Government Matters

Jonathan Alboum, principal data strategist at ServiceNow, discusses the Federal Data Strategy, and how chief data officers are working to implement it.

Tom Romeo, general manager for the U.S. Federal Services Segment of MAXIMUS, discusses government contracting trends, and how the acquisition process is changing.

Richard Spires, CEO of Learning Tree International, discusses the timeline for the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification, and what it means for the dozens of companies that contract with the Pentagon.

Gordon Bitko, senior vice president of policy for public sector at ITI, discusses the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification standards, and how defense companies can leverage best practices to comply.

Stephanie Keith, director of Cyber Workforce Management at the Department of Veterans Affairs, outlines how the VA’s cybersecurity training efforts are improving their workforce, and how the agency will measure success.

Eric Crusius, partner at Holland & Knight, discusses next steps for the General Services Administration’s schedules consolidation, and what contractors need to do to prepare.

Karen Brazell, chief acquisition officer at VA, and COL Andrew Centineo (USA ret.), executive director of the Office of Procurement and Logistics at VHA discuss how the Department of Veterans Affairs is teaming up with the Pentagon to acquire medical tools and improve veteran care.

Stephanie Keith, director of Cyber Workforce Management at the Department of Veterans Affairs, outlines how the VA’s cybersecurity training efforts are improving their workforce, and how the agency will measure success.

Oriana Pawlyk, reporter at Military.com, and Valerie Insinna, Air Warfare Reporter for Defense News, discuss the F-35’s ‘must-fix’ changes.

Kristen Kociolek, director at the Government Accountability Office, discusses why the Department of Defense needs to change their accounting adjustment practices and what recommendations GAO has for the Pentagon.

Ari Schwartz, managing director of cybersecurity services at Venable, details how the Pentagon will audit contractor cybersecurity and breaks down the timeline for putting the new certification in place.

David Powner, director of Strategic Engagement & Partnerships at MITRE, discusses the history of FITARA, and the effects the scorecard had on federal IT.

Bryan McGrath, managing director of the FerryBridge Group, discusses the Navy’s funding priorities, and why boosting their budget is important to U.S. military power.

Melanie Sisson, senior fellow and director of the Stimson Center Defense Strategy & Planning Program, discusses AI efforts in the Pentagon, and how it’s not just about warfighting.

Anthony Capaccio, defense reporter at Bloomberg News, discusses the testing of hypersonic weapons for the U.S. military, and major accounting adjustments at the Defense Department.

Kim Weaver, director of external affairs for the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, discusses how plan participants can soon make easier catch-up contributions, and what smarter choices they can make when it comes to retirement.

Dave Young, senior vice president of public sector at CenturyLink, discusses how the government can improve the IT modernization pipeline, and how industry can help.

Chris Cornillie, Federal Technology Market Analyst at Bloomberg Government, details why the government will spend more on IT in 2020, and overall trends in the market.

Jessica Klement, staff vice president for Policy and Programs at NARFE, discusses the backlog of the retirements at the Office of Personnel Management, and why it’s ultimately a success story.

Brian Boxman, vice president of federal at Talend and Ryan Swann, head of federal practice at Collibra, discuss the impacts California’s new data privacy law could have on the federal government, and how it might change the nature of data use across state lines.

Jacob Parcell, innovation portfolio director at GSA, details how the U.S. Web Design System is helping more than 40 federal agencies modernize their web presence.

Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) discusses why he hopes the government’s new parental leave policy will set an example for the private sector and what he’s doing to support federal employees in his district.

Beth Cappello, Acting Chief Information Officer at the Department of Homeland Security, discusses tech priorities at the agency, and the ways they can utilize AI to assist with their mission.

Michael Esser, assistant inspector general for audits at the Office of Personnel Management, discusses results from the latest report on OPM’s cybersecurity, and recommendations for improvements.

Preparing the structure of the Space Force

Kaitlyn Johnson, Associate Director of the CSIS Aerospace Security Project, discusses the Space Force organizational chart, and the new branch’s plan for their first few years.

Structuring leadership at the Defense Department

Jerry McGinn, executive director of the Center for Government Contracting at George Mason University, discusses possible changes to management leadership at the Pentagon, and the future of the CMO position.

Ensuring data security and individual privacy

Terry Gerton, President & CEO of NAPA, and Jason Briefel, executive director of the Senior Executives Association, discuss efforts to ensure government data security, and how agencies can work to maintain privacy of the citizens they serve.

Andrew Hunter, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, details what the “flat” 2021 defense budget means for programs at the branches.

David Barno and Nora Bensahel, contributing editors at War On The Rocks, discuss the possibility of foreign drone strikes on U.S. military leadership, and how the threat could be mitigated.

Matthew Cornelius, executive director of the Alliance for Digital Innovation, discusses the Pentagon’s search for innovative ideas and tech, and how industry can assist.