The Government Huddle with Brian Chidester

Jim Richberg, Head of Cyber Policy and Global Field CISO at Fortinet rejoins the show for a timely discussion on the fast-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence and we unpack AI's unprecedented energy demands, its implications on national infrastructure, and the critical cybersecurity considerations government agencies must navigate in this new era. Jim also shares his "Three Rules for Government Technology Transformation," and we explore why education and clear procurement strategies are vital to responsible AI rollout in public sector programs.

Andrew McClanahan, Senior Director at LexisNexis Risk Solutions for Government Relations rejoins for Part Two of the conversation around government program integrity and he unpacks the increasing state responsibilities for service delivery and the tough financial balancing acts agencies face while grappling with program reforms, fraud prevention, and privacy protection. We also discuss Medicaid work requirements, SNAP eligibility controversies and the politics of data sharing and we tackle the practical realities and policy debates shaping public assistance programs today.

Sandy Carter, Author of the new book “AI First, Human Always Author” and the Chief Operating Officer of Unstoppable Domains joins the show to dive into the inspiration behind her latest book and shares why empathy and people-first strategies are essential for the future of artificial intelligence. We also unpack topics like AI trust gaps around the world, the critical role of human oversight in AI implementations, how small businesses and governments alike can embrace emerging tech, and why AI's real value lies in transforming — not replacing — human jobs.

Kevin Greene, Chief Security Strategist for the Public Sector at BeyondTrust joins the show for a critical conversation on the evolving cybersecurity landscape in government. Together, we explore the mounting pressures government agencies face from increasingly sophisticated threat actors—and the urgent need for a proactive, threat-informed defense strategy. He also shares his perspectives on the critical role of identity security, the complexities of zero trust adoption, and the emerging role of AI and automation in cyber resilience.

Andrew McClenahan, Senior Director of Government Relations at LexisNexis Risk Solutions and former program leader at the Florida Department of Children and Families joins the show to dissect the growing concerns surrounding program integrity and fraud mitigation in federal and state benefit programs. We dive into what's happening on Capitol Hill—from executive orders and agency mandates to the shifting dynamics of federal-state collaboration—and discuss the implications of recent USDA guidance on eligibility oversight, performance standards, and funding threats for underperforming states—particularly as pandemic relief funds dry up.

Jay Shah, former Chief Operating Officer of Octo and now Strategic Advisor at Technomile joins the show to explore how small and mid-sized companies can scale effectively and thrive amid federal market shifts. We also unpack his personal journey from helping build Octo from the ground up to navigating multiple acquisitions and get his candid perspective on the evolving landscape of government contracting, particularly the increasing focus on performance-based acquisition, innovation, and the rising expectations for industry to deliver differentiated value. Finally we dive deep into how tools like Technomile's platform are equipping businesses to capture growth opportunities with precision, optimize resource alignment, and meet the moment of generational disruption in federal procurement.

Mika J. Cross, Public Sector Workforce Transformation Strategist and former Government Executive joins the show to explore the evolving dynamics of the modern government workforce and together we unpack the critical issues surrounding return-to-office mandates, skills-based hiring, generational shifts in workplace expectations. We also dive into what it truly means to build a resilient, future-ready government workforce PLUS the role of data literacy, the challenges of leadership development in the public sector, and how both public and private organizations must adapt to keep pace with the rapid evolution of work.

Larry Katzman, Chief Executive Officer of Applied Information Sciences (AIS)joined the show for a candid and insightful conversation on the evolving landscape of technology in government. We discuss his journey from developer to CEO and the intentional leadership practices that have guided AIS through decades of digital transformation in both federal and commercial sectors. We also dive into the critical role of safe experimentation environments, the importance of internal champions, and why cloud computing continues to be a game-changer for innovation. 

Hannah Hunt, Distinguished Technical Fellow at MetroStar and former Chief of Product at the Army Software Factory joins the show to share how her government experience is now shaping her impact from the private sector. She also offered candid insights on software factory success metrics, the challenges of scaling innovation within bureaucracy, and how emerging technologies like generative AI can be aligned with mission needs. Finally, we unpacked lessons learned from standing up transformative programs inside the Department of Defense and the importance of storytelling, empathy, and data in delivering value to government customers.

Oleg Polovynko, the Chief Advisor for Digitalization to the Mayor of Kyiv, Ukraine and Former Kyiv Chief Information Officer returns to share how the city has evolved through crisis, transforming its digital infrastructure amidst a full-scale invasion. From the launch of Misto—a platform designed to help cities adapt best practices—to reflections on the pandemic's unexpected role in building resilience, Oleg offers powerful insights on adaptability, trust, and citizen-centric design. We also discuss digital twins, the role of AI in service delivery, ensuring data security during emergencies, and why cities everywhere should start preparing now for the unpredictable challenges ahead.

Justin Brown, CEO of the Center for Public Sector AI and former Secretary of Human Services for the State of Oklahoma joins the show to level-set on where things stand with AI adoption in government—especially at the state and local levels. From small-scale AI implementations to larger strategic trends, we explore how emerging technologies are reshaping service delivery across health and human services. We also discuss the evolution of leadership conversations around AI, how states are approaching policy differently, and the rise of lightweight, outcomes-focused use cases.

Mohammad J. Sear, Global Public Sector Consulting Leader at EY and Author of “Becoming Digital Nations,” joins the show for a deep dive into his new book while also sharing his inspiration behind the book and the bold ideas that drive his vision for rethinking governance, service delivery, and nation-building in a digital-first world. We also explore the difference between digitizing legacy systems and truly reimagining government operating models from the ground up—touching on examples like smart passports, citizen identity platforms, and one-click, zero-documentation government services. Finally, we talk about why disruption, not just innovation, is critical for meaningful change.

Dominic Sale, Managing Director at Code and Theory for Public Sector and Deputy Chief Information Officer of the United States joins the show to discuss the current state of government modernization and the critical need to reimagine public service delivery. We also deliberate on what government's ultimate metric should be, and how experience, efficiency, and transparency are all levers to get there. Finally, we explore the barriers holding back innovation and the opportunity this moment in time presents to create a more agile, digital-first government. 

Savanrith Kong, the First Chief Experience Officer for the United States Department of Defense joins the show to discuss why customer experience is critical in defense and national security. He also shares personal reflections on his leadership journey, insights from building the DoD's CX office from the ground up, and the strategic importance of storytelling, data-driven decisions, and user-centric design within large government organizations.

Arun Gupta, Chief Executive Officer of NobleReach Foundation joins the show to discuss innovative approaches to integrating top talent from the private sector into public service. He shares his personal journey and parallels between his early aspirations to become a sports general manager and his professional experience as a venture capitalist and the critical importance of assembling the right team and resources. We also address the broader implications of current workforce events and technological advancements, such as AI and cybersecurity, and their impact on workforce dynamics within government.   

Akash Mandavilli, Co-founder of GovEagle joins the show to explore how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the government contracting process. He also shares insights into how AI can accelerate proposal development, improve accuracy, and help organizations navigate the evolving landscape of government acquisitions and he covers trends in AI adoption, strategies for winning contracts, and the balance between automation and relationship-building in procurement. 

Jon Baba, Senior Vice President of the Defense Markets at LMI joins the show to discuss the evolving defense landscape and how technology, strategy, and efficiency are converging to shape the future of national security. We also discuss the new administration's defense priorities, including homeland defense and deterrence in Asia the role of AI and emerging technologies in increasing military efficiency and readiness.

Dan Wolf, former Deputy CIO of the Commonwealth of Virginia and Director of State Programs at the Alliance for Digital Innovation joins the show to unpack the evolving landscape of government modernization at the state and local levels. We also discuss the barriers to cloud adoption, how procurement reform can accelerate modernization, and the impact of accessibility mandates on state digital services and why compliance is driving cloud migration.

Amy Crawford, Director of Market Planning at LexisNexis Risk Solutions to discuss the increasing fraud in government benefits programs and reveal results from the latest True Cost of Fraud™ Study for SNAP Agencies & Integrated Eligibility Systems (IES). We also talk about the need for legacy service delivery modernization & early fraud detection PLUS what state and federal agencies can do today to fight fraud while optimizing efficiency and experience. 

Maxwell Shuftan, Director of Mission Programs at SANS Institute joins the show to discuss the state of the government cybersecurity workforce and methods for recruiting some of the best talent into the public sector. We also discuss training initiatives that can be a game-changing strategy to unlock a hidden workforce and the national security implications that these roles have on our country.

Billy Biggs, President and Chief Revenue Officer at Technomile joins Breaking the Huddle to discuss research that his company just released to quantify the DOGE impact on vendors and some of the biggest challenges he sees for companies that are looking to pursue a public sector business in this environment.

Tom McConnell, Practice Area Director for Business and Digital Transformation at LMI joins Breaking the Huddle to explore how LMI has evolved its role in supporting government agencies by unlocking efficiencies in government processes, enabling agencies to better engage stakeholders and optimize internal operations. We also discuss LMI's "Magnify" approach—an extensible human-centered design framework—and the organization's forward-thinking vision for the future of government technology.

Joel Krooswyk, Federal Chief Technology Officer at GitLab joins the show to discuss some of his predictions for the Federal government this year including his thoughts on the proliferation of Software Bill of Materials (SBOMs), AI in software development, and the renewed focus that agencies will place on cloud technology. We also discuss his thoughts on compliance as a strategic enabler and why DevSecOps will continue to grow in popularity. 

Lucas McCabe, a Data Science Fellow at LMI joins Breaking the Huddle to uncover fascinating insights into the world of data science, research, and AI safety. We discuss the story behind the naming of LIGER, LMI's innovative platform, and dives into his groundbreaking work on interdisciplinary data science, including a network science analysis of the opioid epidemic in collaboration with the CDC and SUNY Buffalo.

Courtney Kay-Decker, Deputy Chief Experience Officer at the Internal Revenue Service joins the show to discuss some of the biggest barriers to modernizing the IRS's digital experience, and how is the organization is working to overcome them. We also talk about how the IRS defines success when it comes to modernizing its digital experiences for citizens and the role personalization plays in the IRS's digital engagement strategy.

Dr. Joseph Norton, Chief Technology Office at LMI joins Breaking the Huddle to discuss how his organization is aligning Research and Development capabilities to support government at the Pace of Need®. We also talk about why platform approaches are driving the most scalable impact and why innovation partnerships with the private sector is the future of public sector modernization.

Karina Landing RN, MS, NI-BC, CPHIMS, a healthcare IT leader and Executive Wellness Strategist joins the show to help listeners kickoff the 2025 with an intentional focus on your overall health and wellness. We dive into several topic including why it is so important to treat the cause and not the symptom, how you can take an active role in your health journey PLUS she shares some success stories of clients who have undergone their own transformation.

Rocky Thurston, Chief Executive Officer and DJ Oreb, President of the Managed Mobility Practice at DMI join the show to discuss where we are from a mobile evolution in government and what benefits can come from further investment in this strategy. We also talk about how emerging technologies like 5G, IoT, and augmented reality are changing the landscape of mobile citizen engagement and what advice they have for leaders looking to deploy mobile technologies in their organization.

Matthew Finney, Vice President of Generative AI at LMI joins Breaking the Huddle to discuss how generative AI will drive efficiencies in the Federal government. We also discuss specific use cases for the technology and ways that DOGE but be using GenAI to isolate potential streamlining.

James Coyle, the Chief Technology Officer for Public Sector at Lookout joins the show to share some of the biggest trends he is seeing in cybersecurity and some predictions for 2025. We also discuss the evolution of the zero trust architecture being deployed and how that has impacted the overall security posture of Federal agencies.

Pat Tamburrino, Jr., Chief Administrative Officer at Noblereach Foundation and former Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness joins the show to discuss what it takes to attract top talent into government roles in today's environment. We also discuss the future of hybrid work in government and why the next generation in particular is poised to solve some of the most complex problems of our time.

Jordan Hefferan, Principal at LMI joins Breaking the Huddle to help us understand ways for organizations to remove the roadblocks that inhibit innovation and how LMI Forge is supporting this process for some of the most complex problems in government. PLUS, he tells us the one thing agencies can be doing today that will spark innovation within their teams.

Jordan See, Head of Government Relations & Emilee Lehenbauer, VP of the Federal Civilian Business at Qualtrics Federal join the show to discuss the state of CX in the Federal government and deep dive into the impact that the impending Government Services Delivery Improvement Act will have on agencies. We also talk about how this guidance builds on previous legislation and how it will help improve the reporting on progress that was evident in the recent U.S. GAO report.

Matthew Thompson, Former Army Ranger and the Chief Revenue Officer at Socure joins the show for a special Veteran's Day episode to discuss the importance of weaving military values into the culture of an organization. He also shares some stories from his time serving and what these values have done for him over his life and career.

Alex Adamczyk, Vice President of Advanced Analytics & AI at LMI joins Breaking the Huddle to help us understand some of the most beneficial use cases for generative AI in agencies, how LMI utilizes generative AI with their platform LIGER™, and outlines some of the challenges that governments have encountered in adopting the technology. PLUS, he tells us the one thing that governments should know about Gen AI as they look to the future.

Kim Sutherland, Vice President of Fraud and Identity Strategy at LexisNexis® Risk Solutions joins the show to share her vision for the future of government services when it comes to closing the digital divide while ensuring security & transparency. We also discuss how AI and machine learning can help defeat both mass scale fraudsters and more advanced criminal enterprises effectively and how that translates into strategic value in support of the underserved populations needing to be verified.

Linda Miller, the Former Deputy Director for Pandemic Response Accountability Committee and Founder and CEO of the Audient Group, and Amy Crawford, Director of Market Planning for Fraud and Identity Services at LexisNexis Risk Solutions join the show to discuss the real cost of security threats by uncovering the true impact to residents and government organizations. 

James Lee, Chief Operating Officer for the Identity Theft Resource Center & George Freeman, a Senior Technical Leader for LexisNexis Risk Solutions join the show to uncover emerging threats in the digital identity space that are impacting government agencies and constituents. They also shed light on ways agencies can protect the digital equity of constituents and support their own organizational operations.

Jim Richberg, Head of Cyber Policy and Global Field CISO at Fortinet & the former US National Intelligence Manager for Cybersecurity joins the show to discuss the biggest barriers or challenges to improving the election security. We also talk about the primary concerns that voting officials have going into this year's election and he provides last-minute advice that election officials can do right now leading into November.

Taylor Parry & ​​Brian Eschbacher, consultants and experts in the education space join the show to discuss some of the biggest trends impacting the industry including how declining birth rates are impacting enrollment and funding. We also discuss the trickle down effect this has on programs like social security and medicare and the advice they would give to policymakers and government leaders who want to ensure that their governments are prepared for the challenges of tomorrow.

Aubrey Gainfort, Contracting Officer at Transportation Security Administration the host of the podcast, Breaking the Standard, joins the show to talk about the best ways for companies to be successful at the end of the Federal fiscal year. We also discuss common mistakes she sees companies make during the procurement process, she explains the dynamics between contracting officers and program leaders, and we deep dive into ways companies can stand out in this crowded marketplace.

Adrian Brown, Strategic Advisor and the Former Executive Director for the Centre for Public Impact joins the show to discuss why long-term, strategic thinking is essential for governments, especially in the face of dynamic challenges and technological disruptions. We also define the key barriers that governments face when trying to adopt this approach and how they overcome these challenges. Plus in light of the upcoming US election, we talk about how governments can ensure that long-term policies are not derailed by short-term political cycles and changes in leadership.

Katy Ruckle, Chief Privacy Officer for the State of Washington and a Member of the State's Executive Committee for AI joins the show to discuss the privacy implications involving artificial intelligence in government. We also talk about the evolution of the Chief Privacy Officer role, her role on the AI executive order released by the State of Washington, and where she goes to stay on top of the latest trends and information on this evolving and dynamic technology.

Robert D. Atkinson, bestselling author of the book "Technology Fears and Scapegoats" joins the show to address the widespread myths and misconceptions surrounding modern technologies and their impact on society. He also discusses the most common misconceptions about AI and ways to address them, the balance between technological advancement and privacy protection, and the criticality of STEM education in overcoming these myths and fostering a culture of innovation.

Linda Miller, Founder & CEO of Audient Group, Former Deputy Director for Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) and a Member of the US Olympic Rowing Team at the 2000 Sydney Games joins the show to discuss for Olympics experience and how her sports background has shaped her life and career. We also lean into her experience as a fraud SME to discuss the current state of government digital identity and her thoughts on how AI will impact this space moving forward. 

Brian Chidester, Head of Industry Strategy for Public Sector at Adobe and Host of The Government Huddle Podcast invites Phillip Naithram, Host of The Jumping Point Podcast to interview him in honor of the show's 150th episode. Together they cover a lot of topics including Brian's personal and professional journey. They also talk about how his athletic background shaped his mindset and drive, his transition from professional sports into his career,  and the importance of empathy, gratitude, and positive habits in personal growth.

Dr. David Bray, Distinguished Fellow at both the Stimson Center and Principal at LeadDoAdapt joins the show along with Bob Gourley, former CTO of the Defense Intelligence Agency and now the CTO of OODA LLC, to talk about some of the aspects of GenAI that are particularly difficult for government to tackle in today's society. We also discuss why issues that used to be solely the domain of U.S. intelligence & defense departments are now also in the domain of commercial companies and they share some advice to leaders in these sectors that are negotiating the pressing national and international security issues of our time.

Mathew Lehnig, a former combat-proven Veteran & Navy SEAL Officer, accomplished author, keynote speaker, executive coach, and the Vice President of Programs at EXCELR8 joins the show to share leadership insights from his military background that align to both government and industry professionals alike. We also discuss what a day with Independence Day means to him and dive into the most common leadership challenges he witnesses in the corporate world and his advice on how to address them.

Teri Takai, Former Chief Information Officer for the US Department of Defense, State of California, & State of Michigan & the SVP at e.Republic's Center for Digital Government joins the show to discuss the current drivers of change in government modernization. We also talk about what “putting the citizen in the center” really means to a CX leader, how she has seen this focus change since she joined government, and what she sees being the biggest opportunity for artificial intelligence in the public sector.

Justin Davis, Associate Chief of Customer Experience at State of Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) joins the show to discuss how artificial intelligence is changing how the agency is supporting the state's resident experience and service delivery. We also talk about his approach to effectively drive programmatic change within an organization and what it will take to deliver predictive digital experiences to all citizens.

Michael Leahy, former Secretary of the Department of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer for the State of Maryland joins the show to discuss the key principles of his verifiable government framework. We also talk about his IT governance approach while he served as the State of Maryland CIO and his advice to organizations looking to avoid vendor lock-in and manage costs effectively.