Trio of U.S. Army Generals Support VIA’s Critical Infrastructure AI Application
Three retired U.S. generals join VIA as advisors to support mission of protecting critical infrastructure
SOMERVILLE, Mass., August 23, 2021 — VIA, the leading provider of AI for data privacy, data integration, and data analysis, today announced three advisors to support its mission to improve and protect critical infrastructure, such as military bases and airports. The new Department of Defense (DOD) advisors include Lieutenant General Michael Spigelmire, Major General William T. Nesbitt, and Brigadier General Thomas H. Blackstock, Jr.
“Technology is only as valuable as the problems it solves,” said Colin Gounden, CEO of VIA. “Each advisor has a track record of bringing innovation to solve complex and high-stakes problems at a regional and national scale. We’re honored that they selected VIA as the company able to address the growing critical infrastructure needs at the Department of Defense.”
Lt. Gen. Spigelmire, a retired three-star United States Army General who led the VII Corps of over 80,000 in Stuttgart, Germany, brings a background in base operations efficiency. He was the first to implement Total Quality Management (TQM) into base operations for the U.S. Army. He personally briefed over 4,000 personnel to begin the program. Under his leadership, Fort Benning was selected as the Best Installation in the DOD for several years.
Maj. Gen. Nesbitt, a retired two-star general, most recently served as adjutant general of the Georgia National Guard, where he reported to the governor and was tasked with command and control for the Georgia DOD (Georgia Army National Guard, Georgia Air National Guard, and Georgia State Defense Force). Over his 40-year career, Maj. Gen. Nesbitt was responsible for the safety and security of critical infrastructure including a role as a director of the Georgia Office of Homeland Security in 2006 and as commander of the Georgia Army National Guard.
Brig. Gen. Blackstock, a retired one-star general and civil engineer, joins with deep expertise in infrastructure. Brig. Gen. Blackstock spent over 25 years directing installation management activities and ultimately led the largest new facility planning and design program in the history of the Georgia National Guard to upgrade critical infrastructure. Most recently, he served as director, joint staff in Marietta, Georgia.
Lt. Gen. Michael Spigelmire, Maj. Gen. William T. Nesbitt, and Brig. Gen. Thomas H. Blackstock, Jr.
“With thousands of installations and over a million soldiers, the U.S. Army is an enormous and complex organization,” Lt. Gen. Spigelmire shared. “Technologies like VIA’s are a requirement for our forces to operate with greater efficiency and improve the DOD’s mission readiness.”
Brig. Gen Blackstock added, “The infrastructure upgrades and programs I led throughout my career all required data-driven decisions. The AI in VIA’s JARVIS application allows engineers and commanders to navigate massive amounts of data across data sources that were previously siloed. Knowing the capabilities of VIA’s platform, I am committed to the benefits of saving taxpayer dollars and saving lives that the DOD will receive from improved operations.”
Maj. Gen. Nesbitt stated, “I was impressed by the value that USCENTCOM and Al Udeid Air Base were realizing from VIA’s work. Seeing the response from Army Facilities Management Officers and their senior staff to VIA’s technology convinced me of the need for JARVIS to help manage the vast DOD infrastructure.”
The addition of these three advisors complements VIA’s recent DOD-wide Platform One accreditation for JARVIS, its base operations and infrastructure application, upgrading its cybersecurity to top secret levels. With the highest levels of cybersecurity underpinning its platform, VIA delivers smarter infrastructure management through secure data analysis, predictive maintenance, and maintenance optimization for government and commercial customers.
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About VIA
VIA is powering the clean energy revolution. Working with the world’s leading power providers, clean energy companies, and government agencies, VIA’s software overcomes the most common barriers to AI: lack of data, data quality issues, and data privacy concerns. As a result, VIA’s software accelerates the AI required for the clean energy transition. VIA also provides the bridge that enables EVs, battery storage, demand response, and distributed energy resources to be on the grid. VIA is headquartered in Somerville, Massachusetts, with a technology center in Montreal, Quebec, and European offices in Denmark and Switzerland. For more information, please visit www.solvewithvia.com.
