The Government Huddle with Brian Chidester

Keith Wilson, Director of Talent Support at United States Digital Response joins the show to explore how governments can build the workforce and digital capabilities they need to keep pace with rapidly evolving technology. Together we unpack what government can learn from private-sector approaches to recruiting technology talent, why outdated job classifications and lengthy hiring processes can make it difficult to compete for emerging skills, and what successful digital service teams look like at the state and local level. We also explore the importance of leadership, experimentation, user-centered design, and learning from governments that are already making progress.

Katie Arrington, former CIO for the United States Department of War and current Chief Quantum Evangelist at IonQ joins the show to discuss what makes quantum fundamentally different from AI and why the US-China race for "Q-Day" has no second-place finisher. She explains IonQ's ion-trapping approach, the current fidelity numbers closing in on the 256-qubit threshold, and why quantum's energy footprint could reshape data centers and national resource strategy. Finally we cover why "harvest now, decrypt later" undersells the real threat, why the US needs new incentives (tax relief, capital gains waivers) to out-commercialize China, and her definition of success in the next five years.

The Honorable Victor Dominello, former New South Wales Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government and current CEO and co-founder of the Future Government Institute (FGI) joins the show to unpack FGI's framework for how government evolves, from Government 0.0 through Government 4.0. Together we explore why most governments remain stuck in the "clutter era" of 2.0, and why the leap to 3.0 is a cultural and philosophical shift, not just a technical one. We also discuss why trust, not technology, is democracy's biggest hurdle in the AI era, why humility is the defining trait of leaders driving real transformation, and what citizens will take for granted about government in ten years.

Amita Prabhu, Senior Engagement Manager with Adobe’s Public Sector Digital Strategy Group joins the show to unpack the findings from the 2026 Digital Government Index (DGI)—Adobe’s annual benchmark of digital maturity across U.S. state governments. This year’s report saw AI readiness added to the index as the digital “front door” shifts from traditional search and government websites toward AI-generated answers. Together they explore what that shift means for government agencies competing to ensure residents receive authoritative, trustworthy information—not answers from outdated, third-party, or potentially fraudulent sources. The conversation also examines why overall digital progress is beginning to slow, despite meaningful gains in accessibility, and introduces the idea of “whack-a-mole government”: agencies solving one digital challenge only to create or expose another. Amita discusses the tradeoffs between accessibility and site performance, why point solutions can compound technology challenges, and how integrated approaches can help agencies improve the entire resident experience.

Bill Gemza, Deputy CISO and VP of Cybersecurity and Threat Management at Veeam joins the show to explore the growing gap between cyber confidence and proven resilience across federal agencies. Together they unpack why having a recovery plan isn’t the same as knowing it will work when an attack hits—and how AI is making that challenge even more complex. They discuss the rise of “shadow AI,” gaps in AI governance and visibility, and why agencies need to test recovery capabilities under real-world conditions rather than relying on compliance audits or past performance. 

Mike Hurt, Group Vice President for U.S. Public Sector at ServiceNow joins the show to unpack findings from a new research report on AI adoption across civilian and defense agencies. Together we explore what separates a successful AI deployment from a science experiment, detail the governance infrastructure needed to define where AI makes decisions and where humans stay in the loop, and then discuss the importance of storytelling to build internal momentum and drive adoption beyond early adopters. We alsd dig into why only 15% of agencies are deploying agentic AI today and why siloed pilots aren't enough. 

Evan Meyer, GovTech entrepreneur, community advocate, podcast host, and self-proclaimed "civic ninja" joins the show for a thought-provoking conversation about civic engagement, public trust, and the future of local government. Drawing on his experience spanning technology startups, neighborhood leadership, public service, and civic innovation, Evan shares his perspective on why trust in government has eroded, how local communities can reclaim agency, and why meaningful change often starts much closer to home than most people realize. We also discuss the role of technology and AI in government, the challenges of bureaucratic inefficiency, the importance of transparent communication between elected officials and constituents, and the incentives that shape public-sector decision-making.

Amanda D'Amico, Senior Director of Market Planning for Fraud and Eligibility Solutions at LexisNexis Risk Solutions joins the show to discuss why operational execution—not just understanding policy—will determine success ss Medicaid agencies prepare for the implementation of H.R. 1. We dive into how agencies can balance program integrity with continuity of coverage by modernizing outreach, improving data quality, and leveraging technology to better engage beneficiaries. We also explore the importance of clear communication, efficient workflows, and keeping the human impact at the center of compliance efforts to ensure eligible individuals continue receiving the critical services they need.

Kate O'Neill, globally recognized tech humanist, strategic advisor to Fortune 500 companies, and author of What Matters Next joins the show for a wide-ranging conversation on AI, ethics, and what it truly means to lead with humanity in the age of intelligent machines. We discuss her early days as one of Netflix's first 100 employees to frame what "future readiness" looks like for organizations today and why the same proactive vision that let Netflix outmaneuver Blockbuster is exactly what's missing from AI governance right now. Together they unpack the philosophical divide between policy, politics, and the dangers of letting "hope lead strategy" in workforce decisions and offer government and enterprise leaders a grounded, human-centered lens for navigating AI, the most transformative technology of our time.

Tom Marlow, Managing Director at Dark Wolf Solutions joins the show to discuss the evolution from opportunistic cybercrime to full-scale cyber warfare. Together we break down why today's adversaries aren't just after financial gain, they're positioning inside critical infrastructure, waiting. From the Salt Typhoon intrusions to water treatment plant exploits, the targets have shifted to the very systems that hold society together: power grids, communications networks, and healthcare. We also dig into what government agencies can do right now, from comprehensive red-teaming to zero trust architecture and AI-enabled threat hunting, and what cyber conflict could look like in the next five to ten years, when autonomous AI agents may be the ones charging into battle.