The Government Huddle with Brian Chidester

200: The One with the Former Obama Federal CIO

Tony Scott, former Federal Chief Information Officer under President Barack Obama and current President & CEO of Intrusion joins the show to give a candid, inside look at how the CIO role has evolved across government and industry—from back-office IT leadership to becoming a critical connector across mission, policy, technology, and organizational strategy. Tony reflects on his time overseeing an $85B federal IT portfolio, the challenges and urgency of modernizing aging systems, and the events surrounding the OPM breach that reshaped federal cybersecurity. 

199: The One with the CivicPlus Market Expert

Brenden Elwood, Vice President of Market Research at CivicPlus and a City Councilor in North Bend, Washington joins the show to unpack the latest insights from CivicPlus’ nationwide resident research. We explore what drives citizen satisfaction and trust in local government, from proactive communication to transparent service delivery. We also discuss how accessibility and user experience directly shape public perception, and why digital inclusivity is more than just a compliance checkbox, it’s a cornerstone of good governance.

198: The One with the Results for America Director

Emily Ferris, Director for What Works Cities at Results for America joins the show to discuss how artificial intelligence is impacting cities and what to expect in the future.

197: The One with the Human-Centered Design Pioneer

Suzanne Boyd, CEO of Anthro-Tech and a pioneer in human-centered design joins the show to share her journey from growing up in a family of entrepreneurs to founding Anthro-Tech in 1997, by blending her love of anthropology with technology to improve lives through thoughtful design. We unpack the evolution and institutionalization of human-centered design, its impact on government and private sector organizations, and the importance of inclusivity and accessibility from the start of any project.

196: The One About Modernizing Government Security

Peter O’Donohue, CTO at Tyto Athene, and Gaurav “GP” Pal, Principal at Stack Armor join the show to unpack the future of federal compliance, security, and cloud modernization. From automating risk management frameworks to balancing mission urgency with cybersecurity, the discussion dives into how government and industry can partner to drive efficiency, accountability, and continuous monitoring. Finally we explore insights on the evolution of FedRAMP, secure-by-design practices, and the role of AI and quantum in shaping the next five years of compliance.

195: The One with the Alliance of Digital Innovation Leader

Dan Wolf, former Deputy CIO for the Commonwealth of Virginia and current Director of State Programs for the Alliance of Digital Innovation returns to the show to unpack some of the most pressing issues shaping state and local government today. From the surge of artificial intelligence legislation sweeping all 50 states, to the rise of cybersecurity mandates like New York’s reporting requirements and Texas’s bold Cyber Command initiative, we discuss insights into how policymakers, CIOs, and the private sector are navigating these transformative shifts. 

194: The One with the e.Republic President

Dustin Haisler, State and Local Government expert and President of e.Republic joins the show for a wide-ranging conversation on the evolving landscape of state and local government. Together, we dive into the findings from the 2025 Adobe Digital Government Index and explore the tension between rising citizen expectations and governments’ ability to keep pace. From AI adoption and accessibility mandates to cloud modernization, workforce challenges, and shifting federal-to-state responsibilities, we unpack the trends shaping public sector innovation. We also discuss how states are addressing technical debt, why building strong digital foundations is critical for AI success, and how leaders can move from pilots to enterprise rollouts with confidence.

193: The One with the iTech AG Vice President

Chris Cullerot, Vice President for Technology and Innovation at iTech AG joins the show to unpack the massive savings potential outlined in a recent GAO report—over $100 billion—through better IT asset management and consolidation. He shares real-world examples of how federal agencies are addressing duplicative systems, overcoming change management hurdles, and building scalable platforms that improve efficiency, reduce costs, and strengthen security.

192: The One with the Political Philosopher

Crom Carmichael, a government contracting entrepreneur, investor, and historian joins the show to explore what a truly efficient government could look like and what history has shown us to be the best way achieve one. We discuss his journey into political philosophy and the creation of his educational platform, Giants of Political Thought, and dive into the historical roots of government. Finally, we unpack the evolution of the U.S. healthcare system, the impact of tax policy on public services, and the role of innovation—especially AI—in driving productivity.

191: The One with the 2025 Adobe Digital Government Index (DGI)

Amita Prabhu, Amber Lao, and Kaila Cage from Adobe’s Public Sector Digital Strategy Group join the show unpack the inspiration, methodology, and key findings of the report, which benchmarks digital maturity across U.S. state governments. Together we discuss the origins of the DGI and how it evolved from a side project into a strategic benchmarking tool and why the three pillars of digital maturity – customer experience, site performance, and digital self-service – are so vital to digital government maturity. We also discuss why citizen expectations are outpacing government digital improvements—and what states can do about it and the growing influence of AI and ML in service delivery—from chatbots to fraud detection.