The Government Huddle with Brian Chidester Brian Chidester

Brian Fox, Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships at Omni Federal and the Former Director of the National Security and Intelligence Portfolio at 18F joins the show and we dive into some of the pockets of innovation happening in government and why it has exploded the way that it has in recent years. We also talk about the work he is doing at Omni Federal, how his experience in government has shaped his approach in the private sector, and how the book “[RE]coding America” has helped shape his views on government innovation.

Lawrence Eta, Vice President, Digital and Analytics for the Royal Commission for AlUla & Author of “Bridging Worlds: A Journey of Technology, Leadership, and Public Service” joins the show to discuss how his personal and professional journey influenced his new book. We also talk about his strategy to align to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, his thoughts on how technology will be most impactful in government and in society at large, and how he would approach building a digitally-focused city from the ground up.

Bob Lavigna, Senior Fellow, UKG Public Sector and the Founding Director, for the Institute for Public Sector Employee Engagement joins the show as we celebrate Public Service Recognition Week and we reflect on the importance of employee engagement. We also talk about the 2024 human capital management “megatrends” that government should be focused on which are redefining the employee/employer relationship. Finally we delve into the impending environmental, social and governance “gut check” which is intensifying political culture wars and are putting organizations’ initiatives, especially DEI&B, under a microscope.

Ott Velsberg, Global AI Thought Leader and Chief Data Officer of the Government of Estonian joins the show to discuss Estonia’s new AI and data strategy which is built on three main pillars: a data-driven economy and society, an AI-driven government and society and trustworthy, human-centric AI and data governance. We also talk about the country’s approach to digital citizen experience and why Estonia has gained a reputation as a trendsetter in AI around the world.

Mark Wheeler, Director with the General Services Administration’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS), Centers for Excellence in Data & Analytics & former CIO for the City of Philadelphia joins the show to discuss the role data is playing across government, especially in the proliferation of AI technology.  We also discuss the learnings he brought as an urban planner to his role for the City of Philadelphia, then ultimately to his position at GSA and his thoughts on the future of what smart cities will be able to deliver for their residents.

Jason Adolf, Vice President - Global Public Sector Vertical at Appian Corporation joins the show to discuss the current landscape for low-code platforms in federal, state and local government agencies. We also discuss the renewed emphasis on the  “citizen developer” movement and why CIO’s are finding value in the democratization of application development. Future trends are also discussed as we look 18-24 months into the future of this market.