The GovNavigators Show

How can we be better stewards of taxpayer dollars? This week, Robert and Adam unpack this question with Gus Chiarello, Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources and CFO at HHS as he details his initiative to use information from the Single Audit Act to prevent improper payments and save taxpayer funds. Plus, a case study in Arizona and an inside look into technology’s role in reform.

Thank you Allocore for sponsoring!

Show Notes:

• https://allocore.com/
• CBS News: Daylight Savings Time
• FNN: DoD’s reasons for CMMC pause falling apart in face of RFI responses
• GSA: GSA Launches Sweeping Fraud Audit of Nearly 700 Federal Contractors in Collaboration with Small Business Administration
• SBA: SBA Refers Nearly 700 Noncompliant 8(a) Firms to GSA to Conduct Contract Audits
• Nextgov/FCW: DHS personnel leak exposes contact details and sensitive job information
• YouTube: I’ll alert the media
• USASpending: Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
• ExecutiveGOV: Gustav Chiarello Confirmed as HHS Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources
• HHS: HHS Cracks Down on Years of Unchecked Audit Findings
• HHS: HHS Single Audit resolution Division
• Congress.gov: Single Audit Act of 1984
• CBS News: How a viral video prompted investigations into alleged fraud at day care centers in Minnesota
• HHS OIG: Minnesota Could Better Ensure That Childcare Assistance Providers Comply With Attendance Requirements
• CBS News: Records reveal Minnesota's long history with day care fraud warnings
• George W. Bush White House Archives: Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations
• AHCCCS: Sober Living Fraud Response
• Propublica: Dozens of People Died in Arizona Sober Living Homes as State Officials Fumbled Medicaid Fraud Response
• Arizona Auditor General: 2024 Single Audit Report
• Arizona Auditor General: 2023 Single Audit Report
• Arizona Legislature: HHS Assistant Secretary to Testify at JLAC Hearing on Arizona’s Delinquent Single Audit
• White House: Fraud Leger
• EPA: GHGRP and the U.S. Inventory of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks
• Peter G. Peterson Foundation: Almost 25% of Healthcare Spending is Considered Wasteful. Here’s Why.
• HHS OIG: 2026 Semiannual Report to Congress

What’s on the GovNavigators’ radar?

November 3

• Election day

November 6

• GovCIO AI Summit, Tysons, VA

November 8

• NAPA National Conference, Washington, D.C.

This week, Cindy Morgan, member of the GovNavigators Network and President of C.O. Morgan LLC, takes Robert and Adam through her past work in federal acquisitions, the need for agency access to technology, and the value of cultivating your professional network. Plus, whether Cindy would ever consider making the return to government.

Thank you to Allocore for sponsoring!

Show Notes

• https://allocore.com/
• Federal Register: Elimination of Time-in-Grade
• OPM: OPM Finalizes Rule Removing Governmentwide Time-in-Grade Barrier to Promotions
• Federal Register: Administrative Leave for Workforce Realignment and Other Purposes
• OPM: Memorandum on Revised Administrative Leave Regulations
• YouTube: I’ll alert the media
• Nextgov/FCW: Inaugural ‘GSA Labs’ cohort identifies $229M in potential savings, agency says
• GSABlog: GSA Labs Turns Employee Ideas Into Nearly $229 Million in Potential Savings
• Obama White House Archives: Office of Federal Procurement Policy Service Contract Inventories
• HHS: HHS Divisions
• GSA: Procurement Acquisition Lead Time (PALT)
• YouTube: Kramer Becomes the Moviefone Man
• NCMA: National Contract Management Association
• EWG: Executive Women in Government

What’s on the GovNavigators’ radar?

October 27th

• Granicus Building the Federal Experience Ecosystem, Arlington, VA

October 29th

• Potomac Officers Club 2026 FedCiv Summit, Pentagon City, VA
• Oversight 2.0: The Case for a Reimagined Oversight Function Roundtable

October 30th

• PSC Defense Conference, Arlington, VA

Put me in, coach! This week on the GovNavigators Show, Robert and Adam bring in Rai Moyers, Director of Coaching at Former Gov, to discuss her work setting former federal workers up for success as they figure out what’s next. From her roots as a park ranger with the Forest Service, to her exit from government, to her coaching practices, Rai details her human-centered approach to helping people discover themselves as “the person behind the mission.” Plus, the power of community for public service professionals.

Thank you to our friends at Allocore for sponsoring this episode!

Show Notes

• https://allocore.com/
• GAO: 2027-2032 Strategic Plan
• YouTube: Something About Mary (Thanks, Adam)
• WaPo: Lower the US Deficit Interactive
• FedScoop: AI slop responses to RFPs, RFIs are overwhelming federal agencies
• GAO: Oready, LLC
• WSJ: The Moment Katie Zacharia Found Out Her Five-Day Stint as Press Secretary Was Over
• https://formergov.com/
• Soul Shine Coaching LLC
• FEDWeek: Under-30 Share of Federal Workforce Remains Low, Says MSPB (2023)
• FNN: Trump administration expands push to hire early-career federal employees
• https://www.fedsforward.org/
• https://wearewellfed.com/
• iPEC: Energy Leadership Index Assessment

What’s on the GovNavigators’ radar?

October 17th-21st

• 2026 ICMA Annual Conference, Long Beach, California

October 20th

• Google Public Sector Summit 2026, Washington, D.C.

October 21st

• FEDInsider’s Innovation Summit, Washington, D.C.

Hope everyone’s enjoying a well-deserved day off! On this pop-up episode of the GovNavigators Show, Robert and Adam run through the news and events of last week, recapping an exciting conference on federal lending and discussing new compliance guidance from OMB. Plus, some presidential action on SI (we got the new name straight eventually).

Special thanks to Allocore for sponsoring!

Show Notes

• https://allocore.com/
• White House: Columbus Day, 2026
• ACT-IAC: Federal Loan Systems Modernization Forum
• OMB: Draft Compliance Supplement
• WSJ: New AI Czar Unveils Goals, Members of White House Task Force
• White House: Trump Accounts Put 70 Million Kids on the Path to Financial Freedom

Drumroll, please! This week on the GovNavigators Show, Robert and Adam sit down with Mary Peterman, the newly hired CEO of AGA. Learn about Mary’s longstanding involvement in the organization, her view on the role AGA should play in public policy issues, and her thoughts on the impact of AI in government financial management. Plus, how AGA is here to help you adjust to an evolving federal landscape and the rapid technological transformation sweeping the field.

Thank you Allocore for sponsoring this episode!

Show Notes

• https://allocore.com/
• America.gov: https://america.gov/
• FNN: How the Trump administration has been building toward the America.gov launch
• NYT: At White House, Trump Asks A.I. Titans to Police Themselves
• White House: Inaugurating the Era of Super Intelligence
• White House: Restoring the United States Department of War
• HHS: HHS Cracks Down on Years of Unchecked Audit Findings
• HHS: HHS Single Audit Resolution Division
• NASCIO: Annual Conference
• AGA: https://www.agacgfm.org/
• AGA: AGA Names Mary E. Peterman Chief Executive Officer
• White House: M-25-30 Ensuring Accountability: How we Oversee, Audit, and Improve
• Congress.gov: Defense Primer: FY2025 Department of Defense Audit Results

What’s on the GovNavigators’ radar?

October 8th

• ACT-IAC's Federal Loan Systems Modernization Act of 2026 Forum, Reston, VA

October 12th-14th

• AUSA 2026, Washington, D.C.

October 14th-15th

• SAP Public Sector Summit, Washington, D.C.

The oracle is back, and he's not holding back. This week on The GovNavigators Show, Robert and Adam welcome the return of Charles Cooper, Founder and Managing Partner at Brumidi Group, for a deep dive into the state of play on Capitol Hill with just weeks to go before the midterms. Will there be a government shutdown? What does a lame duck Congress actually get done? And is divided government secretly good? Charles breaks it all down with the kind of context only a seasoned congressional insider can provide, from redistricting math to the seats nobody's watching... yet.

Thank you to Allocore for sponsoring this episode.

Show Notes:

Source: GSA, HHS Uncover $1.2 Billion in Suspected COVID-Related Contract Fraud

Source: Trump Administration to Remove 760,000 ACA Enrollees Over Fraud Claims

Source: OPM Gives Agencies Authority to Give Bonuses Up to $25,000

Source: Public Trust in Government Falls to 27% — Partnership for Public Service

Events on the GovNavigators' Radar:

September 27th – 30th: NASCIO 2026 Annual Conference, San Diego

October 8th: MeriTalk Tech Tonic

October 19th: FAR Revolutionary Overhaul Public Comment Deadline

Who knew Jaws could come up in a conversation on data? This week, Robert and Adam sit down with Nick Hart, President and CEO of the Data Foundation to debrief their GovDATAx conference and discuss the many factors at play in the national data ecosystem. Learn what progress Nick believes has been made in the federal data sphere and hear what he thinks is still left to be done. Plus, insights on the challenges of balancing representation and data privacy, and how data is the key to fighting fraud.

Thank you Allocore for sponsoring!

Show Notes

• https://allocore.com/
• Data Foundation: Website
• OPM: SF-86
• PBS News: Patel testifies in Senate hearing, defending changes to FBI hiring standards on prostitution, bestiality
• PBS News: WATCH: Patel explains why FBI no longer considers bestiality an automatic hiring disqualifier
• America’s Pulse: Website
• Congress.gov: H.R.2069 - Stop Secret Spending Act of 2025
• White House: Congressional Bills H.R. 1276, H.R. 2069, H.R. 2196 and H.R. 5366 Signed into Law
• Congress: Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (FFATA)
• Data Foundation: GovDATAx Conference
• Congress.gov: H.R.4174 - Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018
• FedScoop: A government data policy deadline is nearing. Data leaders are looking to help
• HHS: HHS Cracks Down on Years of Unchecked Audit Findings
• BFS: Do Not Pay
• Congress.gov: H.R.8463 - Pre-Payment Fraud Prevention and Treasury Data Access Act
• Data Foundation: Data Foundation Welcomes House Passage of Pre-Payment Fraud Prevention and Treasury Data Access Act
• Congress.gov: The Privacy Act of 1974: Overview and Issues for Congress
• ACF: Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking (CEP)
• Census.gov: Robert M. Groves
• Grants.gov: Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996
• Data Foundation: Datum Awards
• NCSES: The National Secure Data Service Demonstration
• Congress.gov: H.R.150 - GREAT Act
• Data Foundation: Data Foundation Launches Community-Led Strategy to Define a Shared Vision for America’s Data Future
• Data Foundation: The People’s Data 100

What’s on the GovNavigators’ radar?

September 21st – 25th

• Defense Scoop’s Defense Tech Week

September 22nd

• ACT-IAC's Digital Transformation Summit, Reston, VA

September 22nd and 23rd

• AGA’s Internal Control & Fraud Prevention Training, Ronald Reagan Building, Washington, D.C.

September 25th

• POGO and Arnold Ventures's Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act 20th Anniversary Celebration

September 30th

• FedRAMP Day, Arlington, VA

From inside the House, it’s Christian Hoehner!

This week on the GovNavigators Show, Robert and Adam welcome their good friend Christian Hoehner, Policy Director for the Majority staff at the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Christian walks us through the committee’s expansive work, including their new legislation addressing the “dire problem” of fraud and improper payments. Plus, an inside look at the Prepayment Fraud Prevention and Treasury Data Access Act, and the payoff of bipartisan cooperation.

Special thanks to our friends at Allocore for sponsoring this episode!

Show Notes

• https://allocore.com/
• AP: US marks 25 years since the Sept. 11 attacks
• GovExec: What does 9/11 mean for young public servants who hardly remember it?
• PBS: Anthropic researcher's resignation sends warning about the dangers of AI development
• WSJ: Congress Is Suddenly Waking Up to the AI Doomsday Threat
• GSA: GSA Expands OneGov AI Offerings with Discounted, Consumption-Based Access to OpenAI’s ChatGPT
• Politico: Viral AI researcher’s warning ‘scary as hell,’ Cruz says
• The British Museum: The Bayeux Tapestry
• GAO: Payment Integrity
• GAO: Fraud Risk Management
• House Oversight: Chairman Comer: Congress Must Stop Fraud to Protect Taxpayers
• House Oversight: House Passes 11 Oversight Committee Bills to Stop Fraud in Federal Programs
• Congress.gov: Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019
• Congress.gov: Pre-Payment Fraud Prevention and Treasury Data Access Act
• Bureau of the Fiscal Service: Do Not Pay
• DOJ: Privacy Act
• Data Foundation: Data Foundation Endorses Pre-Payment Fraud Prevention and Treasury Data Access Act Ahead of Markup
• Data Foundation: Data Foundation Welcomes House Passage of Pre-Payment Fraud Prevention and Treasury Data Access Act
• Congress.gov: Stopping Fraudulent Payments Act
• Congress.gov: Fraud Prevention and Accountability Act

What’s on the GovNavigators’ radar?

September 14th

• Socure Fraud Briefing on Capitol Hill

September 15th

• The Data Foundation’s govDATAx, George Washington University

National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) Lunch for John Bernard, America’s Pulse

Senator Lankford and Senator Hassan’s Roundtable on Executive-Legislative Relations

Happy Labor Day!

On this pop-up episode, Robert and Adam wish a happy holiday to all, with a special shoutout to our federal workforce. Plus, some quick updates from Congress and upcoming events to tie you over through the long weekend.

Show Notes:

• https://allocore.com/
• Federal News Network: House passes short-term funding bill to avoid a shutdown before the election
• Bloomberg Government: House Cancels Two September Session Weeks Ahead of Midterms

What’s on the GovNavigators’ radar?

September 9th

• GovNavigators Policy Wonk Happy Hour, benefiting the Senior Executives Association, The Exchange, Washington D.C., 5-7 PM

September 15th

• The Data Foundation’s govDATAx Conference, George Washington University

Christina Ho knows some people would describe audit as “painful,” so what if there was a way to make it “faster, better, and cheaper?”

In this episode, Robert and Adam sit down with Christina Ho, former PCAOB Board Member and Chief Assurance Officer at Oath to discuss her new project using AI to improve the auditing process by testing 100% of transactions. Plus, learn about her vision for a “whole new category” of independent verification, and how the current view of audit as a compliance exercise is not producing the value it is intended to.

Thanks to our sponsors at Allocore!

Show Notes:

• https://allocore.com/
• Variety: Dolly Parton, Queen of Country Music, Dies at 80
• The Washington Post: Red Tape Newsletter Piece
• Treasury: Treasury Announces the Quantum-Readiness Task Force
• DOJ: Department of Justice Announces Launch of National Fraud Detection Center to Combat Fraud Against Taxpayer-Funded Programs
• FedScoop: Draft OMB memo mandates agency use of Login.gov on government websites
• Federal CDO Council: DCAT-US v3.0 Schema Implementation Guide
• WSJ: Former Audit Regulator Helps Set Up Accounting Firm Targeting 80% Automation
• PCAOB: Christina Ho
• Oath Verified: https://www.oathverified.com/
• HHS: HHS Cracks Down on Years of Unchecked Audit Findings
• OMB: M-25-30
• OMB: Accelerating Federal Use of AI through Innovation, Governance, and Public Trust
• OMB: Driving Efficient Acquisition of Artificial Intelligence in Government

What’s on the GovNavigators’ radar?

August 31st

• The House is back in session

September 9th

• GovNavigators and Senior Executives Association Policy Wonk Happy Hour, The Exchange, Washington D.C., 5-7 PM

September 14th

• The Senate is back in session

September 15th

• The Data Foundation’s govDATAx, George Washington University

Congress passed a major bipartisan housing bill, and Robert has three daughters renting apartments, so this one is personal. This week, Robert and Adam are joined by Nicole Upano, AVP of Housing Policy and Regulatory Affairs, and George Ratiu, VP of Research, both at the National Apartment Association, to unpack what the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act does for Americans everywhere, and what comes next. From single-stairway buildings and inspection parity to opportunity zone updates, manufactured housing reform, and the role of private capital, they walk through a once-in-a-generation piece of legislation, and what implementation looks like across Treasury, HUD, FHFA, USDA, and beyond. They also flag what didn't make it in, and why the real work is just beginning.

Thank you to Allocore for sponsoring this episode.

Show Notes:

• NAA: Road to Housing Live Resources Page
• Congress: 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (H.R. 6644)
• Senate Banking Committee: Myth vs. Fact: ROAD to Housing Act
• White House: Statement of Administration Policy — H.R. 6644
• Treasury: Debt to the Penny
• Politico: AI Slop Is Flooding Congress's Legislative Drafting Office

Events on the GovNavigators' Radar:

• August 26-27th: AFCEA INSA National Security Summit — Bethesda, MD
• August 27th: Merit Talks: Generative AI and the New Federal Workflow
• September 15th: Data Foundation GovDataX: George Washington University

Special thanks to Allocore for supporting this episode.

Ensuring politicians remain accountable to those who vote for them is no easy feat, but our guest this episode may have the solution. On this episode of the GovNavigators Show, Robert and Adam try not to have too much fun talking with John Bernard, Founder, President, and CEO of America’s Pulse, as he takes us through his project to measure state performance and connect citizens’ priorities directly to their elected officials. Plus, learn how America’s Pulse is building a direct-input democracy that extends beyond elections, and how you can use it to make your voice heard.

Show Notes

• https://allocore.com/
• Washington Post: Divers recover a bottle of Guinness from a 162-year-old shipwreck
• OMB: TikTok Memo M-26-17
• White House: Expanding Capabilities to Combat Transnational Cyber-Enabled Crime
• Nextgov/FCW: Palantir calls on GSA to withdraw draft AI acquisition rule
• Washington Technology: Palantir’s no-bid pipeline just got bigger
• Treasury: FinCEN Permanently Ends Beneficial Ownership Reporting Requirements for Millions of Small Business Owners
• Amazon: Government That Works: The Results Revolution in the States
• Amazon: Business at the Speed of Now
• America’s Pulse: https://www.americaspulse.org/
• Harvard University: The 3.5% rule

What’s on the GovNavigators’ radar?

August 20th

• AWS and Carahsoft Missions Made Possible: A FedTech Innovation Summit, Arlington, VA

August 24th

• A Hole in One with ACT-IAC, Leesburg, VA

August 26th-27th

• AFCEA and INSA’s 2026 Intelligence and National Security Summit, Bethesda, MD

August 27th

• The MeriTalk Mission Room on Agentic AI and the New Federal Workflow, Washington, D.C.

August 27th

• Potomac Officers Club 2026 Navy Summit, Falls Church, VA

Thank you to Allocore for supporting this week's episode of the GovNavigators Show.

Are we all clear on opsec? This week, Robert and Adam are getting (almost) all the details on how the latest technologies are rewriting the rules of national security. Shelby Pierson, retired national security official and the newest member of the GovNavigators Network, talks us through her longtime career spanning across the CIA, NRO, NGA, and ODNI, and unpacks the real work behind the romantic Hollywood version of the Intelligence Community. Now, as a consultant, she is bringing her unique expertise and skill set to organizations looking to revolutionize the important work done in supporting of our warfighter.

Show Notes:

• https://allocore.com/
• Federal News Network: VA's Cloud Security Memo
• FedRAMP: 20X Initiative
• Federal News Network: OMB Revamps Cyber Event Logging Requirements (M-26-14)
• Supreme Court: Margolin v. National Association of Immigration Judges
• Washington Post: VP Vance's Op-Ed

Events on the GovNavigators' Radar

• August 9-12: DoDIIS 2026
• August 9-11: XChange August 2026
• August 20: Missions Made Possible Fed Tech Innovation Summit

This week on the GovNavigators Show, Robert and Adam welcome Lauren Lombardo, Policy Director for Recoding America, to discuss her work driving collaborative and coordinated government management policy reform. Lauren walks us through how working on campaigns at 13 years old sparked an early interest in public service, and describes her professional path working as a data scientist in the private sector before pivoting to use her technology background as a staffer in Congress. She dives into her work with the Recoding America fund, building connections with think tanks and individuals passionate about government management reform, developing the narrative surrounding these issues, and administering grants to organizations doing policy development and advocacy work in the government management sphere. Plus, learn why Lauren believes problems attributed to technology in government often stem much deeper, and why bipartisanism is necessary for real policy change.

Show Notes

Allocore: https://allocore.com/

New York Times: Accept Your Fate. Don’t Wear Shorts to the Office.

Congress.gov: House C.R.

The Hill: House passes reconciliation framework for Pentagon boost, voting restrictions

House Armed Services Committee: FY27 NDAA Resources

GSA: OneGov CORUS partnership

FedScoop: VA won’t require existing FedRAMP certification for cloud contracts

VA: FedRAMP memo

Nextgov/FCW: After Hugging Face breach, FedRAMP chief tells slow-to-patch vendors to stay out of government

Recoding America Fund: https://recodingamerica.org/

HSGAC: Testimony of Anthony Fauci

C-SPAN: Dr. Anthony Fauci Testifies on Origins of COVID-19 Pandemic

The Washington Post: Rand Paul threatens to hold Fauci in contempt after he declines to answer questions

What’s on the GovNavigators’ Radar?

August 4th

• TheXchange August Workshop on NASA's SEWP VI, Reston, VA

August 5th

• HSGAC Business Meeting, Washington, D.C.

August 5th-6th

• The 14th Annual Border Security and Intelligence Summit, Washington, D.C.

This week on the GovNavigators Show, Robert and Adam welcome back Howard Mortman, Director of Communications at C-SPAN. Howard reveals what’s new with the network, the trends he’s been seeing, and how public affairs broadcasting has been changing. The episode dives into the role C-SPAN footage plays in spurring political conversation on social media, and the network’s new show aiming to bring tough policy questions and civil discourse that feeds solutions on air. Robert, Adam, and Howard also discuss C-SPAN programming, including America 250 festivities and a special initiative to send reporters to the field to augment 2026 campaign coverage. Plus, new developments on Howard’s podcast, Extreme Mortman, including an exciting name change, behind the scenes information on process, and the episodes he’s looking forward to the most.

Show Notes

House Appropriations: Continuing Resolution Press Release

Time Magazine: House Passes $1.15 Trillion Defense Spending Bill

House Armed Services Committee: FY27 NDAA Resources

HHS: Press Release on Deferring California and Minnesota Medicaid Payments

Reuters: US pauses $1 billion in Medicaid payments to California, Minnesota

C-SPAN: C-SPAN Website

C-SPAN: America 250

C-SPAN: Campaign 2026

The Hill: C-SPAN inks deal with YouTube TV, Hulu

C-SPAN: Ceasefire

C-SPAN: Extreme Mortman

What’s on the GovNavigators’ radar?

July 28th:

• Digital Government Institute 14th Annual 930Gov Conference, Washington, D.C.

July 30th:

• ATARC NextGen Cyber Operations: AI in Action Summit, Reston, VA
• Potomac Officers Club 2026 Air and Space Summit, McLean, VA

This week on the GovNavigators Show, Robert and Adam welcome Dana Fowler, member of the GovNavigators Network, to walk us through her career path and offer insights on government performance reform. Dana details her interesting start in the federal government as “basically a deckhand on a fishing boat,” before moving onto the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the CDC, the Performance Improvement Council within GSA, and the Department of the Interior, in a performance management field she never expected to be a part of. The show raises the importance of leveraging data for decision-making, measuring the right things for the right reasons, and the value of an outside perspective. Plus, Dana gives us a peek into her new projects that work on government reform from the outside, using the knowledge she’s collected as a “practitioner” within.

Show Notes:

House Budget Committee: Press Release on Reconciliation 3.0

The Hill: Key House committee advances framework for reconciliation 3.0

Congress.gov: Budget Impoundment and Control Act of 1974

The Washington Post: Wildfire smoke in DC

FedRAMP: FedRAMP 20x

DOW: Department of War Suspends CMMC Phase II Requirements

Federal News Network: Pentagon suspends CMMC phase two requirements

NOTUS: The Social Security Chief Keeps Sending Staff His Daughter’s Pretzels

Performance.gov: GPRA

IBM: IBM Center for the Business of Government

We the Doers: We the Doers website

House Oversight: Emerging Fraud Threats and the Evolving Fraud Landscape hearing

IMDB: Movie reference

What’s on the GovNavigators’ radar?

July 21-23rd:

• AGA Professional Development Training (PDT) 2026, Washington, DC

July 21st:

• ACT-IAC Supply Chain Innovation Forum, Reston, VA

July 23rd:

• GovForward’s 8th Annual Carahsoft Summit on FedRAMP, Washington, DC

This week on The GovNavigators Show, Robert and Adam welcome Alex Snider, a former GSA and State Department official and author of the new book Sometimes You Should Be Late, to talk about what mindfulness has to do with government management. Alex walks through his career path in the Executive branch, and explains how recovering from a bike accident and the concussion that followed sent him toward meditation, therapy, and a new relationship with time. The conversation digs into the way breath is important to helping us live in the present, how bringing mindfulness into stakeholder meetings and performance reviews changes how public servants relate to one another, and why "sometimes you should be late" isn't an excuse for flakiness but a case for slowing down enough to notice the things that matter. Plus, Alex lets us in on the realities of a first-time author’s book launch, and how it further reinforced his idea that we should let go of the things we can’t control.

Show Notes:

• WSJ: Housing Bill Becomes Law Despite Trump Refusing to Sign It
• Federal News Network: Federal CIO Barbaccia leaving in August
• Federal News Network: DoT CIO Pidugu leaving
• Federal News Network: Interior Department CIO is out after holding job for over a year
• Government Executive: HUD's tech chief appears headed for Interior
• The Hill: DOGE officially shuts down
• Politico: Washington’s quantum reality check (White House quantum summit)
• IBM Newsroom: Oak Ridge National Lab, Cleveland Clinic, and IBM Achieve First-Known Computations of Fusion Materials on a Quantum Computer
• Alex Snider: Sometimes You Should Be Late (Book)
• Alex Snider: Slow Mindfulness (Substack)
• Alex Snider: https://www.slowmindfulness.com/

What's on the GovNavigators' Radar?

July 14th:

• Federal Student Loan Management Roundtable, Center for USA Lending, Washington, DC
• Grants Management SIN Webinar, GSA

July 15th:

• Emerging Fraud Threats and the Evolving Fraud Landscape Hearing, Subcommittee on Government Operations, U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
• Exposing Fraud in America Hearing, Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee

July 16th:

• GovExec Government Efficiency Summit, JW Marriott, Washington, DC

This week on The GovNavigators Show, Robert and Adam welcome Tyler Davey, CEO of ClearGov, to talk about how technology can finally make city budgets accessible to the people paying for them. The show digs into the problem with the traditional 300-to-500-page budget book, why context is the key to real citizen engagement, and how ClearGov's AI-powered chatbot and Engagement Studio turn complicated financial reports into community conversations. Tyler explains why government at the local level is what ends up impacting us the most, sharing a story of a case study where a new engagement platform encouraged input and surfaced citizen priorities. The episode also covers compliance and privacy considerations across state and local jurisdictions and why reaching the "silent majority" matters as much as responding to the loudest voices in the room. Plus, Robert and Adam share the latest updates on quantum, the Supreme Court, and FASAB.

Show Notes:

• White House: Ushering in the Next Frontier of Quantum Innovation (Executive Order)
• White House: Securing the Nation Against Advanced Cryptographic Attacks (Executive Order)
• OMB: Memorandum M-26-15, Execution of the Migration to Post-Quantum Cryptography
• SCOTUS: Trump v. Slaughter
• SCOTUSblog: Supreme Court Allows Trump to Fire FTC Commissioner, Overturns Humphrey's Executor
• The Hill: Trump Cancels Housing Bill Signing Over Senate Inaction on SAVE Act
• The Hill: House Republicans Vote to Block NDAA Rule Over SAVE America Act
• Federal Register: Notice of Issuance of Staff Implementation Guidance 64.1 (FASAB MD&A Guidance)
• ClearGov: Website
• Businesswire: ClearGov Financial Engagement Platform Launch Announcement
• ClearGov: Rochester Hills, Michigan Case Study

What's on the GovNavigators' Radar?

July 8th:

• GSA FY26 Small Business Contracting Opportunities and Category Management Forum, National Industries for the Blind, Alexandria, VA

July 16th:

• GovExec Government Efficiency Summit, JW Marriott, Washington, DC

July 21-23rd:

• AGA Professional Development Training (PDT) 2026, Washington, DC

On this Independence Day pop-up episode of the GovNavigators Show, Robert and Adam mark America's 250th birthday by surfacing some lesser-known milestones in the history of government management. From pre-Declaration government auditing, to a revolutionary-era grievance against King George that sounds surprisingly familiar to anyone who's worked in federal bureaucracy, to the creation of the Treasury Department in 1789, the roots of government management run deep. Plus, some recommendations from America’s Song Book and a shoutout to special 250th “best of” lists. Happy Independence Day!

This week on the GovNavigators Show, Robert and Adam are joined by Maureen Klovers and April Harding, co-founders of We the Doers, who tackle the big question: How do we make government more efficient and effective? They discuss their project to measure success in government based on what matters to citizens and use that framework to see what changes make a difference. Maureen and April also describe their initiative to map out the convoluted employment termination process across agencies and usher in “Fast But Fair Firing.” The episode digs into the importance of data standardization, problem definition and implementation of reforms, and why biannual budgeting might be the key to fixing Congress. Together, they figure out how to, as Robert puts it, “Stop the crazy, restore sanity.”

Show Notes:

• NCHSA: Bipartisan Bicameral Housing Reform
• DOL: Unemployment Insurance Fraud Prevention
• Jen Pahlka: Recoding America Book
• Senate Committee on Finance: The Unemployment Insurance Modernization and Recession Readiness Act
• NOTUS: The Trump Administration Keeps Ghosting Its Congressional Watchdog
• Gary Bass (Of the Gary Bass Rule of Three): Biography
• We the Doers: http://wethedoers.org/
• POPVOX Foundation: Departure Dialogues Project
• We the Doers: Workshop Report
• DOL: Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA)

What's on the GovNavigators' Radar?

June 22nd:

• National Academy of Public Administration Celebrating the American Public Servant Gala (GovNavigators sponsor)

June 23-24th:

• 2026 Senior Executive Leadership Summit

June 24th:

• Celonis Process Intelligence Day (GovNavigators sponsor)
• GovExec SAP NOW 250