As agencies look ahead to 2026, the federal technology landscape is entering a period of realignment — and this time, the shift centers on people, experience, and data. In this episode, Former NASA CIO, Renee Wynn breaks down what leaders should expect as teams return to full operations post-shutdown and begin planning for long-term mission delivery. She explains why organizational capacity building must replace the old “do more with less” mindset, and how focusing on the individual — reducin...
The latest edition of Fed Gov Today with Francis Rose breaks down the major shifts expected in the nation’s forthcoming cyber strategy. Former Pentagon CISO and SixGen CEO Jack Wilmer joins the show to explain why the new approach will take a more offensive posture and why raising the cost of cyberattacks for nation-state adversaries may be key to deterrence. Wilmer discusses how agencies like U.S. Cyber Command and the FBI fit into a whole-of-government response, why traditional “name and sh...
The Fed Gov Today TV Show airs on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. E.T. on ABC 7. You can also watch on Demand on Youtube. Listen to Fed Gov Today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anytime at FedGovToday.com.
On this edition of Fed Gov Today with Francis Rose, Jim Kaplan, Director of External Affairs at the Thrift Savings Plan, joins the show to break down what’s happening inside TSP accounts since the shutdown. Loan activity spiked during October as federal workers sought financial “padding,” and now many borrowers want to repay quickly. Jim explains how TSP loans work, how repayment schedules are automatically re-amortized, and why there’s never a prepayment penalty—because participants are esse...
Former Federal CISO Brig. Gen. Greg Touhill (USAF, Ret.) delivers timely, practical cyber insight that goes far beyond the IT shop. As the federal government emerges from the longest shutdown in history, agencies are preparing to restart contracting and reconstitute full-speed operations—but the path back to normalcy is far from simple. Touhill explains that cyber and IT teams will immediately activate disaster recovery frameworks, assessing hardware, software, and the often-overlooked ...
After the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, the federal acquisition landscape is shifting — and this time, the change may be permanent. Former Assistant Secretary of Defense David Berteau joins the show to unpack what government contractors can expect when agencies reopen and how they can turn disruption into opportunity. Berteau, now an independent consultant, explains why contractors shouldn’t expect business as usual when the lights come back on. He discusses the logistical and ...
On this episode of Fed Gov Today with Francis Rose, retired Major General Arnold Punaro joins Francis to unpack what could be the most sweeping overhaul of the defense acquisition system in decades. Following Secretary Pete Hegseth’s newly announced Acquisition Transformation Strategy, Punaro argues that achieving real results will require nothing short of retraining the entire acquisition workforce—military and civilian alike. He breaks down how the Department of Defense, Congress, and indus...
On this edition of Fed Gov Today with Francis Rose, former Department of Labor CIO Gundeep Ahluwalia, now Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer at NuAxis Innovations, shares how the recent government shutdown—while disruptive—could actually serve as a rare opportunity for transformation. As agencies prepare to restart contracting and program delivery, Ahluwalia urges federal leaders to pause, take stock, and ask a critical question: Are your project outputs truly driving the o...
The Fed Gov Today TV Show airs on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. E.T. on ABC 7. You can also watch on Demand on Youtube. Listen to Fed Gov Today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anytime at FedGovToday.com.
Former DoD official Jerry McGinn, now Director of the Center for the Industrial Base at CSIS, joins Francis to unpack how the Department of Defense can better “separate the wheat from the chaff” in its innovation efforts. McGinn explains why authorities like the Defense Production Act (DPA) and Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program are vital to maintaining a competitive industrial base — and what challenges lie ahead after both programs expired at the end of FY2025. McGinn discuss...
Agencies have been in a holding pattern, waiting to roll out long-delayed initiatives and catch up on weeks of missed work. Former GSA Administrator Emily Murphy, now CEO of Government Procurement Strategies, joins Francis to unpack what happens when the lights come back on in government offices—and what leaders must do to re-engage a workforce stretched to the limit. Murphy shares firsthand lessons from the 2019 shutdown, highlighting how essential workers faced burnout, unpaid labor, and em...
Richard Breakiron, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Commvault, joins the show to reveal how AI can move cyber defense from reactive to proactive—and why the smartest agencies are integrating security into every step of modernization rather than bolting it on at the end. You'll learn how Fortune 100 companies are adopting the FedRAMP High framework voluntarily, recognizing that robust, architectural-level security isn’t just a compliance requirement—it’s a competitive advantage. You’ll als...
The Department of Defense faces a new cloud challenge that could reshape how the federal government buys technology. Former Pentagon Deputy CIO Rob Carey joins Francis to unpack why the traditional contracting process is slowing innovation — and why the government can’t afford to spend “years and years and years” buying future-looking tech through outdated procurement models. Carey dives into the Pentagon’s five-phase cybersecurity risk management construct, explaining how artificial intellig...
Former Deputy Director for Management at the Office of Management and Budget, Margaret Weichert, joins Francis to break down what happens after a government shutdown — and why the hardest days may come once the doors reopen. With federal employees preparing to return to work, Weichert warns that the road back to “normal” is anything but smooth. Weichert shares lessons learned from the 2019 shutdown, including how critical early coordination between operating functions was in speeding recovery...
The Fed Gov Today TV Show airs on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. E.T. on ABC 7. You can also watch on Demand on Youtube. Listen to Fed Gov Today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anytime at FedGovToday.com.
In this episode of Fed Gov Today with Francis Rose, the gears of government are grinding to a halt — and the aftershocks are just beginning. As agencies brace for and recover from a federal shutdown, former Federal CIO Suzette Kent, now CEO of Kent Advisory Services, joins Francis to break down the three critical concepts every leader must master to get government back on track: people, risk, and what’s “on the clock.” Kent reveals how to prioritize the citizens and federal employees most aff...
On this edition of Fed Gov Today with Francis Rose, the future of federal work gets personal — literally. Imagine joining the federal government and being assigned your very own agentic AI assistant — one that stays with you throughout your entire career. It helps with your HR questions, training reminders, and even job recommendations, all tied to your unique federal ID and email. Former OPM Chief Information Officer Melvin Brown joins Francis to explore how this idea could revolutionize fed...
This episode of Fed Gov Today, sponsored by Broadcom, dives into the critical front line of modern defense—endpoint security. Francis talks with Garrett Lee, Regional Vice President for Public Sector in Broadcom’s Enterprise Security Group, about how the Department of Defense is rethinking cybersecurity from the ground up. Lee explains that in today’s digital battlespace, the most vulnerable target isn’t always the jet in the sky but the laptop in the hangar. You’ll learn how the Defens...
On this edition of Fed Gov Today with Francis Rose, former NASA Chief Data Officer Ron Thompson sees a potential silver lining in the ongoing government shutdown — a chance to rebuild. Ron reflects on lessons from the 1995 shutdown and explains why today’s federal leaders have a unique opportunity to modernize their operating models. He shares how agencies can use this disruption as an inflection point to realign missions, rebuild trust, and bring in transformative technologies like AI and au...
Francis sits down with George Kaczmarskyj, Principal for Government and Public Sector at EY, to discuss how federal agencies can transform their workflows with automation and AI—without falling into the trap of “automating a mess.” You’ll learn how early automation efforts often rushed to apply technology to outdated or inefficient processes, and why success today depends on stepping back to reassess and redesign before automating. He highlights how a process-first mindset, rather than a tool...