The Government Huddle with Brian Chidester

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.

133: 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.

132: 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. 

131: 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.

130: 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.

129: 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.