In this episode of The Lending Brief (sponsored by Allocore), the GovNavigators talk with Anthony Curcio, Senior Partner at Summit Consulting and longtime federal credit expert, about the fundamentals of government lending.

Curcio explains why federal loan programs exist in the first place, how they differ from private-sector financing, and the two distinct sides of federal credit: large consumer programs like student loans and mortgages, and project-based lending for infrastructure, manufacturing, and industrial policy.

The discussion covers the practical challenges agencies face and the central tension of federal lending: advancing public policy while still operating like a disciplined, repayable loan program.

For anyone looking to understand the strategy, mechanics, and future of federal credit, this conversation is a clear and candid guide.

Want more from The Lending Brief? Check out The Lending Brief Newsletter

This week on The GovNavigators Show, Robert and Adam sit down with Jon Stehle, Director of Intergovernmental Partnerships at the Association of Government Accountants (AGA), for a discussion on the intersection of federal, state, and local government.

A former four-term Fairfax City Council member, Jon reflects on lessons learned from local office; why strategic planning matters, how regional collaboration actually works, and why many of the services people rely on are funded far beyond their own city hall. He explains how AGA helps connect practitioners across jurisdictions, from sharing best practices through citizen-centric reporting to building the next generation of government financial managers. Jon also digs into timely issues like improper payments and fraud, the importance of clear definitions and accountability, and what state and local leaders are feeling as policies and funding priorities shift in Washington.

Can't get enough of Jon and AGA? Keep an eye out for their upcoming events, including AGA's National Leadership Training and the return of its Professional Development Training conference to Washington, DC.

Show Notes:

• House Oversight Federal Fraud Hearing
• AGA's CGFM Certification
• AGA Professional Development Training 2026

What's on the GovNavigators Radar:

Jan 21: Scoop News Group's SNG Live: Government Efficiency 

Jan 27: ACT-IAC’s Acquisition and Innovation Forum

Feb 5: Adobe’s Government Forum

Feb 18-19: AGA’s NLT

Feb 24: State of the Union Address

This week on the GovNavigators Show, Robert and Adam kick off 2026 with Terry Gerton, former President and CEO of the National Academy of Public Administration and the new host of The Federal Drive on Federal News Network. Terry reflects on her transition from leading a major good-government institution to hosting a daily federal news program, and what it takes to deliver clear, fact-based conversations amid constant policy churn.

Listen along as we learn how The Federal Drive decides what matters most to federal employees, why listener feedback often shapes coverage in unexpected ways, and what Terry is watching most closely in 2026, from congressional dynamics to the growing role of the courts in federal governance.

Show Notes:

• Listen to the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
• DoD accelerates FAR overhaul
• New EO targets the defense industrial base
• OMB brings back the Presidential Rank Awards
• Fed100 nominations are due January 14!

What's on the GovNavigators Radar:

• Jan 13: House Oversight and Government Reform Hearing: Curbing Federal Fraud
• Jan 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• Jan 21: Scoop News Group Government Efficiency Summit
• Jan 27: ACT-IAC Acquisition and Innovation Forum 
• Jan 28: IBM Think Gov 2026
• Jan 30: ACT-IAC CX Summit: The Next Chapter

In this episode of The Lending Brief (sponsored by Allocore), former Treasury Fiscal Assistant Secretary and Acting Deputy Secretary Dave Lebryk joins the show to reflect on a career at the center of federal financial management—from government-wide data modernization to delivering emergency payments at historic speed.

Drawing on his leadership during the DATA Act implementation and the rollout of pandemic economic impact payments, Lebryk discusses what government gets right in moments of crisis, why agile methods and cross-agency collaboration matter, and how trust, data quality, and execution are deeply intertwined. He explains how Treasury dramatically expanded fraud-prevention capabilities, why federally funded, state-administered programs remain a major opportunity area, and how better data aggregation can protect taxpayers without slowing delivery.

The conversation also explores where shared services and standardized platforms could most improve federal lending and grants, the role of the private sector in scaling fraud detection and identity verification, and what it will take to build seamless, end-to-end experiences for borrowers—without sacrificing oversight. Lebryk closes with reflections on the next generation of public servants and why technological fluency will be essential to the future of federal credit programs.

Want more from The Lending Brief? Check out The Lending Brief Newsletter.

In this special Christmas pop-up episode of the GovNavigators Show, Robert and Adam close out a truly wild year in government with reflections, gratitude, and a well-earned holiday sendoff. We raise a glass to the remarkable career of Gene Dodaro, who is retiring after more than five decades of public service, including 15 years as Comptroller General of the United States. Additionally, we've got an update on all the year-end developments affecting the federal workforce, including holiday leave, pay adjustments, military compensation decisions, and the ever-present tension between appropriations law and executive branch flexibility.

We wish you all a happy holidays, and we'll see you in 2026- Mele Kalikimaka!

Show Notes:

GAO: 

• Comptroller General Gene Dodaro's final testimony
• Dodaro's "exit interview" with Government Executive

NDAA: Summary

This week, the GovNavigators sit down with our good friend Nick Hart, President and CEO of the Data Foundation, for a wide-ranging conversation on why government data matters more than most people realize, and why it so often goes unnoticed until it’s at risk.

Nick walks through the launch of the People’s Data 100, a new initiative designed to surface and celebrate the most valuable public-sector data assets. He explains how fragile these “invisible infrastructure” systems can be, why low public engagement puts critical datasets at risk of elimination, and what it really takes — people, resources, and data hygiene — to keep high-value data usable, trustworthy, and fit for purpose.

The conversation also explores the state of data governance heading into 2026, including implementation of the Evidence Act, responsible and ethical data use, and the upcoming launch of the Data Foundation’s Evidence Act Hub, aimed at making it easier for agencies, researchers, and the public to navigate the federal evidence ecosystem.

In the news, Robert and Adam unpack the release of the administration’s long-awaited President’s Management Agenda, debate what its slimmed-down framework signals for federal priorities, and break down new developments on AI governance, federal real estate optimization, and the always-moving pieces of year-end legislation and management reform.

Show Notes:

OMB: President's Management Agenda (Finally!)

EO: Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence

Data Foundation:

• Evidence Act Hub
• Press Release
• People's Data 100

What's on the GovNavigators Radar:

Dec 16-17: SAP Public Sector Summit

Dec 16:

• AGA’s Smart Start Breakfast Forum
• Forum IT 100 Awards 

Dec 17: AGA’s Wake Up Wednesday: Bottlenecks to Breakthroughs: Process Mining in Government

In this episode of The Lending Brief (sponsored by Allocore), former SBA CFO and Associate Administrator Kate Aaby joins to unpack what it really takes to manage and modernize one of the federal government’s largest loan portfolios. Drawing on experience at OMB, in the private sector, and on the front lines of pandemic lending, Kate reflects on lessons learned from moving $1 trillion in assistance to small businesses, and what’s still holding federal credit programs back.

She discusses why performance and risk management should be inseparable, how fragmented eligibility systems erode trust, and why true modernization will require CFOs, CIOs, and program leaders to work together across agency lines. The conversation explores the need for shared platforms, better data transparency, and a cultural shift toward collaboration, all to better serve borrowers and safeguard taxpayer dollars.

Want more from The Lending Brief? Check out The Lending Brief Newsletter

This week, the GovNavigators welcome Ross Nodurft, Executive Director of the Alliance for Digital Innovation, for a timely conversation on the future of federal IT modernization and the urgent fight to save the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) before its December expiration.

Ross breaks down how the TMF has quietly become one of the federal government’s most effective tools for paying down tech debt, funding everything from Treasury network modernization to AI-powered disability processing at Social Security. He explains why TMF doesn’t require new appropriations to survive, where bipartisan momentum stands on Capitol Hill, and what agency leaders, industry partners, and advocates can do right now to push reauthorization across the finish line.

In the news, we've got GAO’s alarming findings on fraud in CMS’s healthcare subsidies, the Justice Department’s investigation into the SBA’s 8(a) program, and new momentum behind the SAMOSA Act, which would overhaul how agencies buy and manage software.

Show Notes:

TMF: More on the importance of renewal

GAO: CMS healthcare subsidies report

SBA: Investigating 8(a) participants

SAMOSA: Act advances in the House

What's on the GovNavigators Radar:

Dec 9: ACT-IAC Disruptive Technology Forum

Dec 11: 

• State IT Modernization Summit (Virtual)
• ATARC CIO Summit

This week, the GovNavigators sit down with Sairah Ijaz, Managing Director at Celonis and former federal CIO to talk about her path from a GS-5 intern with a clipboard to one of the most influential technology executives in government.

Sairah shares how early roles at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Social Security Administration, and GAO shaped her obsession with process improvement, and why that made her move to Celonis such a natural next step. She reflects on major transitions at HUD, including financial system migrations, data-driven decision-making, and the sometimes chaotic reality of inheriting undocumented processes and shrinking institutional knowledge.

The conversation dives deep on where AI is actually delivering value in government (and where it isn’t), how agencies can operationalize AI in back-office functions, and why understanding real workflows is essential to transforming federal operations, especially in a moment of leadership churn and rapid change.

Show Notes:

Genesis Mission: EO

AGA: CFO Survey

What's on the GovNavigators Radar:

Dec 1-3: PSC Vision Conference

Dec 4-5: ACT-IAC's in DC 

The GovNavigators drop in with a special Thanksgiving pop-up to talk shutdown aftershocks, the rocky restart for federal employees and contractors, and what the latest CR means for the months ahead. Robert and Adam also recap the launch of the GovNavigators Network and touch on OPM’s new executive-training curriculum and Congress’s surprisingly light work schedule. A quick holiday check-in full of federal-management insights and a little gratitude for the GovNavigators community.

Show Notes:

GovNavigators Network Launch: Press Release

OPM: New Development Programs Memo

What's on the GovNavigators Radar:

Dec 4-5: ACT-IAC's in DC