In this special President’s Day pop-up episode, the GovNavigators break down a fast-moving week in federal management and policy. They unpack the latest partial shutdown and what it really means for DHS employees, travelers, and the long-term outlook for TSA, along with the state of negotiations between the White House and Congress.

The conversation turns to the Congressional Budget Office’s new long-term deficit projection, the Small Business Administration’s termination of more than 150 8(a) contracts and what it signals for the federal contracting community, and a notable Washington Post release of a searchable database of federal AI use cases, and what it says about the government’s progress (and remaining challenges) in making data usable.

Enjoy the long weekend, folks!

Show Notes:

Robert, there are a total of four presidents with alliterative names, they are: 

• Woodrow Wilson (28th President)
• Calvin Coolidge (30th President)
• Herbert Hoover (31st President)
• Ronald Reagan (40th President) 

This week, the GovNavigators are joined by Mike Wetklow, former Chief Risk Officer at the IRS and longtime federal financial leader, to kick off a new series on the pod, introducing you all to the illustrious members of the GovNavigators Network. Mike reflects on his career across DHS, NSF, OMB, and IRS, his decision to return to school mid-career to study data analytics, and his current work preparing the next generation of public servants at George Mason University. The conversation explores how AI, data science, and emerging technologies are reshaping risk management and financial oversight, and why government’s real challenge may be learning to oversee technology that increasingly does the work itself.

In the news, Robert and Adam break down a brief partial shutdown, ongoing DHS funding uncertainty, and GAO’s latest report on federal shared services. They unpack why progress remains slow, what leadership commitment is missing, and why agencies continue to struggle to stop paying for duplicative systems. The episode also covers the administration’s move to reclassify parts of the federal workforce, revisiting the spirit of Schedule F, and a rare bipartisan moment out of the House Oversight Committee that raises cautious questions about the future of good-government reforms.

Show Notes:

• Learn more about the GovNavigators Network
• GAO report on Federal Shared Services
• OPM Federal Workforce Reclassification Rule

What's on the GovNavigators' Radar:

• Feb 10-12: AFCEA West
• Feb 11: PSC Law Enforcement Conference
• Feb 18-19: AGA National Leadership Training
• Mar 5: Government Efficiency Summit

In this episode of The Lending Brief  (sponsored by Allocore), Bill Webner, CEO of Allocore, joins the podcast to break down why federal lending remains one of government’s most mission-critical—but technologically neglected—functions, and what it will take to modernize it at scale.

Drawing on his career spanning Freddie Mac, Booz Allen, Capgemini, and now Allocore, Webner explains how legacy, fragmented loan systems slow disbursements, increase fraud risk, and drive unnecessary operating costs across more than 175 federal credit programs. He contrasts the federal approach with modern commercial banking platforms, where speed and accountability are the norm, not the exception.

The conversation explores lessons from SBA’s pandemic-era lending programs, why emergency conditions often catalyze modernization, and how a sanctioned, shared lending platform could dramatically improve speed to disbursement, borrower experience, and fraud prevention across government. Webner also discusses why federal lending modernization is uniquely solvable, how it mirrors past shared-services efforts like payroll and travel, and why getting this right has an outsized impact on the broader economy.

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

This week on The GovNavigators Show, Robert and Adam are joined by Venice Goodwine, former CIO of the Department of the Air Force and current CIO and Product Owner at Arlo Solutions, for a candid conversation about leadership, culture, and change across government. 

Venice reflects on a remarkable career spanning more than three decades of active-duty and reserve service, senior executive roles at the Department of Agriculture and the Air Force, and hands-on leadership across nearly every military service. She shares how navigating wildly different organizational cultures shaped her leadership style, why mission understanding matters more than titles, and what it really takes to modernize enterprise IT at scale.

The discussion also dives into major accomplishments, including IT-as-a-service transformations, cybersecurity improvements, early GenAI experimentation inside DoD, and lessons learned from retiring (twice!) and choosing to keep contributing. Venice closes with advice for today’s public servants navigating uncertainty, efficiency mandates, and cultural resistance, emphasizing curiosity, coalition-building, and keeping the end mission in mind.

Show Notes:

• H.R.7148: Consolidated Appropriations Act
• Reform For Results

What's on the GovNavigators' Radar:

Feb 3: ITI's The Intersect 2026

Feb 5: Shared Services Leadership Coalition Government Efficiency Roundtable

This week on The GovNavigators Show, Robert and Adam are joined by Doug Criscitello, newly named Executive Director of the Center for U.S. Lending, to unpack what’s next for federal credit programs, and why modernization can’t wait.

Doug outlines the Center’s mission to improve how Americans access the federal government’s $5 trillion loan portfolio, from student loans and housing to small business and infrastructure finance. Additionally, we learn how the Center plans to convene agencies, Congress, lenders, and contractors, and why improving program design and performance measurement is just as important as upgrading technology.

It’s a wide-ranging discussion on what it will take to make federal lending more effective, more secure, and more user-centered, without making it “exciting for the wrong reasons.”

Show Notes:

• Appropriations Progress
• Technology Modernization Fund (TMF)
• GAO's Federal Debt Audit

What's on the GovNavigator's Radar:

Jan 27: CMS Industry Day

Jan 26-28: National Small Business Conference

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