Federal Drive with Tom Temin

In a long federal career, Elizabeth Cappello has typified people who get things done. A former Marine, she worked at the old U.S. Customs Service, later at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Now, she's the deputy chief information officer for the Homeland Security Department. Federal Drive Host Tom Temin talked to her about her storied career, that just had an exclamation point attached to the end of it with a Presidential Rank Award. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rulemaking. The government does lots and lots of it. But because the power to regulate is the power to destroy, rulemaking has rules. And like all agency activities, it requires congressional oversight. The Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress asked the Government Accountability Office for ideas on how to improve rulemaking oversight. To find out what the committee came up with, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Yvonne Jones, GAO's director of strategic issues. GAO Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin: Congress gets options on how to improve oversight of something nearly every agency does. Ever wonder why its the deputies in government who do the actual work. When you leave service in national security, you just can't go work anywhere. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Postal Service has one of the most diverse workforces in the U.S. and is growing more diverse. But a recent watchdog report finds USPS workforce diversity doesn’t always reflect in its leadership ranks. The Government Accountability Office, in a report released last month, found white USPS employees held a disproportionate number of executive positions in fiscal 2022, and that employees of color, in some cases, were less likely to receive promotions into leadership roles. The report also found that management-level employees from historically disadvantaged racial or ethnic groups, as well as women managers and managers with disabilities, were generally paid less than their colleagues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The top-line budget agreement Congress worked out last weekend doesn't mean the work is done. Members still have to work out the agency-by-agency allocations and whatever policy riders each side can stomach. For the industry view, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with the President and CEO of the Professional Services Council, David Berteau. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This fed has a long career as an engineer and cyber security practitioner for the Navy and Marine Corps. He reached the Senior Executive Service years ago. Now he's on the civilian side of government, as the chief information security officer for the Homeland Security Department. Federal Drive Host Tom Temin talked with this latest recipient of a Presidential Rank Award, Ken Bible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Industry and government alike have been pondering the new proposed rule on vendor cybersecurity that was published just a couple of weeks ago. The Defense Department wants to finally get its Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program off the ground. It would impose new requirements on contractors. For one industry view, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with the Chief Technology Officer at Fortinet Federal, Felipe Fernandez. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin: What a cybersecurity company thinks of the new DoD cybersecurity rule. Presidential Rank Award series: A distinguished cybersecurity career leads to a top federal award. The so-called budget is only the start of a lot of hard work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When federal IT historians look back on 2023, they will underline the beginning of the federal revolution with artificial intelligence and the next step in the continued evolution of IT modernization. Now if you said to yourself, “wait, there are federal IT historians?” Maybe I’m projecting my retirement job a little. But either way, when we all look back at the year that was 2023, we all can point to several federal IT and acquisition markers of progress. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re in a new year, and that means federal employees working across the country are about to get a sizeable raise added to their next paychecks. President Joe Biden made the average 5.2% raise official right before Christmas. But while most career feds on the General Schedule will get a raise somewhere around that percentage, thousands of those in the uppermost ranks of the GS pay system will see their paychecks short-changed. That’s because of an arbitrary pay cap that exists for General Schedule pay rates. Salaries of career GS employees, according to federal statute, cannot exceed the pay for political appointees and others at level IV on the Executive Schedule. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin: The National Science Foundation organizes around artificial intelligence. This senior executive has the job of ensuring people don't go hungry. Once again with feeling, Congress goes for a budget. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Border. Budget. Border. Budget. If Congress sounds like a broken record, well it is. With two weeks to go before government funding lapses for many agencies, Congress did something to move the ball forward on Sunday. Federal Drive Host Tom Temin gets the latest from Bloomberg Government deputy news director Loren Duggan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Agriculture Department's Food and Nutrition Service helps millions of Americans of all ages every year. It operates several programs to help people of all ages with something kinda essential. The guest of Federal Drive Host Tom Temin knows the inner-workings of these numerous programs as well as anyone. Now Tameka Owens, the Food and Nutrition Service assistant administrator is a recipient of a Presidential Rank Award. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the National Science Foundation (NSF), artificial intelligence has become a high priority agenda item. Recently, it appointed a new special assistant to the director to focus on AI. Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with the new NSF AI Director, Tess deBlanc-Knowles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the IRS reached a workforce of 90,000 federal employees at the end of fiscal 2023, agency human capital leaders are looking ahead to even more hiring over the next few years. To reach the IRS’ goal of hiring about 20,000 employees by the end of fiscal 2024, Traci DiMartini, the IRS’ human capital officer, said she intends to use “every tool that is available to us.” “We have this tremendous opportunity to replenish our workforce with amazing talent,” DiMartini said in an interview with Federal News Network. The planned recruitment tools include, for instance, taking advantage of direct hire authority options, hosting and attending recruitment fairs and events, updating IRS’ social media and communications strategies, focusing on recruitment of veterans and military spouses, and using the Pathways Program for early-career recruitment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices