Welcome to The Lending Brief, a brand new show brought to you by the GovNavigators and sponsored by Allocore. The Lending Brief shares stories of innovation, challenge, and impact in federal lending.

Our first guest is Doug Criscitello, former CFO at HUD and SBA, and now a fellow at Arnold Ventures. Doug unpacks how the federal government quietly became one of the world’s largest lenders, and why the volume of loans has exploded since the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-era Paycheck Protection Program.

He explains how shrinking workforces and rising demand are forcing agencies to modernize through automation, analytics, and AI, not just to process loans faster, but to strengthen risk controls and inform policy decisions in real time. Doug also makes the case for a “Federal Credit Intelligence Hub,” a centralized data platform that could track performance, detect fraud, and guide smarter policy across agencies.

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

This week on the GovNavigators podcast, Robert and Adam sit down with the newest member of the GovNavigators team, Chief Strategy Officer Hilery Sirpis! Hilery shares her insight gained from her 27 years helping government contractors connect with public-sector audiences.

She shares with the navigators about her love for the state and local market, lessons from launching Route Fifty, and how successful organizations pivot during political transitions. It’s a smart, funny, and candid conversation about storytelling, strategy, and what it takes to thrive in the government market. 

Show Notes:

• There are 3,244 counties and over 19,000 incorporated cities, towns, and villages in the United States

Events on the GovNavigators' Radar:

Check out GovExec’s new events calendar 

Oct 27-29: Nvidia’s GTC Annual AI Conference  

Nov 2-4: National Academy of Public Administration’s National Conference 

Nov 4: Data Foundation’s Datum Awards 

Dec 4-5: ACT-IAC's ELC in DC!  

This week, the GovNavigators welcome Gordon Gillerman, former Director of the Standards Coordination Office at NIST, to talk about how standards and testing programs quietly keep the federal government and the products it relies on running safely and efficiently. Gordon shares how collaboration between government and industry helps ensure innovation, interoperability, and public trust.

Show Notes

OMB: Circular A-119

Data Foundation: 2025 Shutdown RIF Impacts Tracker

NSPM-8: Military pay during the shutdown 

Events on the GovNavigators' Radar

Check out GovExec’s new events calendar 

Oct 27-29: Nvidia’s GTC Annual AI Conference  

Nov 2-4: National Academy of Public Administration’s National Conference 

This week on the GovNavigators, we bring you a special episode from Celonis’s Process Intelligence Day. we’re taking you inside Celonis Process Intelligence Day—where government and industry leaders shared how data-driven insights are reshaping public sector operations. 

Robert and Adam talk with Colin Wardlaw, Gary Wang, Aubrey Vaughn, and Sairah Ijaz about what it takes to modernize legacy systems, foster cultural change, and measure success through clear KPIs and real results. 

It’s a look at how process intelligence is helping agencies do more with less—and deliver better outcomes for the public.

Events on the GovNavigators' Radar
Oct. 13-15, 2025: AUSA’s Annual Meeting 

Oct. 14, 2025: BENS’ Arsenal of Democracy 2.0  

Oct. 26-28, 2025: ACT-IAC Imagine Nation ELC 

This week, the GovNavigators welcome Oliver Wise, former Chief Data Officer at the Department of Commerce and now Executive Director of the Bloomberg Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University. Oliver discusses his experience leading data initiatives across Commerce, including efforts to make federal data usable in an AI-driven world, and explains how local governments can harness data to improve lives through programs like the City Data Alliance.

From federal policy to city hall, Oliver shares how better data governance—and a new model of collaboration between levels of government—can help public servants everywhere deliver smarter, more trustworthy results.

Show Notes:

For our furloughed friends: Shutdown deals around town

Events on the GovNavigator’s Radar:

Check out GovExec’s new events calendar 

October 9, 2025: Federal News Network’s 25th Anniversary Gala

October 9, 2025: FedInsider / Carahsoft Innovation Summit 

This week, the GovNavigators sit down with John Marshall and Steve Goodrich of the Shared Services Leadership Coalition to chart the past, present, and what’s next in federal shared services, from payroll consolidation and NASA’s model to today’s QSMOs and a legislative plan to turn modernization from pilots into standard practice.

Show Notes
SSLC: Shared Services Leadership Coalition
NSSC: NASA Shared Services Center

Events on the GovNavigators' Radar
Oct. 9, 2025: FedInsider / Carahsoft Innovation Summit
Oct. 26-28, 2025: ACT-IAC Imagine Nation ELC 

Robert and Adam are sailing solo on this special episode of the GovNavigators Show, featuring an in-depth discussion of recent developments from OPM, OMB, GAO, and more. With the end of the fiscal year fast approaching, the GovNavigators are here to make sense of the storm. Hold on tight!

Show Notes: 

OPM: New Guidelines for Performance Reviews

OMB: Updates to A-11

GAO: New Video

Events on the GovNavigator’s Radar

September 24-25, 2025: AGA’s Internal Controls & Fraud Conference 

 October 9, 2025: FedInsider / Carahsoft Innovation Summit 

This week, the GovNavigators welcome back Charles Cooper of Brumidi Group for a frank look at Congress’s crowded to-do list. From looming shutdown risks, rescissions, and the fight over appropriations to the fate of healthcare extenders, the farm bill, and other expiring programs, Charles explains why the path forward is rockier than ever—and where bipartisan opportunities may still emerge.

Show Notes:

 Combined Federal Campaign: Website

 Treasury and GSA: SAVE Program

Events on GovNavigators' Radar:

September 16-18, 2025  

• Partnership for Public Service’s GovHR Conference 

September 18, 2025  

• GovExec’s GAIN Conference 

September 17, 2025 

• ACT-IAC's Digital Transformation Summit 

September 24-25, 2025 

• AGA’s Internal Controls & Fraud Conference 

This week, the GovNavigators welcome Anne Meeker, Deputy Director of the PopVox Foundation, for a conversation on making Congress work better. From the overlooked power of casework to AI’s role in shaping legislative oversight, Anne shares how small reforms can strengthen trust and improve service delivery across government.

Show Notes

OMB: Circular A-11

Circular A-129

GSA: New ServiceNow Deal

Events on GovNavigators' Radar

September 9-12, 2025  

• Billington Cybersecurity Summit 

September 11, 2025 

• RSM’s Quarterly Government Services Webinar 

September 16-18, 2025  

• Partnership for Public Service’s GovHR Conference 

September 18, 2025  

• GovExec’s GAIN Conference 

September 17, 2025 

• ACT-IAC's Digital Transformation Summit 

September 24-25, 2025 

• AGA’s Internal Controls & Fraud Conference 

In this special Labor Day pop-up episode of the GovNavigators Show, Adam and Robert reflect on the importance of the labor movement, tease some big news for the Navigators family, and preview what’s ahead as Congress returns to town. With the fiscal year’s end approaching, expect debates over rescissions, reconciliation, the NDAA, and the President’s Management Agenda—plus the looming possibility of a government shutdown.