GovCIO Media & Research Podcasts

After a strategic pause, the Department of Veterans Affairs is preparing to resume its federal electronic health record rollout in mid-2026 with a renewed focus on continuous improvement and system modernization. The Federal Electronic Health Record Modernization (FEHRM) office's goal is to unite capabilities across the VA, Defense Department, Coast Guard and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — along with other federal partners — to deploy the same federal EHR. Ahead of HIMSS, FEHRM Director Bill Tinston discussed the vital role FEHRM has played in gathering feedback, sharing lessons learned and driving program enhancements. He highlighted recent successes in the federal EHR initiative, how the program aligns with the new administration's push for greater transparency and accountability, and what milestones are on the horizon as the rollout resumes. He also dove into the broader health IT landscape, highlighting the innovations and emerging technologies that could be game-changers for federal health care.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is exploring how it can leverage artificial intelligence to enhance cancer screening techniques, ultimately improving patient outcomes across the nation. Dr. Katrina Goddard, director of the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences at NCI, explains how her division is leveraging AI, and other innovative solutions like the low-dose CT scan, to better detect lung cancer and enable better access to data.

Former Defense Department CIO John Sherman anticipates many shifts from President Donald Trump and his administration's incoming leadership on tech development and defense priorities. Sherman, who now serves as Dean of Texas A&M's Bush School of Government and Public Service, has spent 30 years in national security and intelligence positions in the CIA, DOD and other agencies. As DOD CIO, he oversaw technology and cyber modernization for a 4 million-person enterprise with a $60 billion IT and cyber budget. He was also politically appointed as Intelligence Community CIO under Trump's first administration. Since taking office, Trump has released new guidance, shifting government's approach to technology modernization and personnel management. Sherman explained how he sees the new administration's priorities developing and provided insight on the Office of Personnel Management's recently released guidance regarding redesignating SES CIO positions. Plus, he shared his perspective on the new AI executive order and the Defense Department's push to develop an "Iron Dome."

The new year began with a new White House executive order on strengthening and promoting innovation in cybersecurity, building on previous efforts, like the National Cybersecurity Strategy, to enhance the security of the nation's digital infrastructure. Looking into 2025, Deputy Assistant Director of FBI's Cyber Division Cynthia Kaiser said her division plans to leverage emerging technology like artificial intelligence to thwart cyber adversaries and better detect threats around critical infrastructure, while aligning with federal policies and directives. Kaiser's division is also advancing patch management and other AI-enabled technology to boost resiliency. Kaiser highlighted some of the top exploited vulnerabilities FBI has seen over the recent years, the agency's special partnership with CISA as well as the importance of the "Secure by Design" model to counter cyber attacks.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is responsible for the nation's largest internal help desk in government. Robert Cunningham, executive director for Enterprise Command Operations at VA, explains his oversight of the agency's internal help desk, which processes more than two million requests per year with the help of automation and AI. The tech also enables VA to better manage outages and bugs within the agency's systems. Cunningham also shares how he collaborates with VA employees, government agencies and industry to offer IT services unrivaled in scale to better serve veterans and those that serve them.

Maintaining legacy communications systems is expensive and can leave military services like the Navy and Marine Corps behind. During AFCEA West in San Diego, Verizon Navy and Marine Corps Public Sector Director David Reaves explained how he's seeing the Navy's challenges in modernizing voice and data communications, focusing on the Defense Department's mandate to transition from outdated systems to IP-based infrastructure. Reaves said that the high cost and difficulty of maintaining legacy systems means that the Navy should modernize to an enterprise-wide deployment strategy to ensure consistency and cost-effectiveness across bases. Reaves also discussed the importance of converging voice and data networks for operational efficiency and explained how the Navy can leverage existing contracts to streamline the acquisition of modern technologies like Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

The Naval Postgraduate School's recent partnership with the Defense Innovation Unit formalizes NPS' focus on fostering innovation in the school's student body. NPS President Ann Rondeau said Thursday that the the school not only supports innovation, but lays the foundation for creative thinking, collaboration and finding real-world solutions to support the Defense Department. During AFCEA West in San Diego, California, California, Rondeau described NPS as a hub for "warrior scholars" – experienced military, international, civilian government and industry professionals – who work together to address real challenges facing DOD. She added that the school's curriculum is also continuously updated based on feedback, ensuring relevance and responsiveness to evolving needs like AI, quantum and other emerging technology.

The Naval Information Warfare Systems Command supports technical authority and acquisition command for information warfare, which presents modernization challenges as the speed of technology evolution increases. At AFCEA West in San Diego, NAVWAR CIO Ben Motten said his office is empowering the workforce by providing the necessary tools and capabilities, allowing warfighters to focus on the mission rather than the technology itself. Legacy infrastructure and software present hurdles, he said, but they also provide an opportunity to modernize by "leapfrogging" to newer technologies like low-code/no-code platforms and future spectrum connectivity technologies.

In 2024, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) signed a memo of understanding to codify their joint effort to develop future leaders to manage innovative solutions. During AFCEA West in San Diego, Kaitie Penry, director of emerging technology and innovation at the Naval Postgraduate School, discussed how that agreement is going. She highlighted the impact it has had on developing leadership skills in students, particularly in acquisition and innovation, and preparing them for senior-level positions in the Defense Department. Penry also discussed how she is fostering an innovative mindset to meet DOD and student needs.

During AFCEA West in San Diego, California, Mark Gorak, Defense Department's principal director for resources and analysis and director of the Cyber Academic Engagement Office, discussed his priorities for cyber talent and retention amid new federal leadership. Gorak lauded his office's efforts to lower the average days it takes to hire cyber talent and discussed his efforts to retain cyber talent. The Cyber Workforce Strategy, which has been deployed since 2023, has been implemented hand in hand with ongoing and emerging innovations within and outside of the department. Gorak has overseen hiring thousands of employees. He noted that departures from the agency allow other agencies and industry to hire talented individuals from the DOD, creating an ecosystem of like-minded experts throughout government.

The Marine Corps is modernizing its systems to keep pace with rapidly evolving technology while centering warfighters. During AFCEA West in San Diego, California, Marine Corps Systems Command Cyber Technology Officer Gaurang Dävé said that innovation requires speed in delivering capabilities to the warfighter. Dävé highlighted that Marines act as sensors in the battlespace, needing the best information in real-time for informed decision-making. Dävé also discussed the Marine Corps' approach of containerized, modular applications and the service's collaborative work with the Army's software factory in Austin, Texas, that allows Marines to code applications and receive hands-on training in innovative technology.

Security and agility are critical to balancing the Department of the Navy's zero-trust journey amid evolving cloud modernization priorities. At AFCEA West in San Diego, California, DON's CIO Jane Rathbun discussed the service's recent zero-trust achievements with its Flank Speed initiative to enable secure cloud deployment. Rathbun shared some of the lessons learned for other organizations throughout the journey. She also highlighted how collaboration between cyber operators, acquisition communities, resource sponsors and requirement owners enabled the service's success and discussed how the role of operator feedback, especially from cyber operators, is shaping IT architecture and future modernization.

Countering adversaries in the cyber domain requires the Navy to harness information at the speed of technological innovation. During AFCEA West in San Diego, California, Vice Adm. Craig Clapperton, commander of U.S. Fleet Cyber Command and Navy Space Command, discussed how he is approaching the evolving landscape of cyber threats and developing strategies to counter them in his dual-hat role. From recent cyber incidents like SolarWinds and Volt Typhoon, to the role of emerging technologies like AI, Clapperton dives into the complexities of modern cyber warfare and explains how he's eyeing collaboration with industry partners and allies, recruiting top cyber talent and staying ahead of adversaries in a rapidly changing digital environment.

Technology has made cyber threats more complex and difficult to discern for defense intelligence operations and combatant commands providing insights to decision-makers across the globe. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command (Northcom) work with industry, allies and other combatant commands to secure all domains for the U.S. and Canada. Director of Intelligence and Information Brig. Gen. Maurizio Calabrese discussed the evolving role of defense intelligence, the importance of cyber warfare and the need for global threat awareness. He also addressed the growing importance of the Arctic region, citing increased international interest and the need for advanced tech capabilities.

Office of Personnel Management Chief Data Officer and Acting Chief AI Officer Taka Ariga provided an inside look at the agency's innovative use of artificial intelligence. OPM is navigating the potential for AI in use cases such as general productivity tools and bespoke solutions tailored for federal workforce needs. Ariga highlighted the importance of data integrity and trust, the careful alignment of people, processes and technology, and the pivotal role AI plays in modernizing government operations. The interview also highlighted OPM's efforts to grow the federal cybersecurity workforce and showcased how AI is shaping recruitment and training strategies. Additionally, Ariga shared how storytelling is helping simplify complex concepts like data governance to build trust and understanding across the agency.

Data security and customer experience are top priorities for Jennifer Wendel, the newly confirmed permanent CIO at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Wendel emphasized the agency's commitment to implementing special cybersecurity measures and strengthening incident response processes to safeguard patient data from malicious actors. Wendel highlighted some of her other key priorities from HHS' 2022-2026 Strategic Plan. This includes improvements to grants.gov by introducing new tools designed to make accessing health services faster and more efficient. Wendel is also driving initiatives to upskill the HHS workforce, equipping employees with essential expertise in cybersecurity, data management and cloud technologies to meet evolving challenges.

The first season of AI GovCast brought listeners the voices at the forefront of government's AI revolution. We heard from State Dept. Chief AI Officer (CAIO) Matthew Graviss on how his agency is driving ethical and responsible use of AI in diplomacy, hiring AI professionals and integrating better data practices in AI implementation. Department of Labor CAIO Mangala Kuppa explained the principles around AI that the agency is adhering to while developing and adopting the emerging technology. Coming Jan. 14, season two will dive deeper into AI governance, use cases and implementation.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Cyber Integration Center (CCIC) is the hub of cybersecurity strategy and response at the agency. The collaborative center focuses on internal assessments to protect sensitive patient data and improve threat detection. Acting CISO Keith Busby explained how CCIC red, blue and purple security engagements teams are conducting Penetration Testing (PenTesting) to monitor the agency's critical infrastructure and prevent malicious actors from causing devastating cyber attacks. Busby shared details about the agency's Risk Management Strategy, which uses secret scanning and other enterprise level technologies to mitigate risks. He also highlighted the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) cyber performance goals agencies should be prioritizing to boost their resiliency.

Federal agencies are making significant strides in revolutionizing data access and records management by adopting new technologies, improving processes and fostering greater transparency. The Library of Congress and National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) are revolutionizing access to their vast amounts of historical records and born-digital content. The organizations are taking innovative approaches to digitization, metadata management and leveraging cutting-edge technologies like AI and machine learning to enhance discoverability and accessibility. Natalie Buda Smith, director of digital strategy at the Library of Congress, and Jill Reilly, digital engagement director at NARA, dive into the challenges of preserving and providing access to digital-native materials, from obsolete formats to emulation strategies.

Department of Homeland Security AI Corps Director Michael Boyce runs the largest civilian AI hiring effort in the federal government. The new service is modeled after the White House's U.S. Digital Service that embeds experts at agencies to tackle critical tech projects — in this case embedding AI across the agency's critical mission areas. On this AI GovCast miniseries, Boyce discusses his journey to the agency with his prior roles at the Office of Management and Budget. He breaks down how he envisions the growth of the AI Corps, how it ties into the department's goal of serving as a model to the rest of government around AI development and some of the unique considerations he faces around upskilling the workforce and developing guardrails around responsible use of AI.

In the final episode of our Storytelling Miniseries, we discuss building meaningful relationships through storytelling. Department of House and Urban Development's Director of Business Operations and Technology Sarah Moffatt, Program Manager at the Department of Energy's Office of Sustainable Environmental Stewardship Cate Berard and IBM's U.S. Federal Civilian Agency Business Development Leader Lauren Craig discussed why building connections is so crucial in storytelling and how the relationships you create can have a lasting impact on your career. They also shared tips on how to ask better questions, practice active listening and pace the flow of information to avoid overwhelming your audience. The leaders discussed how these practical tools can help federal leaders grow their careers.

Customs and Border Protection CTO Sunil Madhugiri discussed how the agency is using artificial intelligence at the nation's borders to sift through mountains of data more quickly. Artificial intelligence and large language models are not new to CBP. The agency has been developing the technology for its use in its missions including detecting suspicious items and packages at border entries and ports. Madhugiri discussed CBP's infrastructure it created for this tech and how it plans to adopt it without further burdening employees and officers working at ports and borders nationwide.

The Department of the Navy is leading the charge in innovation, speeding up the federal acquisition process to improve tech adoption and remain competitive in the evolving tech landscape. Acting CTO Justin Fanelli joined us at AWS re:Invent to highlight how the two new designated enterprise services in its COSMOS zero-trust computing platform and the Naval Enterprise Service Desk (NESD) are moving the Navy toward more shared services. He also discussed the newly launched Innovation Adoption Kit, a powerful new resource to help Program Executive Offices (PEOs) speed up procurement and collaborate with an ever-expanding vendor ecosystem. Specifically, he walked through the 15 "plays" in the kit, including using outcome metrics and structured piloting, and explained how the Navy is tackling some of the toughest challenges in adopting cutting-edge technologies. He also discussed the Navy's Flank Speed initiative, a cloud-based collaboration tool, recently completed all 91 target zero trust activities three years ahead of the Defense Department's deadline. He explained the strategies and innovations that made this milestone possible and how Flank Speed is setting the standard for scaling zero trust outcomes across the Navy — and potentially across the entire federal government.

Cutting-edge technology is transforming health care, with solutions like artificial intelligence helping agencies like the National Cancer Institute (NCI) improve screening, diagnosis and treatment. During AWS re:Invent in Las Vegas, Nevada, NCI CIO Jeff Shilling discussed the critical role of data standardization backing AI initiatives and how he is thinking about ethical concerns like bias, data privacy and risk management to ensure AI is both effective and responsible. He highlighted the importance of regulating AI in the medical field and how its future might require practices like data certification. Tune in to learn how the agency is working to overcome challenges related to data management and security while staying aligned with organizational priorities.

The FDA is taking a proactive approach to its digital transformation efforts that its tech leaders highlighted in a new IT strategy. FDA CIO Vid Desai and Office of Business and Customer Assurance Director Josh Lehman discussed the new strategic plan that includes a vision for emerging technologies like quantum computing and empowering its tech workforce. The leaders also outlined their priorities in cybersecurity to navigate the technological shifts ahead in federal government.

The third episode in this Storytelling Miniseries for federal leaders discusses bridging gaps across generations in the workplace. Whether you're a rising star or a experienced leader, finding common ground is essential for success. NASA's Brittany Chappell, Department of Veterans Affairs' Laura Manning and Verizon's Rose Mata dive into key topics including work-life balance, the power of an authentic elevator pitch and how to tailor your story to different professional settings. They also provide practical tips for pacing your career, embracing self-care and creating executive presence — all areas these leaders think are critical to elevating careers in federal technology.

Artificial Intelligence is empowering the Small Business Innovation Research Development Center at the National Cancer Institute to save the lives of women who have been diagnosed with common cancers. Brittany Connors, SBIR director of investor relations at NCI, discussed how she is working with startups to develop the technology that better detects breast cancer and cervical cancer in their early stages. Connors also highlighted NCI's partnerships with biotech companies and the progress that is being made with the world's first AI-driven platform that uses an automated ultrasound to screen for breast cancer without radiation.

CBP Acting Executive Assistant Commissioner Diane Sabatino discussed her vision for emerging technologies the agency is adopting at the nation's ports, entries and borders to streamline how it monitors movement of people and goods into the country. She broke down how the agency is leveraging data it collects at the border and using artificial intelligence and biometrics to alleviate administrative burdens, sift through and siphon data, and better equip CBP officers with tools to identify and respond to threats.

Department of Labor Chief AI Officer Mangala Kuppa outlined how her role is shaping the agency's artificial intelligence strategy. She discussed the principles around AI that the agency is adhering to while developing and adopting the emerging technology. Kuppa also discussed DOL's nine AI workstreams, how she rose to the position of CAIO, and the department's priorities around AI education and workforce training. She also broke down how she has fostered collaboration between the agency, shareholders and industry to better develop an AI ecosystem.

In this special Bonus Episode 2.5 of the "Storytelling Miniseries," we're thrilled to welcome the captivating Elizabeth Barry as our guest speaker. Elizabeth brings a wealth of expertise in communication and leadership, known for her dynamic storytelling and ability to use powerful analogies to connect with audiences. With a speaking style that not only entertains but educates and inspires, she will provide insights on how to harness the storyteller within and become a more effective, mindful communicator. Join us as Elizabeth shares her unique approach to communication, offering tips and strategies for personal growth and leadership through storytelling. Whether you're looking to improve how you present your ideas or want to make a lasting impact in your professional or personal life, this episode will give you the tools you need to transform how you tell your story. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from one of the most sought-after speakers in transformative leadership.

The Department of Veterans Affairs' prior pilot shuttling veterans to appointments is now a live program. The Uber-Health Connect Initiative addresses one of the biggest barriers to access for veterans across the country: transportation. Though they might be eligible for care, veterans getting to and from appointments often encounter difficulty or roadblocks because of lack of ability to drive or they just don't have reliable infrastructure in remote and rural areas. Veterans Health Administration Chief of Innovation Indra Sandal and Veterans Transportation Program Director Benjamin Williams discuss the program's journey from pilot to live program. They share updates and lessons learned, discuss the technical undertaking around its dashboards and APIs, and highlight the future of the program.

The growing need for timely, accurate and detailed data about the American people and economy poses new demands on the U.S. Census Bureau. To adapt to modern data requirements and sourcing, the bureau is transforming the way it leverages emerging technologies. While the agency continues traditional surveys, it is increasingly leveraging administrative data, business data and other innovations to create a better statistical snapshot of American life. Census Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer Ron Jarmin outlines how the bureau is expanding its data collection, using AI to make Census staff more efficient and spearheading modernization efforts to better meet 21st century data needs.

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) processes petabytes of data in its operations, and that amount of data is only expected to grow. At DoDIIS in Omaha, NGA CIO Mark Chatelain told GovCIO Media & Research that artificial intelligence and machine learning are improving data processing so humans can focus on analyzing it for targeting, warning and support. Chatelain also discussed the latest developments in NGA's zero trust journey, the agency's partnership with the private sector and the future of geospatial intelligence.

Protecting the critical data that enables the Defense Intelligence Agency's (DIA) to maintain its information advantage is at the core of the agency's mission. At DoDIIS in Omaha, DIA CISO Tim Sydnor and Senior Technical Advisor Stephen Kensinger told GovCIO Media & Research that the agency needs data to have integrity and accuracy for it to be actionable to DIA's mission. Sydnor and Kensinger also discussed how DIA works with other intelligence community and Defense Department elements, how artificial intelligence is being used at DIA and how the agency is hiring, training and retaining a cybersecurity workforce.

In this episode, we're diving into the power of authentic storytelling. Join us as we speak with our guests: Jothi Dugar, CISO at NIH Center for IT, and Andrea Fletcher, chief digital strategy officer at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. They explore how sharing your true story — including the good, the bad and the ugly — can help you build stronger connections, empower others and create lasting impact in your career. They also discuss the importance of owning your experiences and how storytelling can be a tool for personal and professional growth. Following along to learn how authenticity can be a key to unlocking your leadership potential.

The National Cancer Institute's new Artificial Intelligence Resource (AIR) program is helping clinicians better diagnose and treat cancer patients. AIR enables researchers to build AI models that help to better detect cancer through imaging and determine the best treatment options. Dr. Baris Turkbey, senior clinician and radiologist with the Molecular Imaging Branch at NCI, explained the role AI algorithms play in classifying bone lesions in metastatic prostate cancer as well as how AI impacts the radiation dose in CT scans. Turkbey also shares details about a new concept NCI is researching called multimodal AI, which processes data from multiple modalities and sources to create more robust outputs.

Data is integral to the intelligence community's operations. IC Chief Data Officer Lori Wade is working to shift from system-centric to data-centric operations to meet evolving national security needs. At DoDIIS in Omaha, Wade spoke to GovCIO Media & Research about implementing a data-centric architecture with common data standards and services. She also discussed how the IC is using AI responsibly, including training AI models with trusted and properly labeled data, building guardrails and human oversight into models and scaling AI solutions.

Technology is transforming the way the Navy collects, analyzes and distributes intelligence, as well as helping get information to the warfighter as quickly as possible. At DoDIIS in Omaha, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations Intelligence Division CIO Christopher Page Deputy Director said that AI gives the Navy an advantage by increasing the volume, variety, velocity and veracity of collected data. The Navy's Information Superiority Vision is bolstering this mission. Page unpacks the latest developments across the data sharing initiative and how the Navy is moving intelligence safely through networks to support the national security mission.

Indopacom Cyberspace Operations – Integrated Planning Element (CO-IPE) Director Capt. Ron Arellano also serves as a liaison naval officer for U.S. Cyber Command. His role carries a lot of insight into cybersecurity posture and translating policy to ensure an integrated partner environment. Arellano discussed at AFCEA TechNet Indo-Pacific in Honolulu some of his key priorities and challenges in cybersecurity operations within the Indo-Pacific theater. He emphasized the importance of building strong relationships with allies, partners and local government agencies to enhance the security of shared systems and infrastructure. He also cited the need to integrate cyberspace operations across all Indopacom activities, moving away from the traditional siloed approach. He discusses how leveraging emerging technologies like machine learning and artificial intelligence will help the command keep pace with the rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape.

NAVWAR Chief Engineer Robert Wolborsky said the Navy is using emerging technology like 5G and proliferated low-Earth orbit (PLEO) satellites to deliver data and information to the warfighter anywhere on the sea. Wolborsky, who sat down with us at AFCEA TechNet Indo-Pacific in Honolulu this week, said the lessons learned from the service's 4G experience have driven the Navy's approach to 5G. He spoke on his desire to stay ahead of the power curve with the capability. The Navy is fielding 5G pilots called tranches to find ways to deliver connectivity and capability in any environment and over long distances.

DISA has been seeing a lot of excitement across Defense Department partners around its Joint Operational Edge (JOE) commercial cloud capability. Its Product Owner Matt Quinn from J9 Hosting and Compute joined us at AFCEA TechNet Indo-Pacific in Honolulu to discuss JOE's progress in the year since it went live. Quinn discussed lessons learned as DISA extends the cloud beyond the continental United States to the operational edge. He also outlined what considerations the agency will make moving into the next year amid other cloud computing capabilities it is providing to the military services.

Department of the Navy Deputy Principal Cyber Advisor Josh Reiter unpacked the Navy's cyber strategy at AFCEA TechNet Indo-Pacific in Honolulu this week. He highlighted its seven lines of effort that contribute to maintaining the Navy's operational efficiency across people, critical infrastructure and data. The Navy is shifting from a compliance mindset to one of cyber readiness, and expanding its view of cybersecurity as less of a traditional IT problem to more of a operational technology issue. He said this approach is incorporating more visibility into critical infrastructure, as Navy ships are like small cities with infrastructure that needs maintenance. He also shared how the department is attracting and retaining cyber talent, calling the people "our most important asset."

Defense Innovation Unit is on a mission to bring in innovative technology to the military services and combatant commands quickly. Cyber Senior Project Manager Dwayne Florenzie brings a wealth of experience from the private sector to DIU's cyber and telecom portfolio that is prioritizing bringing 5G connectivity to the military globally. At AFCEA TechNet Indo-Pacific in Honolulu this week, Florenzie shares how the increased funding DIU has received over the past year is setting the organization up to accelerate partnerships across the services within various portfolios. He shares how collaboration is starting to increase between the portfolios especially as artificial intelligence takes hold across different capabilities. Florenzie also shares the growth that is left in the 5G industry and the potential it has to revolutionize communications and support military operations.

Defense Innovation Unit AI Technical Director Chris Murphy has a dual-hatted role also serving as the organization's embed at Indo-Pacific Command. DIU's embed program pairs technologists with combatant commands to field technology more quickly. Murphy at AFCEA TechNet Indo-Pacific highlights this commercial integration role and how he's focused on leveraging modeling and simulation capabilities from the commercial AI space to enable decision superiority. He discusses how he sees these efforts enabling rapid delivery of solutions and helping to scale technology innovation across the mission partner environment.

Coast Guard Deputy CIO and Chief Data and AI Officer Brian Campo joins us at AFCEA TechNet Indo-Pacific in Honolulu to share lessons learned for the service after completing a four-year "Tech Revolution" digital modernization plan. This four-year plan looked across the Coast Guard to see where investments could be made in connectivity, technology and improving the mission. Campo said even though the "revolution" is completed, the Coast Guard is still looking for opportunities to modernize and transform its IT portfolio away from simple IT solutions to larger contributions to its mission and the Defense Department's CJADC2 strategy.

Indopacom J2 CTO Ben Needles discusses the challenges and priorities of integrating various capabilities in the mission partner environment across the Indo-Pacific region. Needles described at AFCEA TechNet Indo-Pacific in Honolulu how his directorate is standardizing knowledge and data to prepare for leveraging emerging technologies like AI to enhance intelligence analysis and decision-making in the field. This, he said, would help the command avoid high costs associated with using other available large language models. Finally, he highlights the importance of testing and experimenting not only with technology, but also policies and other guidance.

Data security and information exchange are critical components that ensure collaboration with military allies globally. U.S. European Command (EUCOM) J-6 Cyber and C4 Director Maj. Gen. John Phillips spoke to GovCIO Media & Research at DoDIIS in Omaha this week about the complexities of defending U.S. cyberspace while in Europe in the digital age, including the importance of data interoperability across allies and partners. Phillips also said that Eucom and its partners are facing workforce concerns like training and retention, as well as the tiered training model for NATO and partner nations to enhance collective cyber defenses in Europe.

NASA has been undergoing an enterprise-wide digital transformation plan that leaders hope will change how the agency collaborates and innovates. One of these leaders co-founded NASA's digital service and is currently working on the testing platform for the agency's Artemis mission. Shawn Chittle discusses his extensive background at private sector software companies and how he uses this experience to drive key user-centric design principles that ultimately powers the technology behind NASA's space exploration mission. He discusses what it was like co-founding a digital service for such a large agency, his vision for the Artemis program and how he sees IT and data management evolving around legacy modernization.

The State Department employs thousands of civilian employees, including more than 15,000 foreign service officers and other diplomats across the globe. State Chief Data and Artificial Intelligence Officer Matthew Graviss sees artificial intelligence helping them do their job more effectively. Graviss highlighted the agency's new research assistant for translation and other tasks for employees to create annual reports on religious freedom, climate and more. Graviss also discussed how State is driving ethical and responsible use of AI in diplomacy, hiring AI professionals and integrating better data practices in AI implementation.

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) has launched a new program providing health care organizations a rapid and secure cyber solution that will protect their infrastructure from threats and prevent disruptions in patient care. ARPA-H Resilient Systems Program Manager Andrew Carney discusses the Universal Patching Intermediation for Autonomous Defense (UPGRADE) program and how it offers medical facilities protection from ransomware attacks by automatically providing proactive and scalable updates to their IT systems. Carney highlighted another ARPA-H program called the Digital Health Security Initiative (DIGIHEALS) that's addressing vulnerabilities in data security. He also shared details about the agency's collaborative efforts with its defense counterpart, DARPA.