PEO Perspective: April 2024

Spring is full of engagements, conferences, ceremonies and recognitions — perhaps the busiest few months we’ve seen in recent time.

When I’m traveling from one event to the next, my focus is on how we, as an organization, can best be of service and what we can do to transform our organization in terms of speed, simplicity and excellence. I focus on getting feedback and ideas from our workforce, leaders, industry partners and stakeholders. You all bring brilliant and passionate ideas to the table to keep the Army running efficiently, 24/7.

In all our planning and discussions, we can never lose sight of why we’re here — to deliver enterprise solutions and capability to Soldiers so that they may fight and win. It’s as simple as that — and yet monumentally important as well.

DEPUTY PEO ANNOUNCEMENT

Last month, we said a fond farewell to Acting Deputy PEO Rob Schadey, who was selected for the Senior Executive Service as the Program Manager, National Background Investigations Services within the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency. Rob is a well-known and respected positive disrupter for change who spearheaded our Cloud and FinOps efforts and was instrumental in our transformation to Agile. We are proud of Rob and the enormous strides he made with PEO EIS in his six years on the team, and we will miss having him on board; DCSA is lucky to have his talent and vision!

In his place, I selected Mr. Reginald “Reg” Shuford to serve as the Acting Deputy PEO until our permanent deputy arrives. Reg is a PEO EIS veteran having served as Project Director for Enterprise Services since July 2023, where he and his entire team have made great strides with multiple Army priorities. Prior to his role as PD ES, Reg was the Product Director for the General Fund Enterprise Business System (GFEBS) from May 2020 to June 2022. He’s been with the EIS team since 2009, serving with Integrated Personnel and Pay System – Army (IPPS-A), GFEBS-Sensitive Activities and Army Contract Writing System (ACWS). 

I am totally psyched to share that Col. RJ Mikesh’s nomination to be promoted to brigadier general has been confirmed! Even better, we are very fortunate that he will continue to serve here at PEO EIS, as the permanent Deputy PEO, starting in May.

Please join me in congratulating Reg and Col. (Promotable) RJ Mikesh!

Once again, I would like to say “Thank you” to Deputy PD ES Sergio Alvarez, who will step up to be the Acting PD (as Serge has done so well on several occasions).

DEBORAH MCLAURIN RETIREMENT

This month, the Budget Management Directorate’s Resource Management Officer at PEO EIS headquarters, Deborah McLaurin, retires after 33 years of federal service. Deborah has been with PEO EIS for 15 years, having previously served with the Marine Corps, Air Force and other Army organizations. She has contributed immeasurably to the mission, applying financial and resource management expertise in the areas of accounting, planning, programming, budgeting and execution. Deborah’s reputation is that of a smart, kind and solid leader and colleague — the kind of person you want on your team and in your corner.

Please join me in congratulating Deborah for her years of service to our organization, our Army and our Nation. We are grateful for her and wish her all the best in her retirement adventure!

PEO EIS OFFSITE

On March 20, the leadership team held an offsite, bringing together headquarters directors and leaders, program managers and deputies to discuss strategic planning as we continue our Agile and Digital Transformation journeys. This offsite was the spark of some real innovations that PEO EIS will be unveiling in the next few months.

Enormous progress was made in communicating the course for PEO EIS in its new enterprise era, and it was my and Chief of Staff John Howell’s honor to recognize colleagues who were instrumental in the recent PEO Optimization, which transitioned several programs from PEO EIS and reestablished our role as the premier enterprise application and service provider and a destination of choice for prospective employees.

A NEW ERA FOR ARMY HEALTH IT CAPABILITIES

Steve Reichard, Product Lead for Medical Communications for Combat Casualty Care (MC4)/Operational Medicine Information Systems – Army (OMIS-A), manages a team of 46 people transforming how the Army develops, tests and delivers health IT capabilities to Soldiers deployed overseas. OMIS-A is one of the first Army programs to be approved to use the Software Acquisition Pathway, which is designed for acquiring software.

Col. (P) RJ Mikesh will host a Disestablishment of Charter for MC4 and Establishment of Charter for OMIS-A Ceremony on Apr. 12. Thank you, Steve, for being a trailblazer.

BIG CHANGES AT IPPS-A

Integrated Personnel and Pay System – Army (IPPS-A) began its Agile journey last year with the goal of driving faster and more predictable delivery, greater transparency and higher user satisfaction. The Agile approach enables IPPS-A to constantly deliver more value for end users. 

On Apr. 24 at 2 p.m., PEO EIS will host the IPPS-A Relinquishment of Charter and Establishment of Charter Ceremony. Col. (P) Mikesh will relinquish the IPPS-A charter, and I will hand a newly named charter to Col. Matthew Paul. You can watch the ceremony live on YouTube. Please join us to celebrate this new chapter in IPPS-A's history.

APRIL OBSERVANCES

April is Month of the Military Child. Children and families support our Army through their patriotism, dedication and enduring support for their Soldier’s well-being. Their resilience and love for their Soldier aids in our nation’s readiness.

On a more somber note, April is also the month we remember the millions of victims of the Holocaust and honor the resiliency of survivors.

AUSA GLOBAL FORCE – HUNTSVILLE

Attending AUSA Global Force is an annual highlight, as we gain insights into the latest industry innovations and practices.

It was a pleasure to meet with many of our industry and Army partners. The feedback and ideas were enlightening and heartwarming. We have a powerful community, and it is getting stronger every day. If we missed the opportunity to connect, it’s not too late!  You can request a meeting with me or the HQ team — or any of our PMs — by visiting the PEO EIS website and filling out a meeting request form.

I look forward to seeing you at future events, including the upcoming annual AFCEA Belvoir Industry Days (ABID) conference in May. Be sure to visit our website Events page for updates on this exciting event!

Thank you for all you do to support PEO EIS, the Army and Soldiers.

Bill Hepworth, Program Executive Officer, PEO EIS

Every Soldier. Every Day.