What's Working in Washington

This week, Jonathan sits down with Justin Fanelli, Acting Chief Technology Officer for the United States Department of the Navy and Technical Director of PEO Digital. Together, they unpack his strategies for adopting innovation, from iterative improvements to a collaborative, motivated workplace environment. In building stronger tech infrastructure, Fanelli always keeps his mission in mind: to support military personnel in their work to protect the United States.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Adam Green is a professor at Georgetown University and director of the Lab for Relational Cognition. This week, he sits down with Jonathan to discuss imagination, brain function, and his research in creative neuroscience. As artificial intelligence becomes more powerful and more popular, Green explores human creativity as a source of hope and empowerment in the age of AI.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Lance Collins is the is the inaugural vice president and executive director of the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus. Set to open in Spring 2025, the new state-of-the-art campus was announced by the university as part of the state’s successful effort to attract Amazon’s HQ2 to Northern Virginia, and aims to produce talented computer scientists and software engineers who will drive growth in the region's tech industry. On today's episode, Lance argues that investing in innovation is key to achieving the economic growth observed in other regions, and describes how this issue only gains importance as much of the current workforce nears retirement.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Harry Klaff, Principal and U.S President of Avison Young, joins Jonathan to delve into the fundamental shift in D.C.'s commercial real estate sector. With over two decades of expertise, Harry explores the critical role that commercial real estate plays in a region's economic health, addresses the profound implications of underutilized office spaces on downtown areas, and emphasizes the need for collaborative efforts between public and private sectors to revitalize our communities.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tonio DeSorrento is the CEO of GovPort, a technology platform developed specifically for government contractors that offers tools for subcontractor management, compliance, organization, and operational efficiency. On today's episode, Tonio describes the moment he saw an opportunity to create a dedicated software for GovCons, and how his product streamlines and optimizes the process for contract administrators at every stage in the life cycle of a government contract.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Clark Mercer is the Director of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) and former Chief of Staff for Governor Ralph Northam. With over twenty years of senior management experience at the state, federal, and local levels, and passionate about driving transformative change across public safety, affordable housing, clean and water, commercial real estate, the regional economy and other civil issues, Clark explains how COG is uniting a complex tapestry of 24 local governments across the DMV to work together towards regional growth.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jason Stanford is the President of the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance, a nonprofit organization that has been advocating for the region's transportation infrastructure for over 30 years. An expert on transportation policy analysis, Jason explains how public transportation is vital to the economic health of a region and shares his thoughts on what can be done, from funding to infrastructure to community outreach, to ensure that Metro meets the demands of today and tomorrow.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Terry Clower is the Director of the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University, where his research produces valuable insights that help the private, nonprofit, and public sectors understand the region's growth and shortfalls. On today's episode, Terry provides an update on the overall state of the region; comments on the importance of the labor market and the outflow of knowledge workers; and discusses other regional hot topics such as housing, government contracting, demographic trends, and AI.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"Enjoy your awful basketball team, Virginia," reads the title of independent journalist Matt Connolly's recent op-ed in The Atlantic. On today's episode, Connolly, who currently works for a labor union, joins Jonathan Aberman for a deep-dive on his compelling piece, detailing the economic factors driving the team's move across the Potomac to Alexandria, Virginia; the emotional impact this relocation will have on fans and D.C. culture; and his opinion on responsible sports team ownership.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's a new year, and What's Working in Washington is back with a new host, Jonathan Aberman! Mark Walsh has passed the torch back to Aberman, who is eager to bring his perspective as an investor and entrepreneur to address the region's issues during this critical election year. Aberman's inaugural guest is Congressman Don Beyer, an American businessman, diplomat, and Democratic politician serving his fourth term as the U.S. representative for Virginia's 8th congressional district. On today's episode, Congressman Beyer offers a closer look at Congress; discusses the effects of AI on the economy, workforce, and national security; describes the federal government's role in fusion; and shares his optimism for the future of the DMV.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.