President's Letter
David J. Berteau, President and CEO, PSC
10/8/24
Welcome to the fall 2024 edition of Service Contractor magazine. The big news, of course, is that Congress passed and the president signed a Continuing Resolution (CR) to extend funding for federal government operations until midnight, December 20. While this prevents a near-term government shutdown, it still leaves significant uncertainty for federal agencies and their contracting partners. Programs do not know what level of funding they will have for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) or when they will get it. PSC will continue pushing for full-year appropriations rather than more CRs. For more on upcoming key dates and actions, see “What to Watch in Washington,” on page 30.
In the meantime, PSC continues working on behalf of the federal contracting industry to improve the entire government-industry ecosystem. Here are some official comments PSC submitted on rules and regulations since the last issue.
And don’t miss the PSC Bill Tracker on page 11, with updates on major bills in Congress. This issue includes five articles from PSC staff and member companies on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence issues important to our industry. On page 6, Seth Eaton of Amentum discusses the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in modern society, emphasizing its potential to reshape industries while highlighting the need for responsible implementation that aligns with public interest and democratic values.
Brian G. Thamm of Sophinea Corporation notes (page 8) that small language models (SLMs) offer a viable alternative to large language models (LLMs) by focusing on domain-specific applications with improved accuracy and a lower potential for sensitive data exposure.
Dr. Nathaniel J. Fuller of Noblis examines (page 18) the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in cybersecurity, enhancing defensive strategies through machine learning and deep learning while also enabling sophisticated offensive cyberattacks. He proposes the development of AI Security (AISec) to mitigate these risks through adaptive models and rigorous evaluation processes.
Luke Shannon of PSC discusses (page 22) the inherent biases in AI, highlighting that these biases reflect human imperfections and emphasizing the importance for federal contractors to utilize diverse data, adopt transparent practices, and actively mitigate bias to maintain compliance and credibility in a regulated environment.
Ratima Kataria of ICF (page 23) calls for federal health leaders to prioritize strong data governance and collaboration to address data security and privacy challenges, enabling AI integration to protect sensitive health information while enhancing healthcare outcomes.
One of the primary values of a trade association like PSC is the potential for networking with your peers. PSC’s Marketing and Communication Network focused last month on business-to-government (B2G) marketing. On page 25, PSC’s Cassie Katz recaps the key takeaways. Watch the PSC Daily for more meetings on additional topics such as media and advertising.
PSC also works to demonstrate the value of contractors by highlighting the good work they do. Kelly Saldana of Abt Global emphasizes (page 26) the need for resilient health systems to address complex challenges of migration, climate change, and conflict. She posits a shift from vertical disease-focused programs to inclusive primary healthcare to prepare for future crises.
As always, we welcome your input, feedback, and engagement in our efforts. Thank you for your continued support of PSC and our collective mission to help the government be a smarter customer and better buyer.
David J. Berteau, President and CEO, PSC
This article originally appeared in the Fall 2024 edition of Service Contractor magazine.