The Government Huddle with Brian Chidester

Brian Chidester

Welcome to The Government Huddle with Brian Chidester, powered by GovExec. My entire career has been dedicated to marketing in the government space. And in the beginning, I never cared about the WHY. I was completely focused on the HOW. It was all about the tactics, the analytics, the ROI… rinse and repeat. Then I decided, I wanted to understand these programs and technologies the same way our customers do. It opened up a whole new world for me. And that is what this show is about – “Aligning the WHY with the HOW” …taking a deep dive on current trends, making bold, educated predictions about the market, learning from expert guests and discovering innovative concepts on how to respond to all of this. So join us as we talk about all the things government marketers need to know about today, tomorrow and beyond. read less

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The One with the GSA TTS Data & Analytics Chief

The One with the GSA TTS Data & Analytics Chief

Mark Wheeler, Director with the General Services Administration’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS), Centers for Excellence in Data & Analytics & former CIO for the City of Philadelphia joins the show to discuss the role data is playing across government, especially in the proliferation of AI technology. We also discuss the learnings he brought as an urban planner to his role for the City of Philadelphia, then ultimately to his position at GSA and his thoughts on the future of what smart cities will be able to deliver for their residents.

Episodes

The One with the GSA TTS Data & Analytics Chief

The One with the GSA TTS Data & Analytics Chief

Mark Wheeler, Director with the General Services Administration’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS), Centers for Excellence in Data & Analytics & former CIO for the City of Philadelphia joins the show to discuss the role data is playing across government, especially in the proliferation of AI technology. We also discuss the learnings he brought as an urban planner to his role for the City of Philadelphia, then ultimately to his position at GSA and his thoughts on the future of what smart cities will be able to deliver for their residents.

The One with the Appian Global Public Sector VP

The One with the Appian Global Public Sector VP

Jason Adolf, Vice President - Global Public Sector Vertical at Appian Corporation joins the show to discuss the current landscape for low-code platforms in federal, state and local government agencies. We also discuss the renewed emphasis on the “citizen developer” movement and why CIO’s are finding value in the democratization of application development. Future trends are also discussed as we look 18-24 months into the future of this market.

The One with the Former U.S. Veterans Affairs CTO

The One with the Former U.S. Veterans Affairs CTO

Marina Nitze, the former Chief Technology Officer of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the author of the book “Hack Your Bureaucracy: Get Things Done No Matter What Your Role on Any Team” joins the show to discuss some key takeaways people should know to help them navigate their organization in a more efficient way. We also talk about how she got started at the Department of Veterans Affairs, how to gain momentum in a program to increase adoption, and how you can become the ”queen on the chess board.”

The One with the Former Secret Service Fraud Expert

The One with the Former Secret Service Fraud Expert

Matt O'Neill, former Secret Service Deputy Special Agent in Charge of Cyber and one of the most decorated Agents in the history of the law enforcement branch joins the show to discuss the latest trends he sees across the government fraud landscape and how he sees AI changing the game. We also hear some stories about how he lured fraud criminals to the United States to be prosecuted and he shares some thoughts on how governments can position themselves into a more offensive posture in the fight against identity fraud.

The One with the Former Michigan Chief Mobility Officer

The One with the Former Michigan Chief Mobility Officer

Trevor Pawl, the nation’s First Chief Mobility Officer from the State of Michigan joins the show to talk about why he suddenly left his dream job to spend a year traveling the globe with his wife and kids. In our conversation we discuss struggles he had with balancing his career and his personal life and what he learned during his year-long sabbatical. We also tap into some of his government experience to talk about the future of mobility, sustainability and smart cities in Michigan and across the country plus some technology trends he sees coming over the next 25 to 50 years.

The One with the Potential AI CEO

The One with the Potential AI CEO

Rachel Weissman, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder of Potential AI joins the show to discuss the impact that artificial intelligence will have in the public sector and the role of governments in equipping citizens for an AI-centric world. We also talk about AI trends to look for in 2024, we examine how AI mirrors and reveals societal biases and values, and debunk the myth of AI as a replacement while showcasing its role in enhancing human capabilities.

The One with the UnSEALed Author

The One with the UnSEALed Author

Mark Greene, former Navy SEAL and the author of the book Unsealed: A Navy SEAL's Guide to Mastering Life's Transitions joins the show to discuss his evolution from college athlete to college dropout, then from SEAL training to enlisted SEAL, and from sniper to civilian, which led him to discover the six predictable phases of transitioning. We also talk about his time at University of Southern California and how that changed the trajectory of his life today.

The One with the Accenture Federal Healthcare Leader

The One with the Accenture Federal Healthcare Leader

Jill Olmstead, Managing Director and Federal Health Industry Leader at Accenture Federal Services joins the show to discuss the latest trends impacting healthcare and what has changed since the pandemic. We also discuss the importance for organizations to become “future fluent” within their technology choices, examples of ways she is supporting federal agencies and we dive into her passion for supporting children and their families through an NIH program.

The One with the Former Commonwealth of Kentucky CIO

The One with the Former Commonwealth of Kentucky CIO

Charles Grindle, Ph.D, Former Chief Information Officer for the Commonwealth of Kentucky and Senior Advisor at ProofPoint joins the show to unpack and discuss the top ten priorities for State CIO’s revealed by the National Association for State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO). In our candid discussion we talk about the difference between digital transformation and modernization, why putting the citizen at the center of program development is changing the game, and the technology he feels should be a number one priority for CIOs.

The One with the Aquia Co-Founder & President

The One with the Aquia Co-Founder & President

Chris Hughes, Cybersecurity Thought-Leader & the President & Co-founder of Aquia joins the show to discuss some of the important things that public and private sector leaders and practitioners need to know going into 2024 around cyber. We also talk about programs including FedRAMP & CMMC, why security by compliance isn’t the best path an agency can take, and what should governments be doing right now to prepare for what AI is going to bring to the cyber landscape in the next few years.

The One with the RegScale CEO

The One with the RegScale CEO

Travis Howerton, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer of RegScale joins the show and allows us to jump into the head of a founder CEO to understand some of the challenges he faces and what he does to stay sharp. We also discuss his thoughts on the future of work, how his experience in government inspired creating RegScale, and what trends he is seeing in government that will impact 2024.

The One with the Former US Most Wanted Cybercriminal

The One with the Former US Most Wanted Cybercriminal

Brett Johnson, Former U.S. Most Wanted Cybercriminal, ”The Original Internet Godfather" and one of the leading authorities on cybercrime, identity theft, and cybersecurity on the planet joins the show to tell his story of how he went from being convicted of 39 felonies, being the leader of the first organized cybercrime community, Shadowcrew… to redemption, and how what he is working to stop individuals trying to do what he became the best at doing. We also discuss the ways that government organizations can protect themselves from cyber and fraud attacks and what organizations should have learned during the pandemic that can protect them today.

The One with the Department of Justice CIO

The One with the Department of Justice CIO

Melinda Rogers, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Information Resource Management & Chief Information Officer at the US Department of Justice joins the show to shed some light on what is it like being a digital leader in such a high-profile organization. We also talk about her approach to implementing a zero trust framework at her department, how she has seen the cybersecurity landscape over the past ten years, and she shares some advice for women leaders in the government technology space.

The One with the CX Innovation Strategist

The One with the CX Innovation Strategist

Charlotte S. Lee, the Industry Advisory Chair for Customer Experience at ACT-IAC and Strategic Lead for CX & Innovation at Granicus joins the show to discuss what type of mindshare she believes there is in government around CX and the growth that was catalyzed by the executive order around experience. We also talk about where the CX executive order fell short, some predictions for 2024 around experiences in government and tips for government leaders on how they can improve the service delivery today.

The One with the Former US Navy Rear Admiral

The One with the Former US Navy Rear Admiral

Danelle Barrett, Former US Navy Rear Admiral & Director of Current Operations at U.S. Cyber Command joins the show to discuss her book “Rock the Boat” and the lessons she has learned across her life and career. We also talk about traits that she believes good leaders must possess, what she felt like she learned from her mentors, and why her current battle with brain cancer has changed her perspective on life.

The One with the ”Bridgebuilders” Co-Authors

The One with the ”Bridgebuilders” Co-Authors

William D. Eggers, Executive Director of the Deloitte Center for Government Insights & Donald F. Kettl, Professor Emeritus & former dean of the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, and the co-authors of the book “Bridgebuilders: How Government Can Transcend Boundaries to Solve Big Problems” joins the show to discuss their new model for a modern government that they introduce in the book and why the current model no longer works. We also talk about how incentive structures need to change to drive change in the public sector and they elaborate on the key tenets needed to become a “bridge-builder” in their opinion.

The One with the Former State of Florida CIO

The One with the Former State of Florida CIO

Jamie Grant, CEO and Co-Founder of RedLeif and Former State of Florida Chief Information Officer joins the show to unpack his time at the Florida Digital Service and what the priorities of state IT leaders look like in 2023. We also talk about his time in the Florida State Legislature and how that helped him during his tenure as CIO, his thoughts on collaboration across state leadership, and the best advice he has received across his career.

The One with the Digital Identity Experts

The One with the Digital Identity Experts

Jeremy Grant, Managing Director at Venable LLP and Jordan Burris, Vice President of Public Sector Strategy at Socure contribute to a conversation about digital identity in government including the type of measures and policies they are hoping will be put into any type of guidance around identity that comes down from the White House. They also talk about generative AI and how that technology is impacting identity, how IDv technology can bolster equitable access to services and what their hopes are for the future of government digital services.

The One with the GovNavigators

The One with the GovNavigators

Robert Shea and Adam Hughes, the Co-Founders of GovNavigators, join the show to provide insights and advice for those out there trying to navigate the impending government shutdown and current continuing resolution. We also have a talk about things in the Federal market that have surprised them lately, predictions on what might shock us next, and how committees like the CIO Council and others really helped and ways the private sector can (or shouldn’t) engage with them.

The One with the Former Deputy Federal CIO

The One with the Former Deputy Federal CIO

Maria Roat, former U.S. Deputy Federal CIO and CIO for the Small Business Administration, joins the show to dive into her military and civilian career in government and some of the lessons she has learned about people and transformation. We also discuss the evolution of the FedRAMP program, her role in creating government wide collaboration across agency C-suite leaders, and why collaboration is so important between CIOs and CTOs.