Chief Operating Officer

Lisa Keeter - COO

Lisa Keeter is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the Office of the Chief Information Officer at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Ms. Keeter holds senior executive operating responsibility for all OCIO Administrative programs to include Budget Formulation/Execution for the OCIO Appropriated, Working Capital Funds (WCF), as well as multiple Program Reimbursable accounts. She is also responsible for the OCIO budget and provides executive level guidance/advice for a $1B+ and supporting 1,500+ Federal and 500+ Contract Staff. In addition, she is responsible for the overall Human Resources (HR) support to all OCIO employees, liaising with external HR service providers and OCIO program staff to provide the day-to-day support. Other administrative programs Ms. Keeter is responsible for managing include Travel, Training, Asset Management, Space Management as well as Personnel Security.

COO Deputy Directors

Name	Portfolio
Stephanie Blaine	Serves as one of two Deputy Chief Operating Officers (DCOO) for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO). Ms. Blaine has over 40 years of professional experience in systems engineering, IT systems management, as well as various aspects program management across the federal government. In OCIO over the last 12 years she has served as a Senior Advisor to a Deputy CIO; Director of the Agriculture Security Operations Center (ASOC) Business Management Office; and, as the Staff Director for the OCIO’s Administrative officer. Ms. Blaine has a BA from Old Dominion University (Post-Behavioral Political Science / International Relations with minors in Philosophy and Sociology) and a MPA from Indiana University / Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). She holds Certificates in Public Policy (IUPUI); Program Management (George Washington University); and the Leadership for a Democratic Society (Federal Executive Institute (FEI)) as well as completed the requirements for her Level III Federal Acquisition Certification (FAC) in Program and Project Management (P/PM).
Jerome P. Davin	Serves as the other Deputy Chief Operating Officer (DCOO) for the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In his previous position he served as the Director, Enterprise SaaS Branch at the USDA OCIO Digital Infrastructure Services Center (DISC), where Mr. Davin managed seven Federal employees and over 30 contractors. Mr. Davin managed a Working Capital Fund budget of over $70 million, including the formulation of service offerings, establishing cost models and rate setting. Prior to that, Mr. Davin started his career with the United Nations Environment Programme in Nairobi, Kenya while obtaining his Master’s Degree. Mr. Davin also worked for CompUSA and Excel Communications. Mr. Davin holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and a Master of Science in Management and Organizational Development from Alliant International University. Mr. Davin is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), as well as a Senior level Program and Project Manager’s (FAC-P/PM) and Contracting Officer’s Representatives (FAC-COR).

Name

Portfolio

Stephanie Blaine

Serves as one of two Deputy Chief Operating Officers (DCOO) for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO). Ms. Blaine has over 40 years of professional experience in systems engineering, IT systems management, as well as various aspects program management across the federal government. In OCIO over the last 12 years she has served as a Senior Advisor to a Deputy CIO; Director of the Agriculture Security Operations Center (ASOC) Business Management Office; and, as the Staff Director for the OCIO’s Administrative officer.

Ms. Blaine has a BA from Old Dominion University (Post-Behavioral Political Science / International Relations with minors in Philosophy and Sociology) and a MPA from Indiana University / Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). She holds Certificates in Public Policy (IUPUI); Program Management (George Washington University); and the Leadership for a Democratic Society (Federal Executive Institute (FEI)) as well as completed the requirements for her Level III Federal Acquisition Certification (FAC) in Program and Project Management (P/PM).

Jerome P. Davin

Serves as the other Deputy Chief Operating Officer (DCOO) for the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In his previous position he served as the Director, Enterprise SaaS Branch at the USDA OCIO Digital Infrastructure Services Center (DISC), where Mr. Davin managed seven Federal employees and over 30 contractors. Mr. Davin managed a Working Capital Fund budget of over $70 million, including the formulation of service offerings, establishing cost models and rate setting. Prior to that, Mr. Davin started his career with the United Nations Environment Programme in Nairobi, Kenya while obtaining his Master’s Degree. Mr. Davin also worked for CompUSA and Excel Communications.

Mr. Davin holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and a Master of Science in Management and Organizational Development from Alliant International University. Mr. Davin is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), as well as a Senior level Program and Project Manager’s (FAC-P/PM) and Contracting Officer’s Representatives (FAC-COR).

Services and Functions

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) Office offers a diverse portfolio of customer-centric services to the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) Centers. Along with the oversight/management of all OCIO administrative functions, we also offer direct administrative support to a subset of the OCIO Centers.

Mr. Davin's team is responsible for providing a wide range of services.

Mrs. Blaine's team is responsible for these direct administrative support services to OCIO Centers.

A graphic showing OCIO-wide administrative support services

COO Office Overall Functions

The COO office is responsible for the overarching management and oversight of all OCIO administrative functions, coordinating OCIO-wide responses to data calls and working closely with OCIO executive leadership and staff.

OCIO Budget Formulation/Execution Functions

Responsible for developing and submitting the OCIO appropriated budget, in collaboration with the USDA Office of the Chief Financial Officer’s (OCFO) and the Office of Budget and Program Analysis (OBPA), including all related financial data calls. Responsible for the day-to-day execution of the OCIO appropriated budget spending, to ensure that resources are available to support the OCIO mission. Presents various financial status reports to OCIO Sr. Management as well as Departmental financial staff.
Serves as the OCIO Working Capital Fund (WCF) Program Director, ensuring OCIOs WCF Activity Center budgets are formulated and executed consistently, within the overall OCIO strategic goals. Reports to OCIO Sr. Management on all WCF financial activities.
Ensure OCIO meets and maintains regulatory and compliance requirements. Represents OCIO in all Finance and Budget meetings, foster effective working relations with USDA financial oversight organizations.

OCIO Human Resources Functions

Responsible for the management and oversight of the Human Resources services provided to the OCIO federal employees to include onboarding / offboarding, benefits, timekeeping, pay, etc. Direct Liaisons with external human resources service provider(s) that support the full range of human resource management functions, including staffing, position classification, benefits, processing, pay, leave, reasonable accommodation, unemployment compensation, workers’ compensation, employee relations, employee onboarding and orientation, training and the employee assistance program. Lead the OCIO Labor Relations program, coordinating with union officials on behalf of OCIO Management as appropriate. Liaise with employee relations service provider on Equal Employee Opportunity (EEO) and disciplinary matters.
Provides guidance to OCIO Senior management and employees on human resources issues under its purview. Performs support services to management in carrying out their human resource management responsibilities and administrative programs.
Develops organization regulations, procedures and management guidance for administrative programs under its purview. Oversees the OCIO performance management, awards and recognition programs.
Conducts employee and customer surveys as needed to determine organizational and program effectiveness.

OCIO Personnel Security Office (PSO)

PSO is responsible for managing the OCIO personnel security program. Primary functions include the collecting and reviewing of employee national security forms. Once reviewed/approved, forwarding to the Department of Agriculture's Personnel Document and Security Division (PDSD) or the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for both federal and non-federal personnel.
PSO is responsible for the sponsorship and adjudication of the LincPass Credentialing process under HSPD-12. In addition, responsible for adjudicating negative feedback on security applications and alerting the appropriate entities as well as reviewing employee incidents that negatively affect their clearance and ability to access the USDA networks or IT equipment.

OCIO Procurement and Office Support Functions

Responsible for the direct support of appropriated procurement functions, including the processing of acquisitions for licenses, hardware, software as well as support services contracts. Provides contracting officer representative services for serviced customers IT requirements, assists customers with resolving problems with vendors. Track and process contract payments, ensuring Federal procurement compliance. Represent OCIO in procurement meetings with other USDA or OCIO entities and vendors (market research only). Provide purchase card services to OCIO program areas as assigned.
Oversee the day-to-day office/space support activities, lead liaison with building management in the National Capital Region to ensure appropriate maintenance and office space to meet organizational needs of the OCIO mission. Ensure communications of office policies and procedures are disseminated and readily available to employees.

OCIO Investment Reporting and Capital Planning Support Functions

Responsible for providing capital planning and investment control support, structure and reporting associated with assigned OCIO investments. Coordinates all investment data collection and submits required reports to Sr. Management for approval as appropriate.
Coordinate the preparation and submission of the assigned programs Acquisition Approval Requests (AARs), Acquisition Strategy / Acquisition Plans. Receives data and artifacts from OCIO program areas, assesses the data and information and helps to identify adjustments needed to ensure broad based policy compliance. Responds to AAR reviewer questions and requests for changes. Coordinates OCIO responses leading to the successful acceptance of assigned programs AARs.
Coordinates related capital planning/investment reporting data calls, and related OMB budget calls.

OCIO Emergency Management/Continuity of Operations Program

The OCIO Emergency Management program is the focal point for both the USDA Emergency Coordinators program and the USDA Continuity of Operations program, while integrating IT specific features and processes. The OCIO Emergency Management team is responsible for developing and integrating emergency programs in OCIO. The team develops and executes strategies and tactics in support of USDA continuity objectives in OCIO.
Assesses White House Continuity policy requirements with OMB and NIST IT requirements and meshes those together with ongoing OCIO programs.
Works daily with USDA’s Office of Homeland Security, across OCIO’s Business Centers, and various Mission Areas and Agencies of USDA. The team also works multiple cross departmental projects connecting IT and Emergency Management in support of OCIO operations.
Ensures OCIO Senior Leadership is educated, trained, equipped, and exercised to meet their responsibilities in support of USDA mission. This spans individual training sessions to department-level exercise development and execution.
Serves as lead planner for OCIO Continuity exercises. Develops, plans, executes, and analyzes emergency related exercises for OCIO as part of national level exercises.
Reviews and provides recommendations to both USDA Departmental Policies as well as related US Department of Homeland Security directives.
Manages OCIOs Emergency Notification System during both routine exercises/tests but also after major incidents requiring personnel accountability.

OCIO General Administrative Programs

Provides Travel Program oversight and leadership for all OCIO organizations. Manages the OCIO Travel Card Program, including online new account development and support. Manages the Agriculture Conference Management System for approval of conference/training attendance through the CIO. Provides all requested travel-related reports, both internal and external.
Manages IT Inventory, including lifecycle management for assigned program areas, including the Security Access Approval Process (SAAR) submissions.
Provides oversight to the OCIO Training Management Program, including day to day AgLearn support as well as tracking mandatory training compliance.