The GovNavigators Show

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...

Welcome back to The Lending Brief, brought to you by the GovNavigators and sponsored by Allocore . The Lending Brief shares stories of innovation, challenge, and impact in federal lending. In this episode, Allocore Managing Director Ben Wallace joins to discuss how government lending programs can finally catch up to the scale and speed of modern finance. Throughout our conversation, Ben breaks dow...

This week on the GovNavigators Show, Robert and Adam welcome Ted Kaouk , former Federal Chief Data Officer and (as Adam puts it) the godfather of the federal CDO community. Now founder of Generative Work AI , Ted joins the hosts to discuss how generative AI is transforming the way organizations think, learn, and lead. From his “30 AI apps in 30 days” challenge to lessons from building the CDO Coun...

This week on the GovNavigators Show, ACT-IAC CEO Dave Wennergren sits down with Robert and Adam to talk about how ACT-IAC and similar organizations are staying the course through the recent big shifts in the federal management and technology.  Throughout sweeping cost-cuts, shifting priorities, and the AI wave, Dave and everyone on his team have been helping government and industry chart a path fo...

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 w...

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 suc...

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 Note...

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 sy...

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 harne...

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...

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 Gov...

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 N...

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...

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...

This week, the GovNavigators welcome Jason Miller , Executive Editor at Federal News Network , for a wide-ranging conversation on the state of federal acquisition and IT leadership. From the long-awaited FAR overhaul and GSA’s contracting shifts to the evolving role of the federal CIO, Jason unpacks what these changes mean for agencies, industry, and small businesses alike. Show Notes OMB:  Improp...