Former Fed Friday

In this episode of Former Fed Friday, host Shelley McGuire welcomes Amy Giardina , former Director at the CMS Division of Payment Models and now VP of Business Development at Optum. Amy brings a rich background from both the public and private sectors, having shaped bundled payment policy at CMS and led geriatric care at Johns Hopkins. Amy dives into the key healthcare priorities of the current ad...

In this episode of Former Fed Fridays, Hunter Gross interviews Bill Pratt, an experienced IT leader who shares his journey from the Navy to leading IT transformations at DHS. Bill emphasizes the need for young professionals to enter government roles, learn from retiring employees, and take on leadership positions.  Bill also highlights the necessity of AI in government solutions, particularly at D...

In this episode of Former Fed Friday, Hunter Gros chats with Mike Holmes , an executive recruiter specializing in helping senior civil servants, military personnel, and federal law enforcement officers transition into the corporate world. Mike shares his personal journey, from retiring as a lieutenant colonel in Army Military Intelligence to founding his own concierge recruiting firm. Mike breaks...

Making the leap from government to industry—and sometimes back again—can be a complex journey. In this episode of Former Fed Friday, David Blackburn talks with Ratima Kataria, a seasoned growth leader who has navigated both worlds with remarkable success. From her time as Deputy CIO at HRSA to her current role driving strategy for ICF’s Federal Health, Ratima shares invaluable insights on transiti...

On this episode of Former Fed Friday, Mike Pereira sits down with Robert Leahy , a retired federal executive with over 30 years of leadership experience in IT strategy, modernization, and operations at major government agencies like NASA, the IRS, and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Now a Strategic Executive Advisor at Accenture Federal Services, Robert shares insights on navigating caree...

Thinking about retiring from federal service? Wondering how to transition smoothly into the private sector? On this episode of Former Fed Friday, Shelley McGuire sits down with Monica Padron Harris , a former DHS acquisition expert turned entrepreneur. With over 30 years of experience, Monica shares her journey from government service to launching her own consulting firm, Procurement Pros. From fi...

From the depths of the ocean aboard a Navy submarine to the halls of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bill Ashton ’s career has been nothing short of remarkable. After 23 years in the Navy and 21 years in federal service, Bill dedicated himself to one final mission—ensuring that veterans have access to the benefits and opportunities they deserve. In this episode, Bill shares his unexpected path...

In this episode of Former Fed Friday, host Shelley McGuire sits down with Mike McGuire, Director Capture/Business Development - Federal with vTech Solution. From his 30-year career in federal service to embracing the transition into retirement, Mike shares invaluable insights on planning ahead, staying active, and navigating post-retirement finances. Plus, hear about his unique school bus-turned-f...

On this episode of Former Fed Friday, host Hunter Gros chats with Darryl Peek, Senior Director for U.S. Public Sector Partnerships at Elastic, to uncover the lessons, challenges, and strategies behind his journey from engineering at Lockheed Martin to pivotal leadership roles at DHS, Salesforce, Google, and beyond. Darryl shares how he leveraged his government experience, navigated the world of pu...

In this episode of Former Fed Friday, Shelley McGuire sits down with Shannon Dillon , Senior Business Development Manager at Leidos and a former federal employee at HHS and FDA, to discuss her 25+ years of experience in IT project management, federal procurement, and business development. Shannon shares her inspiring journey from managing federal infrastructure budgets to thriving in IT sales and...

In this episode, Hunter Gross, Director of Marketing at VTechSolution, explores the incredible career journey of Mika Cross, CEO of Strategy@Work, from military service to federal leadership and finally to entrepreneurship. She shares how she balanced government work with personal ventures, the moment she took the leap into business ownership, and the financial and career strategies that made it p...

In this episode of Former Fed Fridays, host Mike Pereira dives into an engaging conversation with Frank Konieczny , a retired Chief Technology Officer for the United States Air Force. With over 40 years of expertise spanning both the military and civilian sectors, Frank shares his journey, challenges, and key insights on transitioning from federal work to private entrepreneurship.  From navigating...

To connect with Mark, visit him on LinkedIn here . Learn more about Focusing on Results by visiting their webpage here . Check out the ebook mentioned at the end of the episode here . If you liked listening to this episode, view our Former Fed Perspectives page here . To view all of our podcast series, visit our podcast page .

Transitioning from government to industry? Join David Blackburn as he chats with Sean Kelley , Principal and Health Portfolio Executive at Connsci, about navigating the journey from public service to the private sector. With experience as a former CISO at EPA and Deputy CIO at the VA, Sean shares invaluable advice for federal leaders considering a career change. From building community connections...

Step into the world of innovation, disruption, and transformation with this episode of Former Fed Friday. Host Shelley McGuire sits down with  Jose Arrieta , former HHS CIO and founder of Imagineeer, to discuss the intersection of technology, data, and the future of government operations. Jose shares his perspective on AI’s transformative potential in procurement, the priorities of a new administr...

Making the leap from federal service to the private sector is both an exciting and challenging journey. In the debut episode of Former Fed Friday, Mike Pereira, CTO, vTech Solution talks with Maria Roat, a trailblazing IT leader and Navy veteran, to explore her inspiring transition after 42 years of public service. Maria shares her motivation to embrace a new chapter, the steps she took to prepare...