We Are The Government

Brian Levine spent years at the Justice Department prosecuting cybercrime, intellectual property theft, and complex international Internet-based extortion rings.  In this episode, Levine talks with We Are The Government Host Dipka Hesse about the increase in cybercrime, how the U.S. Justice Department investigates and prosecutes scammers who stole more than $20 billion from Americans last year, an...

In this episode of We Are The Government, Clarence H. Carter, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Human Services, discusses with host Dipka Hesse how America’s safety net of social welfare programs enables, does not empower, the country’s most vulnerable–the elderly and the impoverished. About half of the U.S. federal budget is dedicated to social welfare programs that do not address or he...

In this episode of We Are the Government , Dipka Hesse speaks with Jonathan Fahey, former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, about the flashpoint of immigration enforcement. Fahey discusses the impact of the ongoing Department of Homeland Security funding gap on federal workers, their families, and public safety.  He explores the evolution of the Democratic party, which h...

Energy, global conflict and diplomacy are inextricably linked. In this episode of We Are The Government , Host Dipka Hesse speaks with Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt about the new forces shaping geopolitics. From Russia’s weaponization of energy to the rapid quest for critical minerals, Pyatt explains how global competition for resources is influencing international alliances, military planning, trade...

Former FERC Chairman Neil Chatterjee tells We Are the Government Host Dipka Hesse about his journey from House Ways and Means to serving one of the most prominent Senate leaders in U.S. history–Mitch McConnell.  Chatterjee shares some riveting stories about how he came to lead FERC twice, including during the global pandemic, with an unmatched style and success. As a political appointee during Pre...

From Combat Pilot to the White House and Back: Ravi Chaudhary on the Opportunities in Military Service, the Essence of Patriotism, and Energy Efficiency  In this episode of We Are the Government , veteran United States Air Force pilot and decorated officer, the Honorable Dr. Ravi Chaudhary shares his remarkable story of courage in the skies over enemy territory and his experience in the Pentagon a...

On July 4, 2026, the country will commemorate 250 years since the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia establishing the United States of America. But events and engagement that have already started, will continue into, and long after, the holiday weekend.  In this episode, Jen Condon, Executive Vice President and Executive Director of America250.org , tells We Ar...

In this episode of We Are the Government , host Dipka Hesse sits down with energy policy expert Poonum Agrawal to explore one of the most critical—and least understood—issues facing the United States: electric grid reliability and transmission expansion. From her early days as a Presidential Management Fellow in the George W. Bush administration to leading the Department of Energy’s groundbreaking...

In this episode of We Are the Government , host Dipka Hesse speaks with Gabriel Sandler, former spokesperson at the State Department, about his odyssey through the federal government, starting as a Peace Corp. volunteer in the country of Madagascar. Gabriel left Madagascar during the Covid pandemic only to slide right into federal service at the Department of Transportation which led him to the De...

What do brownfield sites, zoning codes, school siting rules, and post-disaster rebuilding have in common?  According to Dr. Matthew Dalbey, former senior advisor to the Environmental Protection Agency and founder of Corner Shop Strategies, they’re all issues he had to confront to help protect the environment and inspire economic growth in communities across the country as land use decisions shape...

In this episode of We Are the Government , host Dipka Hesse speaks with David Nemtzow, a longtime clean energy technology and energy efficiency expert whose leadership at the U.S. Department of Energy has left an indelible footprint in the American clean energy sector. David left the DOE in April 2025 after a decade in the federal government. During his tenure as a career civil servant, he managed...

In this second episode of We Are The Government , host Dipka Hesse sits down with Clarence Edwards, a D.C. insider who served as a political appointee in the Clinton administration before he joined the U.S. Energy Department years later as a career civil servant.  Clarence’s experience, knowledge and unshakeable nature powered his ascent into his current role as Executive Director of the U.S. offi...

Join host Dipka Hesse for the premiere episode of We Are the Government , a podcast celebrating federal workers and their contributions to America's 250-year history.  In this episode, we sit down with Howie Simanoff, an auditor for the U.S. Capitol Police in its Office of the Inspector General. Howie shares what led him into the federal government after a 25-year career as an auditor for U.S....