Neel Mehta
William LaPlante, vice president of Mitre‘s intelligence portfolio, has been appointed to co-chair the Defense Science Board’s task force on the design and acquisition of software for defense systems.
He will lead the task force in efforts to examine the evolution of the Defense Department‘s software acquisition process over the past decade and offer recommendations to help DoD improve the process, Mitre said Friday.
“Bill LaPlante has a passion for bringing agility and adaptability to the military’s acquisition process,” said Mitre President and CEO Alfredo Grasso.
“His experience in the private sector, in academia, and in his three years as assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition will be critical to the Task Force as it extends this focus to software development and acquisition,” Grasso added.
In 2010, LaPlante and Grasso spearheaded a DSB research effort that identified a critical need for agility in the U.S. military and recommended adaptability strategies for DoD.
LaPlante previously served as assistant secretary for acquisition at the U.S. Air Force before he joined Mitre in November 2015.
DSB is comprised of civilian professionals who offer scientific and technical insights to DoD.
