The GovNavigators Show

This week on The GovNavigators Show, Robert and Adam are joined by Drew Friedman , reporter at Federal News Network and nominee for the ECHO Award for Best Government Management Journalist. Drew pulls back the curtain on what it's like to cover the federal workforce in one of the most turbulent periods in recent memory. The conversation covers the shifting landscape of federal hiring, includi...

This week on the GovNavigators Show, Adam and Robert sit down with GovNavigators Network member Jason Robertson, former regional CFO and senior leader at the U.S. Forest Service, for a conversation on what happens when government systems face real disruption. Jason shares insights from his two decades in federal service, including managing wildfire funding, overseeing recreation and land use acros...

This week on the GovNavigators Show, Robert and Adam sit down with Max Spitzer , former Assistant Parliamentarian in the U.S. House of Representatives, for a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most misunderstood offices in Congress. Max explains how the House Parliamentarian keeps the chamber running day to day, from advising the presiding officer in real time to shaping precedent that governs h...

This week on the GovNavigators Show, Adam and Robert sit down with Ryan Hoesing , Chief of Staff for FedRAMP , and Nicole Thompson, Security Director, for a deep dive into one of the most consequential federal IT programs undergoing transformation today. Ryan and Nicole walk through the sweeping changes to the FedRAMP program and explain what the new “ FedRAMP 20x ” approach means for agencies and...

This week on The GovNavigators Show, Robert and Adam are joined by Rob Bocek , Chief Commercial Officer at Virtualitics , for a conversation on how artificial intelligence is reshaping defense readiness. Drawing on his wide experience from Navy Special Warfare to Microsoft, Rob explains how AI can help the Department of Defense move beyond fragmented data and toward faster, more informed decision-...

This week on the GovNavigators Show, we're joined by Joel Hinzman , one of the most seasoned voices in government technology and policy, and a member of the GovNavigators Network . Joel has been walking the halls of Congress and the executive branch longer than most, and his career reads like a history of modern government IT. He helped move the House of Representatives onto the internet, put...

This week on The GovNavigators Show , Robert and Adam welcome Wynn Coggins , former Acting Secretary of Commerce and now Chief Growth Officer at Management Science and Innovation , for a candid conversation on leadership forged through crisis, transition, and 35 years of federal service. Wynn shares the lessons she's carried from her early days as a patent examiner through navigating COVID at...

This week on The GovNavigators Show , Robert Shea and Adam Hughes sit down with Deep Grewal , Vice President of Public Sector at MinIO , to unpack the findings of a new survey on the federal government’s AI readiness, and why so many agencies are still stuck in the pilot phase. While AI ambition is everywhere, Deep explains that the real bottleneck is in data management. From lineage and governanc...

This special episode of The GovNavigators Show features a live conversation with Socure ’s Jordan Burris, former chief of staff to the Federal CIO, recorded at the Government Executive Federal Technology Priorities Conference. Jordan lays out a stark warning: modern fraud is not a series of isolated schemes, it’s an industrialized, AI-enabled ecosystem operating at global scale. He explains how ad...

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 l...

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 pre...

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,...

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...

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 busi...

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 consume...

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 c...

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 conve...

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 o...

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...

This week, the GovNavigators sit down with our good friend Nick Hart , President and CEO of the Data Foundation , for a wide-ranging conversation on why government data matters more than most people realize, and why it so often goes unnoticed until it’s at risk. Nick walks through the launch of the People’s Data 100 , a new initiative designed to surface and celebrate the most valuable public-sect...

In this episode of The Lending Brief (sponsored by Allocore ), former SBA CFO and Associate Administrator Kate Aaby joins to unpack what it really takes to manage and modernize one of the federal government’s largest loan portfolios. Drawing on experience at OMB, in the private sector, and on the front lines of pandemic lending, Kate reflects on lessons learned from moving $1 trillion in assistanc...

This week, the GovNavigators welcome Ross Nodurft , Executive Director of the Alliance for Digital Innovation , for a timely conversation on the future of federal IT modernization and the urgent fight to save the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) before its December expiration . Ross breaks down how the TMF has quietly become one of the federal government’s most effective tools for paying down t...

This week, the GovNavigators sit down with Sairah Ijaz , Managing Director at Celonis and former federal CIO to talk about her path from a GS-5 intern with a clipboard to one of the most influential technology executives in government. Sairah shares how early roles at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Social Security Administration, and GAO shaped her obsession with process improvement, and why t...

The GovNavigators drop in with a special Thanksgiving pop-up to talk shutdown aftershocks, the rocky restart for federal employees and contractors, and what the latest CR means for the months ahead. Robert and Adam also recap the launch of the GovNavigators Network and touch on OPM’s new executive-training curriculum and Congress’s surprisingly light work schedule. A quick holiday check-in full of...

This week, the GovNavigators welcome Love Rutledge , host of the Fed Upward Podcast and recently retired Senior Executive from the Department of Defense. From her start as a GS-7 working two jobs to leading readiness and talent initiatives at the Pentagon, Love shares lessons from 25 years in federal service—and why she’s optimistic about what comes next. The conversation covers the latest DOD acq...