The Buzz with ACT-IAC
Welcome to The Buzz with ACT-IAC – your source for the hot topics and top issues affecting the federal technology market. Join us each week to hear insights from government and industry leaders, stay informed on the topics facing government, gain access to thought leadership and valuable reports. Subscribe to follow us on your favorite podcast platform.
Episodes
A fireside chat from ACT-IAC’s Emerging Tech and Innovation Conference with Seval Oz, senior advisor (and nominee for assistant secretary) in USDOT’s Office of Research and Technology, and Amy McKenna of SAIC. Oz describes how DOT migrated to Google-based workspace IT and uses large language models to cut RFI analysis from six weeks to 24–48 hours. She explains the “Interstate 2.0” corridors initiative...
In this episode of The Buzz with ACT-IAC, we are in conversation with Ratima Kataria, VP of Health and IT Strategy at ICF. We talk about her career journey from satellite communications and semiconductors into federal health, including serving on the government side during COVID-19, and how high-stakes environments shaped her leadership values. Kataria explains ICF’s work helping federal agencies modernize at the intersection...
In this episode we feature ACT-IAC’s Acquisition and Innovation Forum's keynote fireside chat with Ann Marie Johnson and OMB/OFPP’s Mathew Blum on the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) to restore common sense, put mission first, and shift from compliance to empowered business judgment. Blum explains the executive order’s call for a simpler, clearer FAR structured for speed and describes streamlining the FAR to stat...
In this episode we feature ACT-IAC’s Acquisition and Innovation Forum's
Lunch & Keynote Fireside Chat between Geoff Edwards and NASA Financial Systems Office Director Chi Okonkwo, who shares her career path from consulting to OPM modernization and then NASA. Okonkwo explains how NASA finance and acquisitions are modernizing legacy systems together, shifting the CFO role from retrospective reporting toward real-ti...
At an ACT-IAC panel on moving from fragmented to frictionless, unified customer experiences, SSA’s Michelle Liu explains SSA’s Service Index, a framework and catalog mapping services across online, phone/IVR, and in-person channels to customer journeys, data, and processes to identify dead ends, gaps, and priorities. She illustrates friction with an SSI address-change journey that fails online and in IVR, forcing repeat...
Health Innovation Summit ICYMI episode, features a panel on Rural Health Transformation, moderated by Avery Muse, following a DocuSign/Microsoft “Medicare Connect” demo showing verified digital ID, secure record access, consent signing, appointments, claims status, and transportation support. Panelists from HHS, CMS, cybersecurity, and DocuSign discuss rural challenges: 20% of the U.S. is rural, staffing can be 60% or l...
The episode features historian and leadership educator Jared Peatman discussing his book A Hell of a Regiment, a 10+ year research project on the 20th Maine and its pivotal role at Gettysburg as a story of ordinary civilians rapidly becoming an effective unit under national stakes. Peatman explains his lifelong interest in Civil War history, why the 20th Maine’s rank-and-file stories matter, and how training under West Point&...
ACT-IAC’s 2026 Health Innovation Summit featured a panel on mission-critical AI decision-making across CMS, FDA, and NCI. Panelists described AI’s growing day-to-day role, including secure NIH-wide tools, productivity gains (reported time savings), and reducing administrative friction like performance reviews, emphasizing impact occurs when AI is embedded in workflows with “human in the lead.” The session cl...
Proud to have Gary Washington on today's show. He is a former Air Force member, longtime federal IT leader, and former USDA CIO (eight years), now Chief Strategy Officer at ACT-IAC. Washington recounts his career across agencies including Treasury, HHS, FDA, OMB, and USDA, and explains how military discipline shaped his emphasis on documented plans, accountability, and trust. He discusses common resistance to change in large organi...
A panel discussion from CX Summit event, on unifying customer data to deliver seamless service across channels. Panelists describe diverse customers and the consequences of siloed data, including repeated identity verification, poor experiences, and high stakes errors like incorrect benefit payments or misdirected medications.
CX Summit panel discussion on the role of humans in AI-driven service delivery, defining “human in the loop” (active review in workflows) versus “human on the loop” (oversight and intervention when flagged). Panelist also discuss adoption approaches, emphasizing employee trust, governance, readiness, and change management.
Stephanie Hubka, founder of Protos Learning, who has spent 20 years designing human-centered learning strategies and has trained leaders in 50+ countries, is working with ACT-IAC on the business value of AI training for non-technical leaders. Hubka argues organizations often treat AI as either a magic fix or an existential threat, when it is better understood as a capability amplifier that requires humans in the loop. She emphasize...
Shak McCants, the newly appointed 2027 Voyagers Chair and CEO of MacMore. Shak shares her inspiring journey from a part-time office manager to CEO, emphasizing the importance of mentorship, hard work, and a commitment to people. She discusses her vision for the Voyagers program, her career growth, and valuable insights into building lasting government and industry relationships. Shak's candid perspective on maintaining company cult...
This episode features a panel discussion from ACT-IAC's Imagine Nation ELC event focused on artificial intelligence (AI). The session emphasizes aligning AI initiatives with mission objectives, rigorous testing, and governance to ensure public trust and operational success.
Summary - A Hole in One with ACT-IAC
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In this episode, we continue our series on the Associates Program with a guest appearance from Jason Pan, a business development analyst at Dev Technology Group. Jason shares his journey from recently graduating college to working full-time in government contracting, and his experiences going through the Associates Program. He discusses the challenges and opportunities he faced, the influence of mentors, and the pivotal moments tha...
This episode features a panel discussion from ACT-IAC's Imagine Nation ELC event focused on GSA's One Gov initiative, aiming to modernize and centralize IT procurement across the federal government. One Gov aims to eliminate waste, ensure better value, and enhance cybersecurity by unifying the government’s IT procurement process. The session also covers practical aspects such as the role of the Multiple Award Schedule, the ti...
This episode features a panel discussion from ACT-IAC's Imagine Nation ELC event focused on modernizing government acquisition processes, overcoming bureaucratic inertia, and fostering innovation within the constraints of federal regulations. They explore the significance of connecting to mission, embracing new procurement methods like OTs and CSOs, and the importance of challenging assumptions and fostering a culture of infinite l...
We are honored to chat with Melvin Brown II, Vice President and Chief Growth Officer at Contract Administration Network International (CANI), LLC, to discuss authentic leadership amidst AI advancements. Melvin shares insights on effective leadership, addressing technology and culture gaps, and the significance of judgment and adaptability. The conversation highlights the importance of supporting decision-making skills, ethical prac...
In this episode of The Buzz, we chat with Ben Barton and Jeremy Peterson from Pega Systems to discuss the latest innovations in government technology. They delve into practical applications of AI in the public sector and highlight Pega Systems' groundbreaking tool, Pega Blueprint. The conversation covers experiences from the recent ACT-IAC conference, shifts towards outcome-centric solutions, and the balance between innovation and ...
In this episode, we chat with Dominic Palumbo about his career journey, academic background, and his current role at Maximus. Dom shares his experiences with the ACT-IAC Professional Development Associates Program and discusses a significant project examining the impacts of climate change on data centers. Highlighting networking, confidence building, and research skills, Dom provides valuable advice for young professionals and emph...
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