Story by Capital Communications 

The U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI) has set up a new committee to help industry.

Led by the the technology tag team of Harry Sotomayor, the director of engineering, and Dr. Jeremy Lanman, the chief technology officer (CTO) the new committee will improve coordination and identify gaps within the organization to speak with one voice, not only to industry, but to the entire S&T community.

“To facilitate that one voice, we set up the enterprise engineering steering committee,” Lanman said. “We ask, ‘What are your challenges, what are your issues, what does the enterprise need to look like, and how are we facilitating that across the PM shops?’ [This can help coordination,] not just within STRI and Team Orlando, but across other agencies."

Sotomayor and Lanman have different titles and different responsibilities, but they work as a team to accomplish PEO STRI’s mission.

“As director of engineering, I take care of everything inside and Jeremy [Lanman] is the face to industry and S&T [science and technology],” Sotomayor said. “My focus is more on policy that’s internal to the organization, making sure PEO STRI is moving forward with regard to processes, and helping people with anything that improves the processes inside the organization.”

In his role as director of engineering, Sotomayor also serves as a technical advisor to PEO STRI’s program executive officer (PEO) and deputy PEO, and to PEO STRI’s senior leadership team. He provides strategic technical direction and engineering support on all PEO STRI programs. As chief technology officer, Lanman is the principal advisor to the PEO on all science, technology and enterprise architecture matters, as well as issues of administrative and policy guidance regarding technical missions and objectives.

As the more public-facing person, Lanman serves as PEO STRI’s advisory board member on the Central Florida Tech Grove and typically interacts with vendors.

“My role is largely outreach to the Chief Technology Officer-equivalents at the other program executive offices, architects, vendors, and others in the S&T community, like those in academia and the cross functional team,” Lanman said. “Harry [Sotomayor] would direct the acquisition strategy, I’m more concerned with technology forecasting and advising Harry on what’s coming down the pike with what we need to consider for transition or integration into the bigger enterprise.”

Often, their roles come down to Sotomayor identifying issues, and Lanman coordinating to resolve those issues.

“When we go into a discussion with the PEO, especially on future strategies and modernization, I see my role is an advisor to [Ms. Saunders] on the different technical solutions from the PM shops and making sure they make sense with regard to where we’re going,” Sotomayor said. “Then, I talk to the chief engineers to ensure they are following the PEO’s vision. If an issue becomes more technical, that’s where Jeremy gets more involved to do market research and reach out to, for example STTC [Simulation and Training Technology Center], as well as STRI engineers to coordinate on how we’ll push forward.”