The Government Huddle with Brian Chidester

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for government agencies competing to ensure residents receive authoritative, trustworthy information—not answers from outdated, third-party, or potentially fraudulent sources.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.