The Government Huddle with Brian Chidester

143: The One with the Royal Commission for AlUla Digital Leader

Lawrence Eta, Vice President, Digital and Analytics for the Royal Commission for AlUla & Author of “Bridging Worlds: A Journey of Technology, Leadership, and Public Service” joins the show to discuss how his personal and professional journey influenced his new book. We also talk about his strategy to align to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, his thoughts on how technology will be most impactful in government and in society at large, and how he would approach building a digitally-focused city from the ground up.

142: The One with the UKG Public Sector Senior Fellow

Bob Lavigna, Senior Fellow, UKG Public Sector and the Founding Director, for the Institute for Public Sector Employee Engagement joins the show as we celebrate Public Service Recognition Week and we reflect on the importance of employee engagement. We also talk about the 2024 human capital management “megatrends” that government should be focused on which are redefining the employee/employer relationship. Finally we delve into the impending environmental, social and governance “gut check” which is intensifying political culture wars and are putting organizations’ initiatives, especially DEI&B, under a microscope.

141: The One with the Estonia Chief Data Officer

Ott Velsberg, Global AI Thought Leader and Chief Data Officer of the Government of Estonian joins the show to discuss Estonia’s new AI and data strategy which is built on three main pillars: a data-driven economy and society, an AI-driven government and society and trustworthy, human-centric AI and data governance. We also talk about the country’s approach to digital citizen experience and why Estonia has gained a reputation as a trendsetter in AI around the world.

140: 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.

139: 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.

138: 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.”

137: 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.

136: 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.

135: 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.

134: 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.