John Schirrippa

Knowledge Management Officer, US Cyber Command, Fort Meade, MD, USA

Mr. Schirrippa is currently the Knowledge Management (KM) Officer at United States Cyber Command. Mr. Schirrippa led the publication of a Joint KM Change Recommendation, KM standard operating procedures, and Action Plan for Information Discoverability. He was previously the Information and Knowledge Manager for Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command from 07/2015-09/2019 and an Electronic Warfare Analyst in the Joint Staff/J8 from 07/2011-07/2015. He holds an M.S. in Emergency Services Management from Columbia Southern University and B.S. in Mathematics from Mary Washington College. Mr. Schirrippa is certified in Lean Six Sigma (Black Belt), KM, and Program Management.He completed his Black Belt project on MARFORCYBER’s clearance process in March 2020 as the U.S. went into lockdown due to COVID-19. He was handed his certificate in a low-key, masked, socially distanced ceremony in the summer of 2020.Mr. Schirrippa’s Green Belt project improved MARFORCYBER’s decision-making cycle or battle rhythm. He received his Black Belt training from the National Security Agency and Green Belt training from the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics. Established USCYBERCOM’s continuing process improvement and Lean Six Sigma program to further the operations of the command. As the Master Process Officer, partnered with the National Security Agency to host a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt course yielding 18 graduates to improve command processes. Hosted over 90 command lunch and learn training sessions, raising understanding of relevant topics and connecting people.

Lean Six Sigma Delivering Results for the Marine Corps

Spoiler alert: Clearance processing at a Marine Corps command dropped from 290 days to 60 days and leadership’s trust in security personnel increased. How?In December 2018, a Marine Corps command based out of Ft. Meade, Maryland was struggling. A security clearance, which was rare for many Marines, was required for all incoming personnel. The process to obtain this clearance was arduous and woefully time consuming. Leadership was frustrated and an internal investigation was conducted. The Commander realized that with a wave of new people coming to the command, the organization needed to get really adept at processing these clearances. A Lean Six Sigma Black Belt project, led by the Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command Information and Knowledge Manager, Mr. John Schirrippa, launched to analyze the “as-is” state of affairs, make recommendations for improvement, and implement change. The story of the project was shared with several Green Belt and Black Belt classes as a model project and something for those pursuing certification to aspire to.Mr. Schirrippa will provide a first-hand, high-level summary of the project including forming the team, creating the project charter, Gemba, quantifying improvement relatable to senior leadership, lessons learned, and how the results were positively received. Mr. Schirrippa will also describe standing up a Continuing Process Improvement program at a 4-Star Combatant Command and navigating some of the initial challenges. The brief will conclude with the way ahead. Where does US Cyber Command’s Lean Six Sigma program go from here? How do we sustain Green Belt training, build a Black Belt bench, and help Green Belt graduates begin a project.