Author Archives: Federal News Radio

DoD moves meetings online, but IT systems can’t keep pace

Posted on by

Originally posted by Jared Serbu on Federal News Radio

As budget cuts take their toll on in-person conferences within the Defense Department, more meetings are shifting online, specifically to DoD's in-house Web conferencing service, Defense Connect Online.

The system has seen so much traffic recently that usage is starting to outstrip the system's capacity. And DCO may be about to see even more users. The Defense Information Systems Agency and the contractor that runs DCO have just released an app that lets defense employees host or log into meetings from their iPhones and iPads.

Continue reading →

Second VA official resigns over conference spending

Posted on by

Originally posted by Jason Miller on Federal News Radio

Another senior official at the Veterans Affairs Department is out because of the conference spending scandal.

Alice Muellerweiss, the dean of VA's Learning University, resigned today.

"VA has taken administrative action against two career senior executives named in the OIG report," a VA spokeswoman said in a statement. "One employee has subsequently resigned. The other employee has been reassigned to other duties."

Continue reading →

ELC to begin processing refunds this week

Posted on by

Originally posted by Jack Moore on Federal News Radio

Organizers for the Executive Leadership Conference, which was canceled this year because of Hurricane Sandy, said they will begin processing refunds this week.

The conference, sponsored by the American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council (ACT-IAC), was scheduled to kick off Oct. 28 but was canceled in advance of Hurricane Sandy's landfall along the East Coast. The conference, which has been held annually since 1990, takes place in Williamsburg, Va.

"We would like to thank you for your patience as we have worked through our internal systems to process this volume of refunds," Kenneth Allen, the executive director of ACT-IAC, wrote in a email to ELC registrants. "We are now implementing that process, we will begin processing refunds by the end of the week."

Read Kenneth Allen's full email on Federal News Radio >>

Federal government offices closed Tuesday

Posted on by

Originally posted by Julia Ziegler and Jolie Lee on Federal News Radio

D.C.-area federal offices are again closed to the public Tuesday after Hurricane Sandy made landfall Monday on the East Coast, according to the Office of Personnel Management.

As with Monday, non-emergency federal employees, including those on pre-approved paid leave, will be granted an excused absence for the number of hours they were scheduled to work unless they are:

Continue reading →

Federal government closures due to Hurricane Sandy

Posted on by

Originally posted on Federal News Radio

The following federal buildings and other services used by federal employees are closed due to Hurricane Sandy. This list will be continuously updated as Federal News Radio learns more.

OPERATING STATUS:

    • Federal government buildings in the D.C. area will be closed to the public Monday, according to the Office of Personnel Management. Non-emergency employees (including employees on pre-approved paid leave) will be granted excused absence.
  • Federal buildings that take direction from the New York City Federal Executive Board will be closed Monday.

BUILDINGS AND INSTALLATIONS:

    • Andrews Air Force Base (Closed Monday to non-essential personnel)
    • Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (Baltimore facilities closed Monday)
    • DISA (DISA elements in the National Capital Region and at Fort Meade will follow OPM's operating status Monday. Buildings will be closed to the public and non- emergency employees will be granted excused absence.)
    • EEOC (Closing headquarters in Washington, as well as its field offices in Washington, Philadelphia and Baltimore.)
    • Fort Belvoir (Operating under emergency essential-only conditions on Monday)
    • Forest Glen Annex (Closed Monday)

See all cancellations on Federal News Radio >>