On this edition of Fed Gov Today, we dive into major developments across federal initiatives that impact both federal employees and national defense. Kim Weaver, Director of External Affairs at the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, joins to discuss a 44% increase in TSP roll-ins, a sign of growing participant confidence. She also highlights record-high matching rates and the impact of auto-enrollment on maximizing participant savings, especially among active-duty personnel. Russell Rumbaugh, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Financial Management and Comptroller, details the Marine Corps’ recent clean audit opinion—a significant milestone in defense audit progress. Rumbaugh shares insights into the Navy's broader audit journey, emphasizing the critical role of leadership and collaboration to break down "stovepipes" that hinder audit success. Dr. Jerry McGinn, Executive Director of the Baroni Center for Government Contracting at George Mason University, explores the state of the defense industrial base (DIB) through four case studies: WWII, the MRAP program, COVID-19, and support for Ukraine. Catch more insights and expert interviews on Fed Gov Today, with new episodes every Wednesday. Visit FedGovToday.com for additional resources and links

On this edition of Fed Gov Today with Francis Rose, sponsored by Appian, we dive into three critical topics reshaping the landscape of federal IT modernization, business process transformation, and AI integration in financial management. Jenna Whitley, Acting Assistant Inspector General for Audit for Security and Information Technology Services at TIGTA, discusses the IRS’s progress on its modernization journey. As the IRS embraces AI, automation, and cloud technologies, Whitley highlights the improvements made possible through the $4.7 billion in supplemental funding from the Inflation Reduction Act. Matt Beran, Industry Lead for Global Defense and Intelligence Programs at Appian, shares insights into how federal agencies are rethinking their business processes with automation. He outlines the "Big Three" pillars—process orchestration, automation, and intelligence—that are helping agencies streamline workflows and improve mission-critical operations. Chi Okonkwo, Director of the Agency Financial Systems Office at NASA, talks about how AI is changing the game in federal financial management. From enhancing fraud detection to improving financial modeling, Okonkwo explains how AI can bring greater accuracy and efficiency to finance operations. She also shares best practices for piloting AI initiatives and scaling them across the agency, with a focus on data precision and workforce collaboration. For more information and resources related to today’s discussions, visit the show page at fedgovtoday.com.

On this edition of Fed Gov Today with Francis Rose, sponsored by Cohesity. We explore key advancements in the Department of Defense’s Zero Trust strategy and AI compliance efforts. Les Call, Director of the Zero Trust Portfolio Management Office at the DoD, explains the new assessment tools and processes designed to make Zero Trust implementation more efficient. He outlines the shift from traditional Red Team assessments to automated, repeatable processes aimed at meeting the Pentagon’s 2027 Zero Trust goal. Craig Martell, CTO at Cohesity and former Chief Digital and AI Officer at the DoD, explores how agencies can balance AI compliance with practical execution. He addresses the challenges of managing AI errors and ensuring responsible AI innovation. Kevin Walsh, Director of IT and Cybersecurity at GAO, shares insights on how federal agencies are progressing in AI compliance, focusing on talent recruitment and governance.

For more information and links to resources mentioned in the episode, visit the show page at fedgovtoday.com.

On this edition of Fed Gov Today with Francis Rose, sponsored by the Women’s Center, we dive into key themes in healthcare data innovation and workforce resilience. Jesus Caban, Chief Data Scientist at the Program Executive Office for Defense Healthcare Management Systems (PEO DHMS), discusses the evolution of healthcare data sharing in the Department of Defense. He breaks down the challenges of normalizing data and explains how the DoD is working to standardize data across military health systems and with other healthcare organizations globally.

In addition to healthcare data, the episode addresses the broader theme of workforce resilience. Rachna Krishnan, CEO of the Women’s Center, explores how resilience is increasingly tied to holistic wellness and community support. She explains how resilience in the workforce can lead to more productive, engaged employees, and how the lines between work and personal life continue to blur post-pandemic. Finally, the show celebrates government excellence by highlighting this year’s Service to America Medals (Sammies) and the stories behind the public servants recognized for their extraordinary contributions. Max Stier, President and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, shares insights into how nominees are selected and the importance of recognizing outstanding federal employees.

Read more and find links to additional resources on today’s show page at fedgovtoday.com.

On this edition of Fed Gov Today with Francis Rose, we tackle three pressing issues shaping the future of government technology, policy, and data security. James Burd, Chief Privacy Officer at CISA, explains how privacy and cybersecurity are now inextricably linked. Discover why it’s no longer possible to protect one without the other, and what agencies are doing to manage these intertwined risks. As the State Department approaches the three-year mark of its modernization plan, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma details the progress. Learn how new bureaus, workforce initiatives, and cutting-edge technology are transforming U.S. diplomacy in the digital age. Nathan Manzotti, Director of the Data Analytics and AI Centers of Excellence at GSA, warns of a new challenge: synthetic content risk. He explains how AI-generated misinformation could compromise regulatory decisions and what steps are being taken to counteract this threat. For more information and resources related to today’s discussion, visit the show page at fedgovtoday.com.

On this edition of Fed Gov Today with Francis Rose, sponsored by Maximus, we explore the evolving cyber threat landscape from the FBI's perspective, strategies for small businesses to team up with larger government contractors, and a radically different approach to IT modernization. The FBI’s Internet Crime Report reveals over 880,000 cybercrime complaints in 2023, with losses exceeding $12.5 billion. Deputy Director of the FBI, Paul Abate, shares insights from the Billington Cybersecurity Summit, discussing the rising cyber threat from nation-states like China, Russia, and Iran, as well as the FBI’s no-fail mission to prevent and respond to threats.

Additionally, Larry Reagan from Maximus explains the benefits and challenges of small business teaming in government contracting, and Pavan Padugu, CTO of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, outlines his agency’s “radically different” approach to IT modernization aimed at transforming and streamlining processes for the future. Catch all the details in today’s episode, available on fedgovtoday.com.

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s Technology Strategy includes five key initiatives. One of them is to “build artificial intelligence, cloud and high performance computing into [the] GEOINT mainstream.” On today’s show, you’ll meet three leaders who are executing that part of the NGA strategy. Mark Munsell is Director of Data and Digital Innovation at NGA, and a recent guest on the Fed Gov Today TV show, “AI In Depth.” Rachael Martin is Maven program lead at NGA, and Anna Rubinstein is the agency’s ethical AI lead. You’ll learn what NGA is doing with AI now, and what’s ahead for their AI program.

This Fed Gov Today program is sponsored by Leidos.

The Labor Department has a new acting Chief Information Officer. Gundeep Ahluwalia, the outgoing Labor CIO, was on Fed Gov Today TV this week, talking about his time at the agency. Lou Charlier is the Acting CIO at Labor. He tells you how the agency is approaching AI, and its zero trust cybersecurity efforts.

The White House’s AI.gov features use cases for artificial intelligence all across government. The stories on the site detail how agencies determine which AI tools work for the mission challenges they’re trying to solve. Seth Abrams is chief technology officer for homeland and force protection at Leidos; Carolyn Chipman is their Vice President for Homeland and Force Protection Growth. They tell you how to analyze potential use cases, how to introduce AI products into your agency’s workflow, and what’s over the horizon for agencies across government.