Event ID: 1589399 Event Started: 8/18/2010 12:15:00 PM ---------- >> Please stand by for realtime captions. >> [ 8:30 Eastern Time Zone, captioner standing by on silent hold, 1-866-618-0492, access code 392-0819 ] >> [ IT Summit captions scheduled to begin at 11:30 Eastern Time Zone ] >> Good afternoon. If you could please take your seats we'd like to get started. I'm Allen, the head of public outreach from the office of communication at NASA headquarters. I get to be your host. It was a thrill to be asked to participate and to be the emcee. Some of you may remember my wife, Debby, from her days at the office. When I told her I was going to participate, she assumed it was for calling the help desk so many times. >> The general sessions are being streamed live and will be available on the NASA website for later viewing. Also please switch your cell phones to mute or stun. We have a slight change for this session due to another commitment you will hear from our first speaker before you have your complete lunch, that is Vivek Kundra, the Chief Information Officer of the United States government. It's his job to manage and oversee the IT operations of the entire federal government. >> Located within the office of management and budget, $76 billion is the budget that he manages. HisHe also chairs the federal CIO council. If you think it's hard getting the IT operations of NASA to all be on the same page imagine what his job is like. This is not his first appearance before a NASA audience, last September he rolled out the new federal Cloud Computing portal at the NASA aims research center. >> You can read more about Vivek's background in the IT Summit booklet. We're glad he was able to join us today. Please give a big glactic welcome to Vivek Kundra. >> Good afternoon. Thank you very much for having me this afternoon. I want to thank and recognize Linda Cureton for pulling together this event, focusing on the positive side of IT in terms of how do we move from an environment where we've had a history of colossal failures when it comes to IT systems, to making federal IT stellar and the ability to convene so many of you to have a battle of ideas in terms of how to move forward and take things to the next level. >> I still remember my first day in office. I recall being handed a stack of PDF documents and I was told "congratulations, welcome to the federal government, here are over $26 billion-worth of IT projects that are way over budget and way behind schedule." Let me just give you a couple of examples. At the veterans administration in 1998 the VA they tried to modernize their financial system. After spending $250 million, in 2004, that project failed. It was restarted again in 2005 and it was just terminated again last month because of the inability to execute. At the Department of Defense after spending 12 years and approximately $1 billion DoD canceled its integrated human resource system. I wish those were the only examples of failures in federal IT, unfortunately there are many more projects like this. >> That's why in the Obama administration we're focusing on how to turn around how we're spending money to make sure that the projects are providing dividends for the American people. The first thing is that we launched the IT dashboard within 60 days. There are a number of accomplishments that move us closer to making sure that we have a higher statistical likelihood that projects will deliver. When we launched the dashboard it was a huge shift. We moved from an environment that was closed, opaque, to an environment that became transparent, open. The challenge was shining light on over $76 billion on IT investments. We also put up pictures of the CIOs. You can check out Linda's picture. We didn't want a culture of faceless accountability. We wanted to make sure to hold each other accountable for the performance of investments. After we launched the IT dash board, thanks in part to the dashboard the VA terminated 12 of these investments. We were able to also look at trends across the government, recognizing some of the challenges in federal IT and launched in January of this year sessions. These sessions are data-driven sessions that are solve some of the most difficult problems in the government. The first was on financial systems at EPA. This was a project that was over a year behind schedule, $30 million over budget. When we looked at the project we thought maybe this is a problem across the board, quickly we discovered financial systems across the government that were way behind schedule, way over budget, scoped to the point where it was unrealistic to expect that they would deliver on time and budget. >> That is why the administration took on some of these really tough problems, by issuing a policy that halted future task orders in 30 centers across the government. We had to say "enough." The VA example, where it failed twice already. We're cracking down on ways and reforming projects. But we also are going through a process where we're putting some of these really troubled IT projects on a high risk list. Over the last month I sat down with every major agency and reviewed with them projects that may be behind schedule, over budget, or offcourse to figure out how to turn them around. It's imperative that every dollar we invest in this fiscal environment, that the investments don't end up become wasteful. >> But we also recognize that we're operating in a system where procurements take far too long, where architecture is not coordinated across the enterprise. At the Department of Interior the secretary wanted to send an email department-wide, he couldn't because all of the systems were siloed. The life cycle costs were about $7.35 billion in infrastructure at the Department of Interior. Achieving the task of sending an email department-wide couldn't be done. That is why we're sitting down with every department to make sure that as we go into the 2012 budget process we look at the infrastructure. That is why we drove a zero growth policy when it came to data centers. As we've grown the centers from 1998 from 432 to over 1100 it's important to stop the madness of proliferating the data centers without taking a different view. That's what is happening today with NASA. >> I recall a Cloud Computing initiative last year that launched. The nebula platform is being leveraged across agencies across the government. We need to be able to find the path that moves us away from spending billions of dollars that frankly could be better spent as CIOs lift up and focus on networks and architecture, and think about IT investment and how they impact everyday Americans. >> When the IRS and the Department of Education got together they were able to solve a problem around student aid applications. It used to take dozens of questions. Students would give up because the applications were so complicated. Somebody would have to file all of their tax information, coupled with the education information, asking the same question multiple times. The government of organized in the context of what was convenient to the golf, rather than the American people. But when the IRS and the Department of Education got together they were able to simplify the student aid application where they now share data, it's easier, it's customer friendly. If we think about other areas like USCIS, we able to simplify the application process. Why is it that in our personal lives we can go online and track our package, yet when it comes to figuring out where our application is we have no idea, you have to hire a lawyer, pay thousands of dollars to figure out where the government is. That is a shift we want to drive across the federal government, to get the IT community to lift up abstract from the siloed approach to working together to make sure that the investments that we're making actually produce dividends for the American people. Where we manage our IT portfolios, crackdown on waste. Through the processes we're moving towards focusing on these projects. We looked at 50 years of history, there are a number of great ideas, policies and legislation. If you think about the e-gov act, countless memos from OMB, a number of these ideas are the right answers, yet we continue to fail when it comes to execution. That is my charge to you today. Think through how to apply this game changing technologies and approaches as far as making sure that the next set of dollars we invest are spent wisely and produce the results we're looking for. >> Thank you very much for having me. I look forward with working with everyone here. How do we take the learnings, the best practices at NASA and scale them government-wide? Thank you. [ Applause ] >> Thank you very much, Vivek. We appreciate it, you coming to give your remarks. I think we will remember that this was a very successful IT Summit, largely in part of your remarks and your commitment to IT in the federal government. Thank you very much. >> [ Applause ] >> Could we please have all of the award winners please step over here to my right. Finish your pudding, we're not quite ready. >> Should we go ahead? Okay. We're now ready to proceed with the awards ceremony. This is the first year for what will be annual awards program. This is an opportunity for the agency CIO to recognize those that advance NASA's goal and objectives. The applications were reviewed by independent evaluators, including experts internal and external to the agency. Please hold your applause until all the awards are presented. We begin with the excellence award. The winner is James Williams. Typical IT people, don't listen. [ Laughter ] >> All right. I seem to have made an error. We will start with Linda making some remarks. Linda? >> Thank you, Allen. Welcome to the IT Summit awards ceremony. I have the honor to recognize individual achievements in key areas and contributions that have aided NASA in achieving mission goals and objectives. These individuals stand out among their peers and they have gone far beyond what is commonplace to overcome challenges that can impede cutting edge IT solutions. The contributions are a direct affirmation of the theme of our summit, together we can make IT stelar. I salute them and their achievements. Now I turn it back to Allen. >> Hey, it's live, folks. Just like on TV. Okay. Let's rewind and reboot. We begin this program with the excellence in leadership award. And the winner is James Williams from the Aims Research Center. James has demonstrate the leadership qualities through his work on programs including assisting with the launch of NASA's Cloud Computing initiative, Nebula.[ Applause ] >> I knew when they gave me that line "to hold the applause" it won't work. Joseph Rosel. Joseph has made crks to contributions in the area of realtime data security and systems. [ Applause ] >> The excellence in customer service goes to Linda McMiller also from the Glen Research center. Chairing the nomad customer advisory council. The council prioritized areas to better service email needs of employees and staff members. [ Applause ] >> The CIO mentor award goes to Herbert W. Schilling. He has participated as an advisor and mentor for many NASA science, technology, engineering and math outreach efforts with high school students. He also serves as mentoring coach for many NASA employees. [ Applause ] >> The excellence in innovation award goes to Michael Seablum.Climate at home is a project to evaluate climate change forecasts, using identify capacity of a global network of computers offered by volunteers. Michael is now at headquarters. [ Applause ] >> For the CIO humanitarian award, Ernest Lopez. He has demonstrated enduring contributions to humanity. He has mentored students, helped rebuild orphanages. During his downtime he volunteers at a local food bank. I'm betting he doesn't watch much television. [ Cheers and Applause ] . >> To recognize advances in infrastructure or cost savings the award is being presented to Grace Delion. Grace's efforts have saved money by reducing redundancy, increasing bandwidth without adding infrastructure. [ Cheers and Applause ] . >> Okay. We now go outside of the agency to present the CIO student innovative award to Danielle Wood. The work is recognized in building technical capability, that was judged to be outstanding. >> This year's winner >> Of the faculty out reach award goes to Dr. White the supporting the space operations mission director and the science missions directorate [ applause ] >> Finally the Excellence in teaching award is. >> Presented to two educators, Pam from Valley Christian and Lamie from TS 56 in New York city. They are being recognized for their team teaching approach between their classrooms in the west coast and east coast between the inflight education the league with astronaut program and the Skype sessions science. >> [ applause ] >> Happen spoken with them at lunch let me tell you if there's anybody in this room that does not believe NASA can excited students talk to these two ladies. >> Let's give a round of applause to are very special CIO Award winners. >> [ applause ] >> Take a bow! >> [ applause ] >> A slight pause for set change. >> [ applause ] >> You may have seen our next speaker on TD on the zero broke Winfrey show, CNN, or on National Public radio. She is known as fly girl bid in 1997 after serving in Nashville, Vernice Armour came across an article that issued a call for the first African-American female marine pilots. The article stated that the Marines were looking for a special woman who possesses the attitude of a winner and the commitment of a pioneer. They found that individual in Vernice Armour did she earned her wings in 2001 and was ranked Number one in her class. Pitching became the first female to seek combat when she served two to -- tours in Iraq. After completing duty as program liaison officer and the Equal Opportunity branch, Vernice left the military and launched VAI consulting and training headquartered near Quantico that offers motivational and leadership training. She describes herself as the leadership coat and a catalyst for change in point did she come to the right place. I will not be picking a fight with her, while at Camp Pendleton she twice won the struggle is for your competition and was a running back for the San Diego samphire women's football team. Her book is ready for release next you're prepared after this short video, please will come to your officer in charge for the next few minutes, "Fly Girl." >> [ applause ] >> [ video playing ] >> Wait, a minute. It's a little quiet in here. Let me go around a give a few high fives All right. All right. >> All right. Come on, IT. I know! I know!. All right. Is this the runway? This is the runway. All right. >> Thanks, Simon. They say Marine's work out every day. I got a Notes two years ago [ laughter ] I am a long way from athlete of the year. I was speaking with some folks earlier. I have been walking around the last couple days. It just this morning, as a matter of fact. I love that, that is so cute. If you are a pilot? Yes, ma'am, you are a pilot. Air Force, right? >> No, Marine Corps. Marines? Well, Marines are pretty tough. You are a woman, you are black. I kind of chuckle as well. What I come back with this you know what, everyone has obstacles even the average white guy has obstacles, right? [ laughter ] >> He is the co-chair for this conference. You all did a phenomenal job. Eight months out and do our planning for next year. To the committee, thank you. Thank you. >> [ applause ] >> One of the main reasons why we are here is to create breakthroughs. To create that stellar IT. I truly believe that it's that breakthrough mentality no matter what we have to do, break free to get to the other side where we really want to be. One of those situations and I want to have a conversation with you here today. I know we are at the end of the conference and it's not a conference, it's a summit in one of the summit's that I went to last year, we're coming together to bring all of that brainpower to walk away with tangible steps that we can take with us to make a difference. We are not just at a summit, we are summiting right now. If I were to share one of the situations where I had to use that breakthrough mentality if you can imagine flying 300 feet over the desert floor. It is over 120 degrees. Our helicopter section the next session had been out for the vote over an hour so we only had 14 minutes of gas left and only one missile left. At the end of this mission we heard this before come across the later done a great deal that said Viper, we have Marines in trouble. Ten down and they need your attack helicopter north of the cemetery. If you could have felt the acid bomb explode, why? We only had 20 minutes of gas left and that is not enough time to get back and get back to base but when your brothers and sisters are in trouble you answer the call. You are now inside of this cockpit of this attack helicopter with me. We head up to the north of the cemetery and we have that very last missile in this missile unfortunately was known to be a little bit unreliable especially in the vicinity of troops and friendly forces. When we got on station we checked in with the Marines and soldiers on the ground. We hear a voice come back that says, we are tend down, we do not have any ammunitions to shoot back with. We do not have any green smoke. Let me know when you can see the clips from nine years. >> As you stand down into that cemetery, you are searching for any signs of friendly forces. Those of you in the military you know when you are looking for a glimpse from a mirror, you are in trouble and you say, contact, I see you. You see that rode in front of me running from east to west, followed to the west, you will come to a road that goes north and south, while it south preview will see a couple of buildings with a blue ball at the top, call when you contact that building. We followed the first road and saw the second road. We saw a couple of buildings, and now a small arms fire is coming out of that tower trying to take you on of the sky -- out of the sky. How many times have you been sitting at your desk viciously and backing down e-mail on your in box and an enemy pops out in front of you, right box? Sometimes you need to break off, think about what you're going to do and greengage. That is what we did, we broke off to the right and came back over to the wage and that last missile was ready to go pick you are now searching for your target. The target is in sight, aircraft pops up and your finger is on the trigger a waiting to come in a range. Missile away you call out. Nothing happens. Marines and soldiers on the ground in trouble. You quickly communicate. You communicate with the rest of your team and the aircraft behind you and you reset your weapons systems and reset that missile for one last try. Why was this your last triplex in a few precious moments you would be too close and he did not have enough fuel to come back roads. You pull that trigger. Missile comes out and you hit the target you pull back to base and almost autumn of gas and completely out of ammo. We run over to the ready room. They say what happened with the Mission? Man, the target was destroyed, the mission was accomplished. The Marines and soldiers will be coming home tonight. Stories like that, situations like that are still happening right now today as we sit in this room. >>> I would ask that we not forget about our men and women currently serving overseas and here in the states that are doing what they need to do. [ applause ] >> Thank you. >> If you are a Veteran or currently in, raise your hand. Thank you for your service. If you have a family, friends, any kind of connection to you that you support overseas or here that have gone, are there now or ready to go, raise your hand. Look around this room. I want to say for me to you thank you for what you do because the support of family and friends is essential. It really is but it helped me go through my deployment while I was overseas and transition back home and once I got out of the military to transitioned into my career now and I did so happen to have my mom here in the audience today. Thank you mom. >> S. >> This is a little impromptu. Sometimes as kids and we asked our parents, do you have to rag us? And she said baby if I wanted you to be a weed I'd let you grow up in a field so thank you Mom. >> Got back. >> Breakthrough mentality. It for me is solidifies break the mentality and what it is. One mission, one goal, one team. Whether you are at NASA, Iris, Department of Treasury, Department of Defense, EPA, NOS, no matter where we are from we are one team together. Our national security and the future of our nation. We're not just sitting at a desk eight hours a day. So what we do potentially matters to what happens to west down the road. This is one of my favorite pictures. Everything out all been on the ground in front of this attack helicopter can be utilized, right? >> Not at the same time but depending on the mission depends on what a load up on to that aircraft. This is the upgrade that is going to be coming up, but it has four blades at the top. Very sexy aircraft and I know we have some folks in Lockheed Martin a lot of their equipment is in sight of this aircraft so I want to see thank you for what you are doing as well to realize that the technology in the audience that this year. >> So depending on the mission, it depends on what it loads up. Let's take this one step further. I am going to demonstrate. You got that? On the count of three we will all do that together. 1, 2, 3. [ grunts ] >> One more time 1, 2, 3. [ grunts ] Did you feel that? You are that attack helicopter. All of your talents, work experience, innovative ideas are all a part of you and laying out in front of you just waiting to be loaded up to that next mission that we are called to do. The summit is coming together. We are asking for those best ideas. What do you have to do to take us going to the next level? >> Let's take it one step further. That attack helicopter is IT. It is NASA. NOAA, the EPA, Federal IT and we are the bombs, missiles just waiting to be loaded up but we are in that mission that we are waiting to be called to do. How do we bring aboard those breakthrough ideas, break their mentalities to take us forward and create the innovative breakthroughs? Also refusing to settle in the smallest manner. What do you have to do to break down, break free to get to the other side? Folks ask me, how did you end up being an attack helicopter pilot anyway? >> A quick story. I wanted to be a police officer that rode a horse drawn carriage. At the age of six i got my very first pony and I thought yes, I am halfway there. Little did I know, right? As I go through my yearly school I was writing that pony and I knew that I wanted to be in the band, I wanted to play anything in the brass section and I settled on the trombone. I was excited. I said Mom, I want to play the trombone. She said oh, baby, the trombone? You don't want to get that ring around your lips do you? I said Mom -- Mom, Tracy is playing the flute, I am not playing the flute. She said baby, it would be like the girls club! >> Mom, I am not playing the flute so when I went to band practice what did I have? The flute. I would go to the band through every day and I would go over to Johnnie because he would let me play his trombone and I would going get my flute. >> One day my brother and I were walking around in our garage. My Dad called a treasure and my mom called it junk. So why we were walking around treasure hunting looking in different boxes we never knew what we would find pick my dad was always adding to the collection. One day I was looking and I saw this black case. I said oh, that looks like it could be a musical interest. It was a bright, shiny trombone inside. I started playing it, can you imagine some of the sounds? I would play it every chance I can get and one day that the my dad told me, put it away and when my dad told me something that was its unless he wasn't there a -- he wasn't home [ laughter ] >> I went to high school and I saw no trombones and where and I said what's the matter, where are the trombones'? I said what? No trombones? And I said, I can played trombone in the band. And he said, Vernice, you played a flute pit I said I know, we have one in our garage. He said okay, I will make a deal with you, take lessons, practice. I will give you an audition. If you are good enough you'll earn a seat in the band. I went to Mom and Dad and, of course, they are late -- I was bored by the time that they got home. All right. I went outside and I said Mom, Dad I have to played the trombone. I spent everything to them and they said fine, you can play the trombone. We went to the music store, came back and I've tried it started playing the trombone. I started practicing that night and I practiced every single day. A couple months later Mr. Ryan gave me that auditioned. He said wow, where did you take your lessons? I said I did not take any lessons he said, how did you learn how to play? I said I taught myself and I learned how to play. It next year I made the all state honor band, orchestra and that would not have happened on the flute. >> [ laughter ] >> [ applause ] >> I and think about life as that garage. That passion has to do with what we do and how we do it. And as we are all walking around in this huge garage of life crawling over these boxes. All of these opportunities. I was opening them up. I was looking for the treasure inside. I was looking on the floor of the garage. You see that black case and you find that there is a bright, shiny trombone inside even though it does not have a mouthpiece. You get a mouthpiece and teach yourself as how to play. When think I have learned is opportunities to not go away, other peoples take advantage of them. Somebody was going to play trombone and that garage. Sometimes we have to create our own opportunities. What I have learned more than anything is that everybody has a trombone in their garage as I walked around this summit the last couple days, actually this morning I was out getting a pastry. I do talk a lot -- I have to admit. I started talking to the gentleman next to me and I said, how are you enjoying the company so far are you having a good experience? He said yeah, a pretty good, I am enjoying myself but I said, well, what do you do in the IT world? He said, actually I was one of the speakers on Monday. I was not here for all of the sessions and he said I am the chief officer. We talked about some of the things on the leading edge and where technology has gone as far as computers and what are some of the capabilities that there will be able to do. A. >>> Just to be able to walk around meeting different peers and colleagues who knows what conversation you had, what idea, what innovation can, on the back collaboration. Out of a small conversation so I urge you not to just get a card and networking and what can I do but how can you collaborate together to foster that spirit of innovation and making IT stellar in the federal government? >> So I go on to my school and I get to college. I know -- my parents did not have any money to send me to school and I didn't either so I went on student loans. And we like to hang out and recreate, that is a word we made up and I see a fire on the wall that said a free trip to Mardis Gras and all you have to do is joined the women's RROC Rifle Team. A couple minutes I thought about it and I said, me up. After three months we head down to Mardis Gras to New Orleans, parties in the south and adultery partying. Audit of the seven days I got chaperones. I did learn something of that one pitch that you have to prepare for your passion. If I was not where I wanted to be what did I have to do to get their? I found something that I could leverage to help meet field that but fill that gap. You cannot be a cop until you're 21 but the military, order, structure, physical fitness, everything I thought that could help me get into the police academy and help me save money but once I am on the streets. I love my story but that eventually did make it to be a police officer and we talk about writing the course downtown I wrote a Harley-Davidson. Sometimes you have to innovate the idea a little bit and say, okay, field horse. I had a fantastic experience on the force but after a couple of years one thing that happened to me while I was in college is I saw a black woman in a flight suit. >> It was clear day and I wanted nothing to do with aviation I wanted to do anything where you could shoot a gun or blow something up. Around 12:30 p.m. She got in a little bit tired of walking around. And she said, can we go to the aviation Campanella? I said, fine -- camp now? And I said, fine, but women don't fly. We know that is not true. >> When you have people in your life that help you out along with the way is really important. They are just so down-to-earth events they know what I am talking about. After a couple years seen that woman in a flight suit it was the tangent billing the of a possibility. I could ask her questions. It was real. To think about some of the ideas and thoughts that the people in this room have had that have gone from an idea to a blueprint or image on a computer to tangible realities. Absolutely amazing. The ripple effect is a legacy. >> This rate here is a picture of me in my combat gear getting ready to go. If you remember that part in the work the road to Baghdad we were supporting the Marines and soldiers on the ground and I had the opportunity to take a picture of this hangar, steel reinforced built by the French and yes they are currently in litigation. It did not quite hold up but that woman in a flight suit planted a strong seed in me. What seats are we Plan Team? We know a lot about -- what seeds are we planting? Think about what we now have that are luxuries and civilian life. It's amazing what we do that impacts the will that we're living in. At. >> I leave the police force because I say I can always be a cop but that will not always have the opportunity to be a combat pilot. I am going to be done at the in trouble for this and I know it but I'm going to say it now, she said you are already in the Army, why go to the Marine Corps? I had been in the Army, okay. My grandfather was a Marine in World War II and my dad had three tours in Vietnam and wanted to be third generation Marine corps. It was purely about the legacy. To me it was amazing to be able to carry on the family name and bring that legacy as something that our family has accomplished and has been amazing for me and one of the finest rights that I have had. >> Walking across the parade deck with United States Marines across my chest and been a police officer. That is two and three, the proudest thing I am proud for is my mom. She is awesome. >> I go to flight school, a year and a half and I can winged on the 21st and head out to Camp Pendleton California and I am riding north on the I-5. I have the radio on and I hear the voice say that the Pentagon -- I am sure everyone knew where you were when you found that out to be I was on my way in that my flight suits to go to training that I would learn to fly. All of the pilots were staring at the television watching the day of the events unfolded. We knew that there would not be any flying that day or several days to come but one thing that we knew for sure is that we could. >> Less than 365 days later I found myself flying over 300 feet above the desert over which Iraq it. The war raged on, of the war stopped, things slowed down. And our league instructor said we're going to have a test and I said, wait a minute. He said, we are going to have a test. I said, but I am going to Iraq. He said you are taking the test when you come back. >> I took up all of my manuals and threw them in my attack helicopter and took them and did what I call setting for the next four days. Got back and it went something like this. 15 minutes into its I was not doing so hot. The next day, conference. I had bombed. I was devastated. Because there were so many people watching what I did. Kind of like this right now I felt that things were falling apart because so many people were looking at what I did, taking stock of my performance whether academic or in the aircraft. Whether it was an instructor talking to me I felt like I had let so many. I felt like I let women down, I felt like I let black folks down, the Marine Corps down, but more than anything I felt like I let those guys in the squadron down because they saw the potential of what I and many other women of minority could do. And you are America's first African-American female combat pilots. It is the very humbling. There are some the things I need to do and have to do because there are so many people following me. >> I passed the test next week with flying colors that did not pass it the first time and I felt comfortable for passing the first time and it really, really mattered. So I continued on in the squadron and things go okay and head out to Quantico, Virginia to do might tour with the Marine Corps -- wait a minute, definitely cannot forget this. You have got to excessive rise -- accessorize, right? >> I was sitting talking to my buddy. He had been in the Marine Corps for over 26 years. There was not a thing that I could talk to her about that she could not understand. I started talking about some of the things that bothered me down a little bit of a set of that car I would have felt like I was whining, but inside of that car it was time to let things go and it was good to talk to someone. I got to that test I said I only passed that tactics test, I would be back in Iraq right now with my squadron. She said when you fill a tactics they do not put you on a fast track, right? I said I would be back in Iraq right now but I would not be here and found the passion that I wanted to do, going to come this is like this. You mean, they get paid to speak? I do that now for the marines. Or building those relationships that I would carry on for the rest of my life or been at home when my dad was diagnosed with terminal bone cancer. And sometimes I was not able to visit -- I was able to visit over six times that when you're one time I could not visit Thanksgiving or Christmas because I was thousands of miles away. I would not have been there when my mom called me when Wednesday afternoon when that was back in the hospital and she wanted to know if I could come home. I said, I have already come home six times in my boss is not letting anyone trouble I cannot come home for your birthday. She was really sad and I can hear it in someone's voice. She hung up the phone and I immediately bought a ticket. I wanted to bypass' office. Sir, I have got to go home. I have already bought a ticket [ laughter ] >> He did not laugh but he did let me go home. I walked in the door Saturday morning and he said oh, baby, Happy Birthday! she was excited and we went to the hospital in my dad was excited to see me. It's so good to see you, I'm glad that you came home. My dad was my American hero, my favorite marine. About six '07 p.m. dad passed away. You cannot see the picture when you are in training there were so many times, that night in the car I finally got it. Failing my tactics test put me in the room that day with my dad. That tactics test put me here in this room with you today. I wouldn't fail a tactics test in the future but I would not do anything about that one and the past. >> Failure is almost a necessity. Think about the scientists that are trying to find a cure for cancer. It's a process of elimination and. It is all about problem-solving. I failed the flight test the first time and put it again that. I heard what Donna said, "failure is fertilizer." If you think about some of the projects and programs and we have heard our CIO talk about some of the failures we have had but we will be able to do some amazing things because of the lessons learned. Why did I change my clothes? Because life is all about transitioned. Everything that was in this flight suit is now in this flight suit. >> Notice I am wearing something a lot like what you are wearing. We are all in our flight suits and where do we fly? That is up to us. Who needs a runaway? How do we turn -- the federal government in general is going through a lot of transition that alone NASA with the orbiter we only have two launch is left. What an amazing experience. Thank you is the title to my next book. After three hours of talking and I said okay, you've basically got the gist of me just imagine if I could wrap up sitting on the launch pad, and nothing is happening, the smoke starts building, the ground starts shaking and you don't know whether it is five or 20 feet off the ground. 90 seconds later is orbiting the earth. Not to say that a police officer is nothing but we went from "Zero to Breakthrough." And I said oh, my God! That is it. >> That zero to breakthrough mentality. And having the ideas that are going to take as there. This is an aircraft here and I had been flying eight -- missiles and I am smiling. >> This is my contact information. If there is some way I can be of service to you. Whether it is a similar keynote to this leadership program or diversity. I would love to be able to talk to you about that. The vernicearmour.com and I do tweet. I am not a twit, but I do tweet [ laughter ] >> That is the team that took me into battle safety and it is amazing machine. You notice that it has two blades at the top and the other picture has four. There are some postcards that there will be handing you if you want me to sign it for the kids and I know we have a lot of STEM initiatives going on ensuring what you do is one of the most important messages that we can continue to take on. One mission, one goal, one team. I had just gotten back from deployment and the top is down and bumper-to-bumper traffic there were fumes everywhere, it's so good to be home. I decided if I was going to be here I might as well go to the Pacific Coast highway. But for there is saying the waves rolling in, put -- puffy clouds, head up to the hospital for a routine doctor's appointment and I am standing there doing what I love to do, talking to the ring in front of me. He said I am here for physical therapy and less than what happened? He said I have some shrapnel in my leg. I said the wait a minute I was your cobra air support. >> He said, you were in my Cobra? He said, we were in the cemetery and ten down, the Cobra came in. We were in the same mission, same aircraft, Michigan, we were going yeah! Woo! screaming and yelling and we were not in the psycho ward [ laughter ] >> He stopped and stood there and looked at me and said, ma'am you saved my life. Wow one mission, one goal, one team. The veins that we're doing now is for that next generation -- the things that we're doing now is for that next generation. And why I do what I do and why a lot of you do what you do because it's not about us but that next generation. The technologies that we're using today, many of them started so long ago will be rebuilding a foundation for hundreds of years to come. Absolutely amazing. What did we do before? Now if the server goes done you might as well leave work. It's all about that next generation. Acknowledging the obstacles. Taking it to the next level. You cannot see the picture when you are in the frame so how do we keep will read and stay focused? That break through mentality to make IT stellar for the federal government. I like to state its breakthrough time and we have to use that to break through mentality so on the count of three, breakthrough to win! >> Thank you. >> [ applause ] >> Thank you. Thank you. >> [ applause ] >> Thank you so much. Thank you. >> Thank you, Vernice. This has truly been a breakthrough event in your philosophy of one mission, one goal, when team is synonymous with our new IT community so thank you very much. >> Absolutely. Thank you. >> I look forward to being part of the team and maybe in the sytem orbiter. >> [ laughter ] >> Can we make that happen? >> [ laughter ] >> Thank you. >> Absolutely. >> Thank you for doing what you did. >> [ applause ] >> Thanks to all of you for taking the time of your busy schedules -- out of your busy schedules to come. >> [ applause ] >> [ cheers and applause ] >> I hope you had been degraded over the last 2.5 days and that the return on investment -- invigorated over the last to play by day's end of the return of investment has been significant. Some of you have talked to people that you have now seen five for ten years. Some of the voices were voices over the telephone and they are real people that you have touched and rub their backs and tell them thanks for the things that they have done and what to thank you for the opportunity to create one NASA, for IT. Thank you. >> [ applause ] >> Many thanks to the IT steering committee who worked tirelessly. I had a running back with a certain member of the team that she would be crying by Thursday and it was made that was crying on Thursday so I really appreciate it. They worked tirelessly , and without the dedication it would not have been possible. With the steering committee, please stand -- would the steering committee, please stand? Please join me in getting a round of applause to the IT summit steering committee. >> [ applause ] >> Your efforts are truly, truly appreciated. The IT Summit is an example of what success looks like. We are now one step closer to making my vision towards building is strong and powered its -- empower IT community a reality. >> Karen and James, please join me on the stage. >> [ applause ] >> As co-chairs you have done a remarkable job, just amazing. You have created the NASA that we had today so on behalf of a grateful agency, thank you thank you. >> [ applause ] >> Another sniffling CIO, right? [ laughter ] >> As I look over the last 2.5 days it's hard to not be overwhelmed with emotion. I remember coming down for registration and I was overwhelmed by the number of people, the excitement in the crowd did. The connectivity. People saying, I have not seen you for a while. The emotions as I walked through the crowd looking for some low carbohydrate things to eat. Has been a humbling, humbling experience. >> I had a discussion with Karen and James about what my expectations, what would success look like? What outcomes are expected to see? What did it look like? I was surprised because I did not really want to think about what this day would be like because in a way I was not sure that we would ever get here. Not because the team was not good but because of the difficulty we had over 50 years of getting together as one single IT community. I thought maybe people would say, why spend the money? Why do the travel? Why do you want to get together? I was not sure that we would ever get to this day and I was afraid. I was afraid to think of what it would be looking like to look in the rearview mirror. I am looking ahead now and I am seeing what wine NASA at IT community looks like and I am humbled and overwhelmed by what I see and what this week has Bennett. And we're not finished tomorrow we break into our groups and to more strategic planning and talk about enterprise architecture, Sharepoint, all of those things that we talked about in the halls. We will work some more on it tomorrow and Friday. When we go back to our centers we will still keep working. We have our vendor partners, students, academia. We have all we need as the team to pull together. I am so grateful. Emotional releases are good. Crying is a good thing. They cleared the way for new challenges in this will be a challenge for us to continue with the stellar IT relationships that we started in this person not grow IT Summit -- first inaugural IT Summit. >> Thanks again for each and every one of you for your participation, diligence, and devotion to what we did here today. Save the date. Save the date. August 15th through 19th the IT Summit summit will be held again in San Francisco. I will see you then. >> [ applause ]