SNA Software Welcomes New Employee for NASA Program Support

Posted byNick PisanoPosted inAerospace and Defense, Information Technology, Program Management, Project ManagementTags:, , , , , , , , ,

SNA Software Welcomes New Employee for NASA Program Support

SNA Software is pleased to announce the recent hiring of Chris Hassler as a Software Support Specialist in charge of supporting its NASA program business. Mr. Hassler’s duties will include the coordination of its activities in providing both the implementation of a comprehensive digital program management capability and coordinate technical support for the various customers within the agency.

Nick Pisano, CEO, of SNA Software had this to say about the hiring of Mr. Hassler. “Chris was a noteworthy and essential individual in the creation, development and adoption of the international XML standard for project management data adopted by three federal agencies. His efforts resulted in millions of dollars in acquisition cost savings while, simultaneously and significantly, elevating data quality and improving the processes that underlie that data. His efforts on behalf of the Department of Defense paralleled our own, similar, efforts in data capture, transformation, and visualization across industry and government. We feel fortunate to bring his considerable talents to the SNA team.”

Mr. Hassler is a graduate of the California Institute of Technology with a degree in Astronomy. His conceptualization and leadership in the adoption of the XML schema in the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) has allowed that agency to streamline and improve its assessment of the validity of data submitted to the Department of Defense and other federal agencies in the area of project performance in capital R&D programs. He also partnered with the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) to produce the first XML standard and two subsequent updates. He served as Vice Chair of the Construction Business Group and Chair of the Trade and Business Group in UN/CEFACT as well. Prior to this work he also did important software and data visualization work for the U.S. Navy’s telecommunication service contracting process at overseas bases.

In remarking on his role at NASA for SNA, Mr. Hassler remarked: “I am excited to be working with NASA, an organization I have admired for as long as I can remember.  Bringing integrated project, technical, and risk management to them will dramatically help them to fulfil their mission.”

SNA’s solutions have been in NASA for many years, providing schedule portfolio management functionality across several projects. It’s current mission in NASA will be to provide the first comprehensive program management solution to a government program management team not solely focused on earned value management and schedule integration.

Matt Pitstick, SNA’s Chief Technology Officer, remarked: “Our role at NASA will be to capture and integrate into a comprehensive information and knowledge-based environment that captures all data elements related to effective program management. This includes program goals, the elements of the integrated master plan, technical performance, integrated master schedule, earned value, financial execution, and qualitative and quantitative risk for each of these elements. Chris, with his strong background in data schemas and his familiarity with Proteus and Envision, will provide an invaluable level of expertise and leadership in assisting the agency in achieving these groundbreaking goals through our unique technology.”

Published by Nick Pisano

Mr. Pisano has over 30 years of extensive experience in the software, project, business and acquisition management fields in both government and private industry. He is a retired “mustang” U.S. Navy Commander having been assigned leadership positions of increasing responsibility throughout his military and civilian careers. He has served as a project management policy expert, government contracting officer, contract negotiator, as business manager for nine multi-billion dollar programs in NAVAIR, as a Chief Information Officer, and as a government program manager, aside from various assignments at sea and overseas. He is internationally recognized as the developer and co-developer of several project management techniques and methodologies integrating risk and technical performance, and in the establishment of the DoD policy and vision for an integrated digital environment. In recognition of his contributions in this field he was awarded the 1997 Acquisition Research Symposium David Acker Skill in Communications Award. While serving on active duty he also received numerous personal awards, citations and commendations. He completed his career on the staff of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology (OUSD(A&T)) where he developed new project management processes and participated in the development of acquisition policy. Since his Navy career Mr. Pisano has held senior positions in various high tech project management companies. Among those were as Senior Director of EPM Product Marketing at Deltek after a successful career as director of sales and marketing of C/S Solutions, Inc., a software company that developed and sold the wInsight and Risk+ products. In this latter position he advised and counted among his customers virtually every major A&D and federal support contractor; U.S. DoD, OMB, and federal agencies; and defense-related agencies in the U.K., Australia, and Japan. Mr. Pisano holds a B.S. from the University of Maryland (Honors), an M.S. from Pepperdine University, an M.A. from the Combat Studies Institute of the Army Command and General Staff College (Honors), and is a graduate of the senior executive program of the Colgate-Darden School of Business of the University of Virginia. He has also successfully attended advanced formal education in software engineering, project management, contracts law, and on the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). His articles have appeared in various acquisition and project management journals and publications, and his posts on major project management websites. He is an active member of the Project Management Institute (PMI), a former board member of the College of Performance Management (CPM), is currently head of the National Defense Industrial Association Program Management Systems Committee (NDIA PMSC) Contracts Working Group, and a charter member of OSD’s PARCA advisory group..

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