at Fortune 100, telecommunication and professional service companies, his role will bring a new level of financial management and oversight of the Interpoint Group's operations. Helping drive NSI and Kratos' landmark growth, Mr. Golub will be instrumental in leading the firms' financial management and operational objectives. He will manage internal and external client relationships, serving as a steward to help grow both firms through organic and acquisition efforts.

Prior to joining NSI, Mr. Golub was responsible for the finances of Edelman's third largest global office, Washington, D.C., as well as for the company's wholly-owned international market research company, StrategyOne. During his tenure, he developed management reporting and financial controls for operations that nearly tripled both its revenue and headcount. As Edelman's corporate GSA Contract administrator and an executive committee member advising on all financial matters, Mr. Golub led acquisition efforts, conducted lease and contract negotiations, and helped strategize operational and financial initiatives at the local and national level.
Drew has previously served in similar capacities for Weber-Shandwick/Powell-Tate, and for two WPP Group companies, Hill & Knowlton and Cohn & Wolfe.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.

Reports indicate life after stimulus for clean energy

Bruce Gruenewald — Mon, 17 May 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Reports continue to indicate the clean energy sector’s strength despite the recession and uncover signs pointing toward steep growth in the coming years. Perhaps there’s life after stimulus after all?

A recent report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance noted that worldwide financial investment in clean energy, including wind farms, solar parks, biofuel plants, and other projects, as well as public market, venture capital, and private equity financing for clean energy companies reached $27.3 billion in the first quarter of 2010. That level represents an increase of 31 percent from the first quarter of 2009 but is down 13.6 percent from the fourth quarter.

However, Bloomberg expects clean energy investments to set a record in 2010, possibly reaching $200 billion. And the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration predicts renewable energy will be the fastest-growing source of energy throughout the world over the next 28 years. According to highlights of an EIA report released last month, International Energy Outlook 2010, the anticipated growth will meet a projected 49 percent increase in world energy use.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has so far been the main driver of the U.S. clean energy market. Critics have suggested there won’t be a return on that investment or that if the investment has to be made in the first place, it’s an artificial marketplace. The recent reports blow those theories out of the water.

I believe these signs most certainly suggest there’s life after stimulus funding. The stimulus primed the pump. And there’s no stopping it now.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.

Found money good news for all

Kevin Matthews — Thu, 13 May 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The Obama Administration has done its share to create new opportunities for the energy and sustainability markets. As it turns out, there are even more worth billions of dollars within existing federal programs.
The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council released a report last month that concludes the Administration has the ability to use more than 30 existing federal programs worth $72 billion to enhance efficiency in commercial buildings and multifamily housing, with no new legislation.

The report is a legal analysis sponsored by leading organizations in energy, housing, environment and real estate. According to a press release, the report concludes that the Obama Administration is authorized to play a more active and supportive role in encouraging and progressing the energy efficiency and sustainability of America’s multifamily and commercial building stock.

“As an early adopter of green buildings and the LEED green building certification system, the federal government has been a leader in bringing green buildings to cities and towns across America,” stated Roger Platt, Senior Vice President, Global Policy & Law, USGBC. “This new report unveils an even larger opportunity for the Obama Administration to increase our nation’s energy efficiency, while creating thousands of jobs and saving taxpayers money.”

The report presents an extensive menu of options, across an array of programs, which the Obama Administration could begin implementing immediately without having to seek new funds or authority from Congress.
This is all refreshingly good news for a very diverse bunch; the public sector, fiscal conservatives, environmentalists and an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product from 2009-2013.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.

Offshore wind market could take off

Bruce Gruenewald — Sun, 09 May 2010 05:00:00 GMT

With the nation’s first offshore wind project approved after a contentious nine-year battle between government officials and a wealthy opposition group, investors and developers might gain some long-awaited opportunities along the coastline.

The controversial Cape Wind project in the waters of Nantucket Sound “will be the first of many projects up and down the Atlantic Coast,’’ Interior Secretary Salazar said at a Massachusetts State House press conference with Governor Deval Patrick at his side. According to the Boston Globe, Cape Wind will create 1,000 construction jobs and help the state in its goal to be a national clean energy leader.

The move paves the way for additional offshore wind projects to move forward. . In the end, regulators determined that the environmental, cultural, and aesthetic impacts of the project could be effectively mitigated, providing a much-needed victory for renewable energy and the offshore wind industry.Unlike intermittent energy gleaned from solar panels or onshore wind farms, offshore wind offers a sustained energy supply that generally results in lower environmental and aesthetic impacts. Wind farm projects are proposed in numerous other states, several of which are being developed by one company in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and New York.

Offshore wind provides yet another example of a largely untapped renewable energy source for the nation’s energy portfolio. While no single renewable energy source will meet all of America’s future energy requirements, renewable sources of energy will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. We need look further than the spill in the Gulf to be reminded of the environmental and human costs associated with our fossil fuel dependence.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.

After 40 years, it’s all about energy

Bruce Gruenewald — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 05:00:00 GMT

For environmentalists, surely each Earth Day has marked another year of climbing the proverbial uphill battle. First, it was all about a whole lot of cleanup — the air, the water, litter along the highways. Some time later recycling was all the rage as a means of reducing waste streams.

Today, on Earth Day’s 40th anniversary, our efforts to effect environmental change have everything to do with energy and how it’s generated and used. The past few years have seen huge strides in this vein, from building retrofits, including numerous DOE programs and ARPA-e. Also, the new HomeStar program, currently in development, will provide incentives for homeowners who make energy efficiency investments in their homes. These accomplishments save money, improve the efficiency of the energy we already use and achieve environmental benefits.

It occurs to me that what marks this anniversary is that the connection between energy and the environment has been clearly established, and that the celebration is also about how we can achieve environmental benefits by focusing on energy efficiency. We’ve made a lot of headway — and we can celebrate that. But as you celebrate, remember that our work on energy efficiency is really just getting started. In fact, according to published reports, White House Administration officials will visit more than a dozen localities today to promote energy efficiency and hope to use the Earth Day commemoration to push for action in Congress on its clean-energy plan, which remains stalled in the Senate.
Allow me to suggest that we take a moment to celebrate what we’ve already achieved and renew our commitment to the things we still need to do, including:

· We still need to improve vehicle efficiency and scale adoption of more efficient power plants for all types of vehicles. These include improved gas engines, diesel, diesel-hybrid, and electric. We need a portfolio of technologies to meet different driving needs. DOE’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing loan program and ARPA-e are intended to meet these needs.

· We need to both improve the efficiency of the electricity grid and provide it with networking capabilities (i.e., make it a smart grid). Again, DOE has programs to pilot, mature, scale, and ultimately commercialize and deploy the technologies we need to achieve these two objectives.
These and other energy efficiency efforts will enable us to improve energy efficiency and substantially reduce GHG emissions. While some of these efforts may take decades to fully deploy, we are laying the foundation for a cleaner and more energy efficient future.

Just imagine what we’ll have accomplished in another 40 years.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.

Financing alternatives put solar within reach

Scott Sklar — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 05:00:00 GMT

While no one argues against the merits of harnessing the sun’s power, the half-century-old technology’s growth has been slow in the United States. But that’s starting to change thanks to some creative financing options that are gaining favor in the public and private sectors.

According to a recent Fast Company piece, despite the dramatic drop in cost of solar energy components and overall systems, companies remain slow to embrace the option due largely to the necessary capital investment regardless of its long-term payoff.

Unfortunately, this is true despite government incentives. Businesses can obtain a 30 percent tax credit and other benefits for on-site renewable technologies that reduce capital costs by 25 to 40 percent, a huge incentive that NSI is helping to facilitate for several clients. However, the Fast Company article aptly points out that all the grants and subsidies in the world won’t make for a sustainable market.

Alternative financing methods might turn that around. Lately, more companies have turned to options involving lease contracts and Power Purchase Agreements that are far easier on recession-strapped budgets and ease nervous board members’ minds.

In one scenario that’s become more common recently, a solar power vendor works with a client and leasing company who purchases the solar energy system. The client then holds and pays on the lease contract rather than an acquisition. Another option involves a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), in which the vendor finances and builds a system on the client’s property and the client signs an agreement to pay a fixed monthly amount for use of the generated power. This has been a valuable tool for expensive, large-scale systems that clients don’t want to shoulder the cost of or responsibility for.

The PPA model, according to the Fast Company piece, has been used across a range of power-related industries globally. With the right credit-worthy partner, solar is suddenly within reach for many entities that are unable or unwilling to make any upfront investment, the article states.

These financial options could very well be the key to the growth that has eluded the solar power industry for so long. Because once cost is no longer an obstacle, the reasons to forgo solar energy are what become elusive.
These and other financial options could very well be the key to the growth that has eluded the solar power industry for so long. Because once the up-front cost is no longer an obstacle, there are no other reasons to forgo solar power as a long-term, reliable, emissions-free and renewable energy resource.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.

Collaboration will bring cybersecurity solutions

Mark Danner — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Last year I had the opportunity to hear the Director of the US National Security Agency speak at three separate conferences and each time he repeated the need for an enhanced public-private partnership to confront cyber threats. In fact, this has become a mantra by government and military officials who understand how highly dependent Federal, State and Local governments are on critical information and communications technology infrastructures that are owned and operated by the private sector. However, the challenges to building an effective and trusting partnership are daunting. The USG has all too often sought the private sector’s knowledge and experience without providing any financial incentives to such an exchange, or effective means to safeguard corporate proprietary information and mitigating reputational risk.

How can government and the private sector jump start collaborative initiatives and new partnerships? Let me offer a few thoughts on effective strategies and success stories. Underlying the power of collaboration is the principal of subsidiarity or empowering and funding organizations, groups and associations at the state and local level whenever possible. Rather than waiting for direction and initiatives to come out of Washington, where a national cybersecurity strategy is still evolving, players at the local level are coming together to educate each other on cyber threats and risk mitigation strategies, and building new synergies.

In one West coast chapter of InfraGard, the FBI public-private partnership between local FBI offices, State and Local governments, businesses and academic institutions to enhance critical infrastructure protection, members have launched an innovative threat awareness project. They are bringing together corporate and academic cyber experts to train local CEOs on cyber threats. Further north in Canada, researchers at the University Toronto involved in the public-private venture Information Warfare Monitor published this week a must-read report on the “Shadow” cyber espionage network linked to operatives in China. Of note is that their ground-breaking public research was funded by a grant from the MacArthur Foundation. Washington has much to learn from these small-scale initiatives.

A key strategy for building public-private collaboration is one that I have long advocated and practiced, and this is deconstructing complex cybersecurity issues into concepts, ideas and actionable information that “digital immigrants” and non-specialists can grasp. I was delighted to read this week that Melissa Hathaway, former Acting Senior Director for Cyberspace for the National Security Council, advocated the need, “tell simple stories [about cybersecurity] so everyone can talk about them at the water cooler and dinner table, and relate to them."

But in order to tell stories government, industry and academia need to begin weaving cyber narratives that capture peoples’ imaginations and that are based on reality and not hyped threats (let’s hope that MTV’s former star, Spencer Pratt, will find good advisors and realistic story-lines for his next initiative, a TV series called “Cyber Spies” ). And the key to being able to build popular awareness of cyber threats, and in turn enhance public-private partnerships, will be exposing the malicious human faces behind cyber attacks, thefts and exploits. Indeed, to most of us the digital signature of a “zero-day exploit” is meaningless – but knowing the identity and personality of the face behind the tool, and understanding his actual capabilities and intentions – now that’s a real story.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.

Health care reform brings challenges, opportunity

Christine Ferguson — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The questions swirling around health care reform haven’t stopped since the legislation passed last month. Unfortunately, the answers are elusive, and will continue to be for some time.

Clearly, the impact on states will be immense. But what that impact looks like and how it will take shape state-by-state is far from certain. State administrators are scrambling. However, that does not mean there won’t be worthy opportunity involved for businesses poised to help with everything from administration IT and disease management to a slew of health care services. In fact, reports indicate optimism in the market related to health care reform.

States will be rethinking everything from State employee and retiree insurance to Medicaid and IT systems that will allow them to deliver the healthcare of the future. Health IT systems may help states determine patterns of use that will present crucial knowledge to determine what the future system will look like. How states respond to the new law and how their delivery systems change will vary.

Here are a few things to consider if companies are hoping to gain business from health care reform:

Realize the process will not be a straightforward march to a clearly defined destination. States and the Federal government will change along the way. Lots of uncertainty and challenges are ahead, but along with those will come opportunity if you’re able to be flexible.
Look to states moving fast with leaders who have a more proactive mindset as potential partners. For example, leaders in Vermont and Massachusetts know the direction they want to take, especially having already undergone their own recent reform, while California officials are still debating. Now is time to build on existing relationships, look at options and explore coalitions, groups and affiliations.
For every win, there will be several losses as businesses attempt to find their way into the health care market. There will be fits and starts.
Business leaders can’t expect state officials to know the answers to all of the health care reform questions or even exactly what they need. But it will be helpful to pay attention to which governors are on board with the mandate and ready to move forward, even if they are unsure of what the future brings.
Review statements governors have made with regard to health care reform for clues about whether they are good partnership candidates. If there’s a lot of questioning in regards to constitutionality coming from the governor’s office, set your sights elsewhere.
There’s a lot we don’t know. But focusing on what we do know and understanding some investments in time and resources may fall short while others yield great payoffs will go far in helping businesses prepare for the potential opportunities that health care reform will present.
NSI is working collaboratively with several companies to share its in-depth understanding of the geopolitical landscape to develop effective, proactive strategic approaches regarding this “perfect storm” of political, economic and public policy issues the public and private sector currently faces.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.

Real-time intelligence key to cybersecurity

Mark Danner — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Why is it that cyber criminals and digital spies have such an advantage when it comes to successful exploitation of our information and communication technologies?

At the core, the problem is that the Internet was built as a communication tool by and for an academic community where trust was taken for granted. Those early pioneers that built the Internet architecture could never have envisioned how in very short time this global information infrastructure would become a means for legions of malicious actors of all kinds to conduct their attacks, thefts and operations across the World Wide Web, through email, and even inside Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks (If your kids or employees are downloading “free” music from the P2P sites, check out the very real threats you face from criminals in this eye-opening MSNBC report).

Consider these three additional factors that give the threat actors the initiative:

First, these malicious players think with a predator mindset. In our culture we are not socialized to think and reason in this pathological manner. These are individuals, groups and organizations that are always on the prowl for vulnerabilities that they can exploit through innovative technologies and creative social engineering tricks.

Second, the really devious players in the digital domain take time to prepare their attacks. They carefully prepare their operations through unobtrusive research, development of new attack tools, preparation, and assessment of their victim’s point of greatest weakness. But when they finally deploy their malicious payloads, they move at high speed. A profoundly revealing 2008 Investigation Report by Verizon’s Business Risk Team that summarized more than 500 security incidents over four years demonstrates this fact. The report found that nearly one half of network compromises occurred within minutes to an hour, whereas two thirds of these compromises took months or even years to discover, and then over half took weeks or months to resolve. Verizon noted, “organizations are simply not watching.” But how can you watch for something that you’ve never seen?

This brings us to our third advantage that is that these malicious operatives in cyberspace have besides a cultivated amorality and evil mindset, and the intelligence and capability to get inside a target fast, grab what they’re after and depart undetected. This factor is that like aliens in science-fiction movies, they can “shape shift” – in this case it’s their digital payloads that are morphing. Their malicious code or malware is evolving faster that our defensive systems can detect them. This morphing ability allow attackers to evade Intrusion Detection Systems and anti-Virus software that all require some kind of known or suspect “fingerprint” in order to block malware from the network or computer.

So, what can be done to respond effectively to this multifaceted and persistent threat?

Government and industry need to admit that the passive, layered-defense posture in cyber security, while a necessary protective measure, is not sufficient to meet the evolving threat landscape. We need to move to real-time cybersecurity defenses that trap, identify and repel attackers as they launch. In this regard, Richard Hale, Chief Information Assurance Executive for the Defense Information Service Agency has perceptively recommended that cybersecurity tools need to be developed that “deceive adversaries” in cyberspace by creating “noisy” environments populated with many decoy targets. These targets can then be watched in real time so that we can learn from the attackers themselves.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.

Keys to success in public market small, but crucial

Kevin Matthews — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The Federal, State and Local governments offer billions in grants, loans and tax incentives for myriad projects and publicly-owned utilities and also have a variety of rebates and incentives. But accessing those funds isn’t easy.
In fact, a request for funding might be automatically rejected if it’s not submitted on double-sided paper. This is just one example of how very different the rules of engagement in partnerships vary widely between the public and private sectors.

This is why I’m looking forward to sharing my knowledge of the unique skills required to engage government partners in today’s marketplace during a panel discussion in the Silicon Valley next week. The presentation, Public Money: How and Where to Get It, is part of the Funding a Cleantech Company Series sponsored by Environmental Business Cluster and will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 8 at Fenwick and West LLP, 801 California Street, Mountain View, CA. I will be among a panel of entrepreneurs and experts who have been successful navigating the public financing process and can provide guidance on how to increase executives’ probability for success.

Approaching the government as a partner is a completely different approach and a different skill-set than private equity partners. Being prepared and knowing what they are looking for can make the difference in whether you’re tossed out of the running or awarded funding. Simple, but key aspects of the process can make or break you. A proposal could be dead in the water even if it’s the best of the bunch if every step isn’t executed flawlessly.

NSI has been helping companies develop and execute strategies to win public dollars since 1995. Earlier this year, we assisted SeaMicro ($9.3M) and Power Assure ($5M) secure funding from the Department of Energy to improve energy efficiency IT projects.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.

The Nexus Between Terhttps://nsi.publishpath.com/news/Key/Edrorism, Crime and Cyberspace

Mark Danner — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

We’ve heard a lot about cyber terrorism lately – including FBI Director Mueller’s March 4th warning at the RSI Cyber Security Conference that “the cyberterrorism threat is real” and that terrorist organizations are looking to conduct cyber attacks against the US. Yet at the same time, and Mueller acknowledges this, terrorists have not launched any significant cyber attacks against Western targets. And why should they when there are so many factors mitigating against the use of such cyber weapons?

There is no guarantee that after all the lengthy and complex work to prepare an attack that, in the end, it won’t fizzle into a non-event. While many of our networks may be vulnerable to hackers and other malicious operatives, at the same time they are also quite resilient to the kind of outage that generates the necessary fear that terrorists seek.

It’s time that we start decoupling the very different digital threats that the popular discourse keeps confusing. Cyber terrorism is fundamentally different from cyber war, and, as you will read below, hackers who support terrorist causes have a different agenda than sowing mayhem in cyberspace. In order to make sense from these confusing mash-ups we need a different lens to view these threats than apocalyptic sound bites referring to “digital Pearl Harbors”. Nor are we helped by the jockeying of various Federal government and military agencies to frame cyber threats within the larger and oft dramatized global war on terror. A must read in this regard is Prof. Myriam Dunn Cavelty’s penetrating analysis of the debate.

Indeed, some of the most clear thinking and compelling research on cyber threats is increasingly coming from academia. Across the US, institutions such as the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) are developing new research methodologies and tools for understanding the cyber threat landscape. And these schools are not only getting government grants and scholarships (see the National Security Agency’s “National Centers of Academic Excellence” program), but they are also in some cases applying their cyber research in helping the US authorities fight cyber crime.
I recently learned from Gary Warner, Director of Research in Computer Forensics at AUB, that he and his students have found links between surprisingly large and capable hacker communities from Morocco and Saudi Arabia, to Turkey and Pakistan and regional extremist causes and groups. Warner, who joined me this week at the GovSec Conference’s General Session on “Cyber Espionage and Criminal Hacking: The New Threat Matrix”, described how hackers from these regions are successfully using phishing attacks to steal large amounts of money out of unwitting Americans’ digital pockets, and how portions of these proceeds are going to support their violent causes. Now that is a tremendously beneficial and enlightening insight into the cyber threats discussion.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.

A lifeline for venture stage technology

Bruce Gruenewald — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

We’ve witnessed a recent wave of growth in cleantech with financial backing from the public and private sectors. Some of the most exciting opportunities, however, lie ahead and might have been lost in the cracks of risk assessment if not for ARPA-e.

After attending the Inaugural ARPA-e Energy Innovation Summit held March 1-3, 2010, I have the feeling we can look forward to phenomenal energy innovation in the years to come.

The event brought together the nation’s key players in energy innovation: scientific researchers, VC investors, technology entrepreneurs, large corporations, and government officials around the agency’s focus on high risk, high payoff concepts — technologies promising genuine transformation in the ways we generate, store and utilize energy. The one-day pre-conference workshop logged 900 attendees while the two-day summit attracted 1700 attendees, one-third higher than what was expected

The goal of ARPA-e is to enhance U.S. economic energy security via a three-part mission: reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; reduce energy imports; and, improve energy efficiency.

Here’s what makes ARPA-e unique:

· The Agency seeks to bridge the gaps in the energy innovation pipeline by investing in venture stage technology that is too risky for a private sector investment, yet promises a 50 percent or greater gain over current technology if it can be accelerated to commercialization and deployment in 3 to 5 years.

· ARPA-e is not interested in funding incremental improvement (2 to 3 percent annual gains), basic research, or long-term projects (5+ years).

· The first round of awards went to 37 projects; three-quarters of the $151 million was given to small businesses or universities with the balance going to large businesses or research consortia. The average award was $4 million and awards were made in 10 areas ranging from energy storage to building efficiency.

· ARPA-e will provide technical, operations, and commercialization support to its grant recipients.

Here’s what ARPA-e looks for in a project:

· A sound technical plan

· A disruptive, game-changing technology

· The opportunity to “de-risk” a high risk investment that carries too much risk for private equity firm

· A multi-disciplinary, best in class team.

I strongly encourage energy companies with promising technologies to build a relationship with ARPA-e. ARPA-e is a new organization, and its management is creating a culture of openness and transparency. They expect the energy community to play an active role in helping the Agency achieve its mission. ARPA-e emphasized that if a company is not actively engaged with the ARPA-e community, then there’s less likelihood that they’ll get funded. ARPA-e expects cleantech companies and researchers to participate in its workshops, serve on concept paper and application review panels, and get to know its Program Directors (who will run their programs from conceptualization to commercialization and then return to University after 4 years).

We can begin to assess ARPA-e’s success in about a year as work on the 37 current awards moves forward. Meanwhile, even more awards will be doled out in the next few months. And, according to the Agency, if just a fraction of the projects funded by ARPA-e are successful in reaching the marketplace, the U.S. will benefit greatly by creating new industries and jobs, making energy technologies substantially more cost-saving and profitable, and accelerating the timeframe for achieving energy and climate goals.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.

NSI expands New York presence with launch of NYC Practice and strategic hire

Heather Sabharwal — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. — March 23, 2010 — On the heels of the January launch of its parent company, the Interpoint Group, National Strategies LLC (NSI), a Washington-based strategic consulting firm that grew 300 percent over the past 18 months, announced today the launch of its New York City practice as well as the strategic hire of Agostino Cangemi. Mr. Cangemi is the former General Counsel and Deputy Commissioner for Franchise Administration and Planning for New York City's Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) during the Bloomberg and Giuliani administrations.

Mr. Cangemi, a corporate attorney with over a decade of experience overseeing numerous city agencies, also served as Assistant Counsel to former Mayor Giuliani. Formerly a shareholder at Greenberg Traurig, Mr. Cangemi brings a dynamic background representing clients in technology and telecommunications, real estate, procurement, health regulations, consumer protection issues, e-recycling, city government franchises and concessions, as well as advertising requiring government approvals, such as billboards, street furniture, and taxi ads. During the Bloomberg administration, he led and managed the City’s cable television and telecommunications franchises including matters relating to 311 and the City’s television stations and negotiated significant telecommunications and IT contracts. As Assistant Counsel to former Mayor Giuliani, Mr. Cangemi represented the Mayor on pension funds with assets exceeding $30 billion.

During his tenure with DOITT, Mr. Cangemi oversaw the City’s disaster response to telecom outages caused by the September 11th and 2003 blackouts. Mr. Cangemi brings local government leadership, regulatory and legal expertise to drive results for clients.

“We are building upon NSI’s growth during the past two years.” stated Al Gordon, NSI CEO. “Agostino brings tremendous talent and an in-depth understanding of how New York City government operates. His background complements NSI’s procurement, public affairs, and government relations services and adds to our national footprint and regional offices. Our New York Practice is well-positioned to offer intimate knowledge of the New York City geopolitical landscape as well as the strategy and relationships needed to be successful.”

As a Senior Vice President, Mr. Cangemi will join Gino Menchini, Managing Director of NSI’s New York City Practice. Mr. Menchini, former NYC Commissioner of DOITT, brings 20 years of professional experience in public sector information technology and business development to the firm. Prior to joining NSI, Mr. Menchini also served as New York City’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) and held senior executive roles at technology firms that include CA, Northrop Grumman and Cisco.

“We're committed to earning our clients' trust, becoming their long-term strategic business partner, and adding value for our corporate clients and government” stated Mr. Menchini. “We know how to successfully drive revenue and positive results for both government and business.”

The NSI NYC Practice offers procurement strategy and government relations expertise across eight vertical markets with particular expertise in technology and telecommunications, health care, energy, the environment, infrastructure/transportation, public safety, financial services and education. The Practice will leverage the depth and breadth of public and private sector expertise to provide strategic proposal advisory services, assist clients in developing and executing contract negotiations and develop strategies to provide clients with the relationships, market intelligence and strategic plans to procure local government contracts.

Mr. Cangemi’s diverse background and depth in the New York state and local government market bolsters NSI’s growing New York presence, which also includes founder and CEO Al Gordon, former Chairman of the New York State Democratic Committee and senior member of former Governor Mario Cuomo’s staff; Tim Onoff, aide to former Governor Cuomo and local government executive; Gino Menchini, former Commissioner of the NYC DOITT and NYC CIO; Ruth Walters, former Assistant Comptroller in the New York Office of the State Comptroller, senior member of former Governor Cuomo’s staff and a top-level aide to two Assembly Speakers; and Art Brown, Albany County’s first CIO and former New York State Forum’s Information Technology Procurement Workgroup Co-Chair.
NSI is a Washington, D.C.-based strategic consulting firm with a national network of 2,000 bipartisan state and local consultants that cover every state capital, major city and county across the U.S. with offices in Florida, New York, Georgia, California, Missouri, and Brussels. The firm, operates around eight practice areas which are: Healthcare & Human Services, Sustainability, Energy, Financial Services, Homeland Security & Public Safety, Infrastructure, Education, and Technology & Telecommunications.

NSI is underwritten by Pegasus Capital Advisors L.P., (www.pcalp.com), a principal investor in the firm and a private equity fund that manages approximately $2.0 billion in assets and has made more than 80 investments since its inception in 1995. With offices in New York City and Cos Cob, CT, Pegasus provides creative capital and strategic solutions to middle market companies across a wide range of industries and has particular interest in businesses that make a meaningful contribution to society by positively affecting the environment, contributing to sustainability and enabling healthy living.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.

Season of change for elections, brownfields

Kevin Matthews — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

We’re headed into another season of change when it comes to elections. Brownfield development may not be on the tip of the politicians’ tongues, but those close to the issue in both the public and private sectors must get the conversation going. Now.

First, the brownfield community needs to understand the ramifications of the political environment and how that affects brownfield redevelopment. To that end, I plan to cover current activity within the state legislatures and the outlook for upcoming state elections in a session titled Political Outlook — The Hills, the Halls, and the Street at the National Brownfield Association’s The Big Deal: Atlanta 2010 on March 23 and 24 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.

The Atlanta event is the flagship summit offered by the NBA, known as the premier association for government, businesses and individuals involved in the sustainable redevelopment of brownfields, and connecting green building to brownfield sites. This year’s summit will focus on the theme of energizing brownfield development.

Polls indicate discouragement with the status quo in state government, which will likely mean a changeover in governor seats in many elections and a learning curve for the candidate taking over the reigns. Regardless of a particular candidate’s political leaning, the brownfield community has an opportunity to build relationships and educate candidates now that will serve their cause down the road.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields Program creates many benefits for local communities. For example,• Projects leveraged $18.68 per EPA dollar expended• Leveraged 61,023 jobs nationwide• Stormwater runoff from brownfields redevelopment is 44 to 88 percent lower than alternative greenfields scenarios• Can increase residential property values 2 to 3 percent when nearby brownfields are addressed• Promotes area-wide planningI don’t know of any candidate in any party who would think these are bad ideas for their communities. But they might not know about them.

To hear more, join me and 25 other presenters and hundreds of attendees at next week’s event. Check out the full press releasehere.Now’s the time to prepare for working with new leadership come 2011.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.

Awareness must come before cyber security solutions

Mark Danner — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

In themselves, computers are harmless. But with certain brains behind them, they become a devastatingly powerful tool for theft and destruction.

The media and government officials are certainly paying attention to the issue with increasing frequency, especially after the recent Google hack, and previous noteworthy exploits in 2009 that included the penetration of classified US military networks and the massive GhostNet operation against foreign embassies and other targets. In contrast to the much-hyped threat of “cyber terrorism,” the most virulent and persistent threats coming across the internet are specifically designed by malicious operatives to be unobservable and exploitative. A 60 Minutes piece that aired late last year puts this in excellent perspective.

Unfortunately cyber terrorism and information operations are regularly conflated and confused in the public discourse. Cyber terrorism is a violent act carried out over IT networks by an individual, organization or state designed in function of a specific ideology with the goal to generate fear, discord and confusion in society. As such, only the Estonian Internet take-down of 2007 comes close to qualifying. Information Operations (IO), on the other hand, are an offensive, surreptitious and targeted effort using information and communication technologies by malicious actors to obtain material or information gain. In contrast to the rare phenomenon of cyberterrorism, IO happens 24/7 against every public and private sector target imaginable.

The reason such information operations are so persistent is that the malicious operatives behind these exploits have the initiative as they chase after vulnerable and lucrative targets. They have forced the cybersecurity industry into a reactive state, chasing threats with technology solutions that only deal with known and discovered-after-the-fact malware. The only way to reverse this evolutionary cycle is for industry and government to adopt a proactive defense and creative offense that are based on awareness of the threat actors themselves and not just their technologies of exploitation. We need to understand who is behind particular Information Operations? What are their motivations? When – in real time – are they operating? Where are their base of operations? Why do they select particular targets? And how do they collaborate as “communities of practice?”

It is time that we too build communities of practice that understand cyber threats holistically and not just as a function of complex technology. But the problem is that the IT world is the home of a technical elite who speak a language that few can really understand and conceptualize.We need to expand this world and move to build a common language and understanding among non-specialists regarding cyber threats and the people and technologies behind them. As a first step, let’s start creating a culture of awareness where the faces of cyber operatives become as well-known as fugitives on “Americas Most Wanted” and their secretive operations publicized by investigative journalists in television, print and electronic media. It’s time to start telling real stories about real threats.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.

Conference a step toward cyber security awareness

Paul M. Joyal — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The real issues crucial to cyber security often get buried amid technical terms and the intricacies of the United States governments’ computer systems. But the key to defending our nation against potentially disastrous impacts of cyber espionage and criminal hacking is understanding the methodology and new threat matrix. Today, the intelligence, business and criminal communities are indistinguishable and often one in the same.

Those who attend this year’s GovSec/U.S. Law Conference March 23-24 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center will have the opportunity to understand both the threat matrix and the mind of the hacker. As organizer and moderator of the General Session on Cyber Espionage and Criminal Hacking, I will guide a panel of experts in a discussion of how a nexus of crime, business and intelligence presents a threat to individuals as well as public and private sector companies that is magnified by our IT-dependent world. Additionally, I will conduct a session on Law Enforcement Case Studies and Tactics — From Intelligence Led Policing to Predictive Policing: How Technology and Information Fuse a New Paradigm.

During the General Session, experts from the United States and England will illustrate how our cyber vulnerabilities provide myriad opportunities for criminal thieves, corporate espionage agents, terrorists and intelligence organizations to steal information, money and secrets for a variety of purposes as well as inflict damage on our critical infrastructure.
Sophisticated intelligence operations have raided our computers, and pilfered them of their contents. Malware and other sophisticated software techniques have been used to defraud credit card companies and banks. A ZeuS malware attack sent emails to federal officials appearing to be from other trusted members of the government but in fact inserted software to obtain files of interest and broadcast them out to adversaries. The recent online attacks on Google and dozens of other American corporations have been traced to computers at two educational institutions in China, including one with close ties to the Chinese military, according to published reports. The connection of crime, intelligence and foreign operations are at times, indistinguishable. This complicates our understanding of the threat environment and provides deniability for intelligence operations.

In an unusually bold statement in 2008 detailing another incursion of the Net battle targeting government sites, the CIA admitted web hackers penetrated overseas power grids, compromising service while demanding payment in exchange for cessation. But the most dramatic testimony was delivered last week by the former Director of National Intelligence, Michael McConnell, who told the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on Feb. 23 “We’re the most vulnerable. We’re the most connected. We have the most to lose. So, if we went to war today, in a cyber war, we would lose.” His testimony should serve as a clarion call to rally around!

Today, the U.S. government is providing more attention and commitment of resources to this problem via a $17 billion cyber security initiative passed by Congress. However, the need for state and local action to protect our critical infrastructure should also become a priority. The National Governors Association (NGA) states that cyber security is the weakest link in their efforts to protect critical infrastructure assets in its states. The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) has proposed a specific cyber grant program for states similar to the DHS homeland security grants. In short, our exposure is enormous and the resources heretofore have been meager.

Testimony and proposals such as these will help to build our awareness of the issue. But without a concerted public relations campaign, similar to the “don’t be a litterbug” campaign of the past or the “Smoky the Bear” campaign, that create a character who viewers can emotionally connect with, our investment will never fully achieve its intended goal. That is because computer security is everyone’s business, for if any computer is unprotected, that innocent machine can be taken over for illicit purposes.

In our effort to develop solid solutions to these complex problems, building greater awareness and understanding of our cyber vulnerabilities underlies what’s quite possibly the greatest threat to national security today. The GovSec/U.S. Law Conference is the ideal place to do just that.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.

NSI Energy & Environment expert to offer expertise at summit

Heather Sabharwal — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. — March 11, 2010 —Kevin Matthews, who leads NSI’s Energy and Environment Practice and excels at finding sustainable solutions for interfacing with state and local governments, will share his knowledge via one of several cutting-edge, thought-provoking sessions at the National Brownfield Association’s The Big Deal: Atlanta 2010 on March 23 and 24 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.

During his session, “Political Outlook — The Hills, the Halls, and the Street,” Mr. Matthews will address current activity within the state legislatures and the outlook for upcoming state elections as they both relate to the issue of Brownfields.

“It is crucial that those in the public and private sectors understand the ramifications of the political environment and how that affects this issue,” says Matthews. “I am honored to be part of this important and informative event.”
Mr. Matthews will be among the brightest minds in the industry who will share experiences and answer questions at 25 information-rich sessions on today’s most relevant land development, real estate and Brownfield-related topics. The Atlanta event is the flagship summit offered by the NBA, known as the premier association for government, businesses and individuals involved in the sustainable redevelopment of Brownfields, and connecting green building to Brownfield sites. This year’s summit will focus on energizing Brownfield development.

Mr. Matthews, former senior advisor to U.S. EPA Administrator, Carol Browner (now President Obama’s “Energy Czar”), leads NSI’s Energy and Environment Practice. His distinguished team of senior experts shares their considerable experience with clients to successfully navigate the complexities of procurement, legislative and regulatory issues in the federal, state and local government market. Mr. Matthews’ team includes Scott Sklar, President and Founder of the Stella Group, Ltd and Executive Director of the Solar Energy Industries Association, Terry Tamminen, former advisor to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Former Governor Parris Glendening (MD), President of the Smart Growth Leadership Institute. The NSI Energy and Environment Practice has vast experience in both public and private energy and environmental issues, including those that effect energy efficiency, water conservation, air quality and waste reduction.

Mr. Matthews has significant private and public sector experience having developed solutions for Brownfield’s Redevelopment, Superfund, RCRA Cleanups and Financial Assurance, as he has served as Director of Government Relations at a leading environmental insurance and financial services insurance firm, overseeing several state environmental insurance programs that encouraged Brownfield’s Redevelopment. Mr. Matthews currently serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of Brownfield News and Sustainability Report and is a certified Environmental Risk Manager from Texas State University.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.

Former Governor, NSI Advisor to address stakeholders

Heather Sabharwal — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. — March 9, 2010 —Former Maryland Governor and NSI Senior Advisor, Parris Glendening, will be one of several distinguished speakers featured at the Alliance to Save Energy’s Great Energy Efficiency Day on March 10 in Washington, D.C.

Former Governor Glendening, who works with NSI’s Energy and Environment Practice to develop winning strategic procurement, legislative and regulatory strategies for the firm’s clients, will address more than 400 stakeholders from business, industry, government, academia, the media and the public interest sector at the event located in Room G-50 at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill. Glendening will speak on issues reducing energy consumption via transit, walk-able communities and green building.

“Saving energy and finding solutions for using energy more efficiently are the most pertinent issues of our time,” says Glendening, who also serves as President of the Smart Growth Leadership Institute. “I am honored to be included among such a respected group of speakers on such an important topic.”

Launched in 2004, the Great Energy Efficiency Day focuses on the need for, and benefits of, energy efficiency. The event features leading voices in energy efficiency who will provide insight from Capitol Hill. The event will also feature keynote addresses from congressional members.

The Former Governor spent eight years serving the State of Maryland, (1995-2003) where he made the environment, especially, smart growth-- education and inclusiveness, the heart of his legislative, administrative and personal agenda. In addition, Governor Glendening had the honor of being elected chairman of the National Governor’s Association by his colleagues, where he made quality of life issues his top agenda item. He also served as President of the Council of State Governments. He was elected to statewide office after serving three terms as county executive of Prince George’s County, a jurisdiction of 800,000 constituents outside of Washington, D.C.

Currently, Former Governor Glendening devotes significant time to his role at the Smart Growth Leadership Institute, part of Smart Growth America, a nation-wide coalition of nearly 100 organizations promoting a better and more healthy way to grow. As president, the Former Governor travels the country advising of the dangers of urban sprawl and its effect on health, our prosperity and our communities as well as recommending a range of solutions to governors and public leaders.

In addition to his activities at the Smart Growth Leadership Institute, Former Governor Glendening serves as an NSI Strategic Advisor, collaborating with a distinguished team of senior experts who share their considerable experience with NSI’s Energy and Environment Practice, which is led by Kevin Matthews, former senior advisor to President Obama's Energy Czar, Carol Browner. NSI’s team includes Scott Sklar, President and Founder of the Stella Group, Ltd and Executive Director of the Solar Energy Industries Association and Terry Tamminen, former advisor to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The NSI Energy and Environment Practice has vast experience in both public and private energy and environmental issues, including those that effect energy efficiency, water conservation, air quality and waste reduction. The former Governor collaborates with businesses to leverage the opportunities that emerge from public policy and regulatory changes at the state and local levels and helps clients successfully navigate the complexities of procurement, legislative and public affairs issues in the market.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.

Spending down, interest in energy efficiency way up

Kevin Matthews — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Whether a piece of news gets labeled “good” or “bad” always depends on the perspective.

A recent case in point:

The New York Times Green Inc. blog reported recently that venture capital investments in clean tech companies plunged by 50 percent to $2.6 billion last year as investors put their money in energy efficiency projects instead. The information came from a report released last month by Ernst & Young. The downturn was due to investors shifting money from capital-intensive solar and biofuel companies into firms that use technology to reduce or monitor energy use because the funding requirements are lower and the returns are often faster.

But the report, based on data from Dow Jones VentureSource, also found that while the overall monetary investment fell, the number of deals increased 21 percent. In addition, the Energy Efficiency category received the most US Venture Capital investment dollars in the fourth quarter of 2009, with $252.8 million and 22 deals, compared to $133.7 million and 14 deals in the third quarter. This category raised $593.3 million for all of 2009.

Clearly, the fine print is important here. It’s basically great news for any company that has anything to do with energy efficiency, as well as for anyone in the public or private sector who does business with them.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.

NSI receives top honors for public affairs campaign

Heather Sabharwal — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. — March 3, 2010 — National Strategies, LLC (NSI), part of the Interpoint Group and nationally recognized business-to-government strategic consulting firm headquartered in Washington, D.C., is pleased to announce its selection as a Reed Award winner by Campaigns & Elections’ Politics magazine.

NSI was granted the top honor in the category “Toughest Newspaper Ad” for its presentation on behalf of Hispanic farmers who have endured a long history of discrimination through the Department of Agriculture. The ad, titled “The Shameful Truth” and paid for by Justice for Hispanic Farmers, appeals to President Barack Obama to pursue restitution for the victims.

“NSI is extremely proud of its public affairs efforts and this award-winning campaign is but one example of our ongoing commitment to excellence in those efforts,” NSI Chief Executive Officer Al Gordon said. “We are honored to be counted among such a prestigious group of professionals.”

The awards, bestowed on political and public affairs professionals at the top of their game, are named after Politics magazine’s founder Stanley Foster Reed and embody his mission to strive for excellence in political campaigning. This year’s honors were given at a recent ceremony in Washington, D.C.

“Becoming a Reed Award finalist is tough. Actually winning a Reed Award is only accomplished by the most impressive creative political and public affairs talent in the world,” said Jordan Lieberman, publisher of the magazine.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.

NSI Homeland Security & Public Safety expert to offer expertise at conference

Heather Sabharwal — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. — March 2, 2010 — Paul M. Joyal, an internationally-recognized authority and noted commentator on the former Soviet Union, Intelligence and Terrorism, who leads the Homeland Security & Public Safety Practice for National Strategies, LLC (NSI), will moderate a panel on cyber security and conduct a session on predictive policing at the upcoming GovSec/U.S. Law Conference this month in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Joyal, a featured speaker at past GovSec/U.S. Law conferences, was selected to moderate the General Session panel on Cyber Espionage and Criminal Hacking at this year’s conference, planned for March 23-24 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Mr. Joyal will conduct the opening session of the new Conference Track 4 on Law Enforcement Case Studies and Tactics: “Session LE-1: From Intelligence-Led Policing to Predictive Policing: How Technology and Information Fuse a New Paradigm.”

“The key to defending our nation against potentially disastrous impacts of cyber espionage and criminal hacking is understanding how in today’s world, the distinction between government intelligence organizations, business and criminal organizations is no longer easily identifiable. Understanding the mind of the hacker is an important aspect for defense, for it is a not an individual, it is a network,” says Joyal. “Our government is paying more attention and committing more resources to solving this problem via a $17 billion cyber security initiative passed by Congress. However, the road to success in this endeavor is steep and long.” This year’s GovSec/U.S. Law conference will help build our awareness of the issue and, ultimately, lead to solutions within the public and private sectors that put us several steps ahead of hackers’ criminal minds.”

As organizer and moderator of the General Session, Mr. Joyal will guide a panel of experts in a discussion of how a nexus of crime, business and intelligence presents a threat to individuals as well as public and private sector companies that is magnified by our IT-dependent world. During the session, experts from the United States and England will illustrate how cyber vulnerabilities provide myriad opportunities for criminal corporate espionage terrorists and intelligence organizations to steal information, money and secrets for a variety of purposes as well as inflict damage on infrastructure.

Mr. Joyal has expertise in business development with law enforcement and national security entities nationwide. He served as a federal law enforcement officer and as director of security for the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence from 1980 to 1989. His career includes a range of consultation services to a number of Fortune 100 firms pursuing opportunities in the former Soviet Union, Turkey and Iraq. He is also a frequent commentator on ex-Soviet Union, counter-terrorism and intelligence affairs for BBC, ABC, NBC, Dateline, Nightline, Cross Fire, TIME, Newsweek and other media outlets. At past GovSec/U.S. Law conferences, he presented "Net Centric Public Safety, How Technology and Intelligence methods are changing Law Enforcement Management and Operations for Homeland Security" and “The Threat of State Sponsored Terrorism with Marinia Litvinenko.” Last year, he organized the “The Brave New World of the five-day Russo-Georgia War: Where Cyber and Military Might combined for War Fighting Advantage” with the National Security Advisor of Georgia. For the first time, it was revealed that cyber criminals from the Russian Business Network (RBN) had participated in a coordinated cyber attack against Georgia before and during military operations.

Mr. Joyal has a long history of expertise in the former Soviet Union. In 1998, he represented the Georgian Government before the U.S. Congress and Departments as Georgia’s first lobbyist. Mr. Joyal also served as expert advisor to the Security and Defense Committee of the Georgian Parliament and the Chairman of the National Security Council and Minister of Defense. He was decorated with the Georgian government’s highest civilian award, “The Order of Honor” for his service promoting Georgian independence, security and integration with the Western world. He also served as the editor and chief of the Daily report on Russia and the former Soviet Republics for ten years.
Mr. Joyal’s commitment to public safety includes participation in a variety of law enforcement, professional positions and appointments. He has served as Operations Director for Remington Elsag Law Enforcement Systems in its national rollout and on Governor Martin O’Malley’s transition team for Public Safety. He is currently the President of the State of Maryland Chapter of the FBI InfraGard and was recently elected to the National InfraGard broad of directors. Mr. Joyal currently serves on the Prince Georges County Law Enforcement Task Force and on the GovSec/U.S. Law Conference and CyberWATCH advisory boards. His professional associations include the International Chief’s of Police Association; the American Society for Industrial Security International; and the Major City Chief’s organization.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.

The Stimulus: Take the Steps to Get Your Share

Roy Cales — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Roy Cales, NSI Principal who leads NSI’s consulting services and delivery former CIO of the State of Florida, was quoted in the March/April edition of Campus Safety Magazine regarding ARRA funding. The article is titled, The Stimulus: Take the Steps to Get Your Share. The author, Robin Hattersley Gray notes that “campus protection professionals who are creative, tap into training and construction grants, and have good working relationships with executive administrators and external stakeholders will be more successful in getting their projects funded.”

Article Excerpt

When the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was signed into law last year, many in the campus safety and security community were hopeful that some of the stimulus package’s $787 billion would be dedicated to school, university and hospital protection efforts. According to the Campus Safety Stimulus survey, however, the perception among the majority (70 percent) of campus law enforcement, security and emergency management professionals is that their institution’s overall safety and security efforts did not receive any stimulus funds and that they won’t receive Recovery Act money anytime soon.

View entire article in Campus Safety Magazine.

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For more information, please contact Heather Sabharwal at hsabharwal@kglobal.com or 202-349-7016.