Former Fed Friday

In this episode of Former Fed Friday, host Hunter Gros, Director of Marketing at Vtech Solution, sits down with Ben Shotzberger , a former DHS leader turned consultant, for a conversation that blends humor, heart, and hard-earned insight. From serving in DHS’s Science and Technology Directorate to supporting FEMA and Secret Service missions, Ben shares what nearly a decade in homeland security tau...

In this episode of Former Fed Friday, host Shelley McGuire and co-host Hunter Gros sit down with Ariel Winter , founder of ABW Health Strategies and former longtime federal leader with nearly three decades in government, including roles at OMB, HHS, MedPAC, and CMS. Ariel shares his remarkable journey from intern to senior Medicare policy expert—offering a rare insider’s view of how federal health...

In this episode of Former Fed Friday, host Shelley McGuire welcomes Darren Ash , Executive Advisor at Management Science and Innovation (MSI) and former CIO of the Department of the Interior, to share his journey from decades of public service to his new role in industry. Darren reflects on his 20+ years as a senior federal executive across agencies like the IRS, USDA, and Department of Transporta...

In this episode of Former Fed Friday, host Shelley McGuire sits down with Vinay Singh , former CFO and Chief AI Officer at HUD and now Chief Experience Officer of Velocity Group Solutions, to talk all things AI, innovation, and impact. From spinning records as a college DJ to spinning up national AI strategy, Vinay brings a refreshingly human perspective to the fast-moving world of artificial inte...

In this episode of Former Fed Friday, hosts Shelley McGuire and Hunter Gros sit with  Meikle Paschal , Senior Solutions Director at Amivero and former RPA Program Manager at USCIS’ Center of Excellence. Meikle brings a career rooted in national security and IT modernization, from testing border security systems at CBP to leading automation initiatives at DHS. Now, less than a year into his role on...

In this episode of Former Fed Friday, host Shelley McGuire sits down with Richard Klemmer , President of Black Box Strategies and Partner at Catapult Growth Partners. Richard’s career path is anything but ordinary. He started as a wage grade 4 in a warehouse and rose all the way to Acting CIO at the Department of Commerce’s NTIA. With over 25 years of leadership spanning technology, cybersecurity,...

Fresh out of federal service, Mark Canfield joins the Former Fed Friday podcast with Shelley McGuire to share his journey from Deputy Director at CMS to Founder & CEO of 5pointe. In this candid conversation, Mark talks about why he left after nine years at CMS, what it was like leading high-profile programs like hospital quality reporting and the CQP platform, and how he’s now helping organiza...

In this Former Fed Friday episode, Shelley McGuire chats with Mark Junda , Executive Director of Digital Experience at TISTA Science and Technology Corporation and former senior acquisition leader at the VA. With over 20 years in federal service, including roles at the VA TAC, OMB, and USDS, Mark reflects on his journey driving procurement reform, building contracting vehicles like T4 and T4NG, an...

In this Former Fed Friday episode, Hunter Gros sits down with David Gonzalez Rice , Senior VP for Policy at the National Low Income Housing Coalition and former Biden-Harris administration appointee. David shares his journey from nonprofit leadership into federal service—and back again—highlighting how his experiences in housing and homelessness shaped national policy. He opens up about the person...

In this episode of Former Fed Friday, hosts Shelley McGuire and Hunter Gross sit down with Rob Brown , Senior Vice President of National Security Solutions at Alpha Omega and former CTO of USCIS at DHS. Rob shares his journey from the federal government to industry, reflecting on a decade of leading large-scale IT modernization efforts, cloud adoption, cybersecurity evolution, and building mission...

On this episode of Former Fed Friday, host Shelley McGuire sits down with Thomas Kessler , owner of Kessler Healthcare Consulting and former Senior Advisor at CMS’s Center for Program Integrity. With nearly 37 years of federal service, including 28 at CMS, Tom brings unmatched insight into program integrity, fraud prevention, and the evolving role of technology in Medicare oversight. Tom shares hi...

In this Former Fed Friday episode, Shelley McGuire chats with  Jeffrey Grant , President & Founder of Schedule F Healthcare Strategies and longtime CMS leader, to talk about life after 42 years in government service. From record-setting Marketplace enrollments and navigating tough transitions to building a consultancy that champions former CMS talent, Jeff shares his passion for people, progra...

In this Former Fed Friday conversation, Shelley McGuire sits down with Anita Allen , the fiery redhead you may remember as HHS’s long-time small business specialist for CMS and NIH, now freshly retired and stepping into life as an independent consultant. With over 35 years of federal service under her belt, Anita opens up about her journey, from navigating the sudden closure of much of HHS’s small...

On this episode of Former Fed Friday, Shelley McGuire and Hunter Gros dive into the extraordinary journey of John Binks , former Chief of IT Management and Director of Air Operations at FEMA, now serving as Senior Director of Business Development at Titan Technologies. With 41 years of federal service under his belt, John brings unmatched insight into what it means to lead with purpose in both gov...

In this insightful conversation, Shelley McGuire sits down with Donald Bauer , former Chief Technology Officer for Human Resources and Global Talent Management at the U.S. Department of State and now a Partner at Strategic Results Consulting. From writing software for the space shuttle to racing stock cars, Donald dives into the serious business of federal HRIT reform and the lessons learned from...

In this episode of Former Fed Friday, Hunter Gros chats with guest  Augusto Cangahuala , Principal, Cynuria, who shares his inspiring journey from private sector communications to nearly a decade of federal service—and back again. With a background spanning sales, marketing, IT, and customer experience, Augusto carved out a unique path within agencies like the Peace Corps, EPA, and ACF. He reflect...

From CMS to CEO: Karen Shields on Purposeful Transition and Ethical Leadership In this episode of Former Fed Friday, Shelley McGuire interviews Karen Shields , a veteran with over 30 years in federal government service and current CEO of K Shields Health Tech Consulting. Karen shares her deep knowledge of transitioning from government roles to the private sector, emphasizing the importance of pers...

In this episode of Former Fed Friday, Shelley McGuire sits down with Nicole Mayerhauser , co-founder and COO of Emerald One and a former federal executive with nearly two decades of service. Nicole shares her journey from economist at the Bureau of Economic Analysis to senior leadership at the VA, and now to entrepreneurship. She dives into the importance of outcomes-driven work, building meaningf...

In this episode of Former Fed Friday, Shelley McGuire talks with Phil Surine , former CMS leader and managing President at Medkasa, about key shifts in federal healthcare programs. Phil explains how Medicare Advantage continues to expand, now covering over half of Medicare enrollees, and why contractors should track this trend closely.  He highlights the risk of chasing RFPs tied to declining prog...

In this episode of Former Fed Friday, David Blackburn sits down with  Venkat Kodumudi , the Chief Technology Officer at Unissant and former senior leader at TSA. Venkat reflects on his nearly decade-long service at DHS, his smooth but eye-opening transition to the private sector, and the lessons learned along the way. With a deep sense of mission and humility, he shares advice for federal employee...

In this episode of Former Fed Friday, host Shelley McGuire chats with Carol Sefret , a newly retired federal leader who spent 37 years at CMS, going all the way back to when it was HCFA. Carol reflects offers honest, practical advice for vendors hoping to work with the government. She explains why showing up unprepared is a nonstarter, what agencies are really looking for during meetings, and how...

In this episode of Former Fed Friday, host Hunter Gros sits down with Patrick Eager , a Marine Corps veteran turned government leader and business executive. He is currently the Executive Vice President at Rexley. Patrick’s career spans critical roles in WMD response, federal IT leadership, and business development, offering invaluable insights into navigating both government and private sectors....

In this episode of the Former Fed Friday Podcast, Shelly McGuire sits down with Kai Miller , co-founder and Chief Experience Officer of Emerald One, a woman-owned consulting firm serving federal agencies. With over 15 years in government service, spanning NASA to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Kai brings a rare blend of high-level federal insight and grounded leadership to her work. Emerald O...

In this episode of Former Fed Friday, host David Blackburn talks with  Sonny Hashmi , Head of Global Public Sector at Unqork, who highlights the unique value federal employees bring to private sector roles. They excel in deep user research, cross-functional project management, and financial analysis but often struggle to translate these skills clearly to employers. Sunny urges companies to engage...

In this episode of Former Fed Friday, host Shelley McGuire sits down with Traci Walker , Executive Director of the Digital Services Coalition and founder of Awkward Walker Consulting. Traci brings a fascinating perspective as a former federal contracting officer turned industry bridge-builder, with experience spanning from GSA to the White House and the U.S. Digital Service. She opens up about les...