Gov Tech Today

Hosted by Russell Lowery, Jennifer Saha

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Jun 2026

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Bridging the gap between .com and .gov.

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June 16, 202619 min

E75: Appointments, State IT Leadership, and the Risks of Being ‘At the Pleasure’

On this episode of Gov Tech Today, hosts Russell Lowery and Jennifer Saha discuss how California government transitions affect thousands of gubernatorial appointees and the broader technology landscape, especially with an uncertain governor’s race and early “lame duck” dynamics. They use the departure of longtime state technology leader Liana Bailey Crimmins and the arrival of a new state CIO as a case study in how leadership changes ripple through procurement, priorities, staff retention, and vendor relationships, while core operations continue. The conversation explains the difference between political appointees and Career Executive Assignments (CEAs), including at-will risk, return rights, and why CEAs are sometimes called “career-ending assignments.” They argue that “personnel is policy,” urging listeners to prepare accomplishments, elevate strong public servants, and build relationships with the managers who will remain through future administrations. 00:00 Welcome to Gov Tech Today 00:14 California Transition Stakes 01:42 Positioning for New Governor 03:10 CIO Departure Shockwaves 06:37 Keeping Projects Moving 09:21 Explaining CEA Roles 11:25 Return Rights and Risks 14:07 Personnel Is Policy 15:58 Transition as Opportunity 18:19 Build Middle Manager Ties 19:32 Wrap Up and Thanks

June 2, 202624 min

E74: Sales Mistakes That Undermine Government Trust

On this episode of Gov Tech Today, hosts Russell Lowery and Jennifer Saha discuss common private-sector sales behaviors that can offend or erode credibility with government clients. They argue titles matter (e.g., “Vice President of Capture” feels cringey), caution against pushing “land and expand” too early, and warn that ghosting after a contract—often driven by commission and renewal structures—damages long-term relationships unless there’s a strong handoff to implementation and support. They explain why end-of-quarter discounts and quota-driven deadlines irritate agencies that expect best pricing upfront, and why posting lavish “President’s Club” or QBR trips can look like spending public dollars. They also critique generic “discovery” and meet-and-greet meetings as outdated when public plans and budgets are online, and urge respect for workload seasons like budget cycles, new roles, or audits. 00:00 Welcome to Gov Tech Today 01:09 Cringey Sales Titles 03:14 Land and Expand Timing 04:30 Don’t Ghost After Sale 08:27 Discounts and Fake Deadlines 10:42 Stop Posting Lavish Wins 12:50 Discovery Sessions Are Dead 14:35 Informed Discovery Done Right 17:32 Don’t Go Over Their Heads 22:09 Respect Government Timing 23:24 Keep Learning and Listening

April 28, 202621 min

E73: What State Employees Want From Gov Tech

On this episode of Gov Tech Today, hosts Russell Lowery and Jennifer Saha discuss Engage California, a virtual suggestion box run by California’s Office of Data and Innovation and previously outlined by Director Jeffrey Marino. Drawing on more than 1,400 employee comments, they highlight top themes: digitizing paper-heavy workflows (including replacing PDFs and wet signatures), automating repetitive tasks so staff can focus on higher-value work, and modernizing outdated legacy systems that drive delays, errors, and duplicate data entry. They also cover calls to better use existing tools the state already pays for (including Microsoft products), create more shared enterprise solutions across departments, improve data integration and trust through cleaner data and better dashboards, expand AI and advanced analytics for low-hanging processes, and increase digital access to public services. The hosts conclude that the success of the effort depends on leaders actually implementing the recommendations. 00:00 Gov Tech Today Intro 00:13 Engage California Explained 01:25 Digitize Paperwork First 03:56 Why Digitization Matters 05:37 Automate Repetitive Work 07:10 Modernize Legacy Systems 09:23 Use Tools You Own 12:24 Share Platforms Across Agencies 13:36 Integrate Data and Dashboards 16:11 AI and Advanced Analytics 17:06 Digital Access for the Public 18:11 Cross Cutting Leadership Insights 19:02 What Happens Next 20:18 Closing Call to Action

April 14, 202618 min

E72: RSA Conference Takeaways – Governing AI Agents and Securing Public Infrastructure

Gov Tech Today hosts Russell Lowery and Jennifer Saha recap this year’s RSA cybersecurity conference in San Francisco, noting the event’s commercial scale and a smaller, dedicated public-sector track. Key takeaways include how “agentic AI” is moving from buzzword to reality, with public agencies urged to treat AI agents like users—requiring identity and access controls, least-privilege permissions, logging, and auditing—within existing governance frameworks such as FedRAMP, StateRAMP, and NIST. They discuss governance as a primary security control, growing attention to critical infrastructure and physical access as cybersecurity issues, and the challenge of tiny local utilities lacking staff and budgets, suggesting collaboration and shared services. The conversation also flags procurement and tool sprawl concerns, and explores what outcome-based security might mean for measuring automation, effectiveness, and ROI in government contracts. 00:00 Welcome to Gov Tech Today 00:15 What is RSA Conference 00:53 San Francisco Cleanup Talk 01:52 Public Sector at RSA 04:42 AI Everywhere at RSA 05:34 Agentic AI as Users 07:42 Governance as Security Control 09:25 Critical Infrastructure Cyber Shift 10:57 Small Districts Big Risk 12:38 Shared Services and Support 14:20 Procurement Must Catch Up 16:31 Outcome Based Security Metrics 18:09 Wrap Up and Next Year

March 31, 202615 min

E71: Supply Shocks, Fixed Contracts, and the AI Regulation Patchwork

On this episode of Govtech Today, hosts Russell Lowery and Jennifer Saha examine how global disruption and an AI-driven hardware boom are colliding with government procurement realities. They discuss how rapid supplier price spikes and delivery uncertainty strain California’s fixed price schedules—often locked for six months—creating delayed quotes, uncompetitive bids, and the risk that vendors stop bidding rather than sell at a loss, leading to project delays and a focus on mission-critical needs. The conversation then shifts to federal AI regulation: a new plan and executive-order direction may set guardrails while still leaving states to manage AI procurement rules, potentially forcing early-moving states like California, Colorado, and New York to roll back some efforts later. They close on how legislation lags fast-moving AI, and how adoption varies widely across agencies and cities. 00:00 Welcome to Gov Tech Today 00:33 Supply Chain Shockwaves 01:18 AI Boom Hardware Crunch 01:53 Fixed Pricing Meets Reality 03:54 Quoting Chaos for Vendors 05:47 Project Delays and Workarounds 06:12 Can California Adjust Rules 07:35 Reseller Margins and Value 08:25 Federal AI Regulation Push 09:39 Bills Versus Executive Orders 11:08 Guardrails and Wild West 13:54 Uneven AI Adoption in Government 15:29 Wrap Up and Next Episode

February 24, 202618 min

E70: AI Tops NASCIO’s 2026 State CIO Priorities — Ending Cybersecurity’s 12-Year Reign

What happens when cybersecurity is no longer the No. 1 priority for state CIOs? On this episode of Gov Tech Today, hosts Russell Lowery and Jennifer Saha break down the National Association of State CIOs (NASCIO) annual Top 10 list for 2026—and the major shakeup that put AI, including generative and agentic AI and machine learning, at the top for the first time in more than a decade. 00:00 Welcome to Gov Tech Today + What’s Coming Up00:23 What the NASCIO Top 10 List Is (and Why It Matters)01:24 Major Shakeup: AI Takes the #1 Spot03:00 #2 Cybersecurity: Still Critical, Now Shaped by AI04:58 #3 Budget & Cost Pressures Move Up the Rankings06:15 #4 Modernization: Tackling Legacy Systems (and Funding It)07:28 #5 Digital Government Services Debut in the Top 1008:23 #6 Accessibility: New Federal Rules Drive State Action09:20 #7–#8 IAM + Data/Analytics: The “Foundation” Priorities13:20 #9 Consolidation & Optimization: Fewer Systems, More Shared Platforms16:25 #10 Cloud Services: From Trendy to Ubiquitous (Cloud Smart)17:56 Wrap-Up: Thanks to NASCIO and State CIOs

February 10, 202615 min

E69: Transforming Maintenance and Operations — From Maintenance to Modernization

In this episode of Gov Tech Today, hosts Russell Lowery and Jennifer Saha dive into a new trend in government contracting: transforming maintenance and operations (M&O) into modernization opportunities. They examine how traditional M&O contracts are increasingly including system improvement requirements, effectively shifting from simple maintenance to significant technological upgrades. This approach allows government agencies to modernize within existing budgets, avoiding the complexities and scrutiny of new IT projects. The discussion also explores the balance between maintaining existing systems and leveraging M&O contracts for continuous modernization. 00:00 Introduction to Gov Tech Today00:24 Exploring Maintenance and Operations (M&O) Opportunities01:06 Shifting from Maintenance to Modernization01:50 Evaluating Contracting Processes and Budget Impacts04:41 Maximizing Value from M&O Contracts07:42 Vendor and Government Collaboration12:57 Final Thoughts and Future Directions

January 27, 202620 min

E68: Navigating the Governor's Budget and Technology Initiatives

In this episode of Gov Tech Today, Russell Lowery and Jennifer Saha delve into the recently released governor's budget, focusing on its implications for technology initiatives. They discuss the significant role of AI, legacy system updates, and the governor's approach to AI regulation. The duo also explores state procurement changes, including the growing use of RFI2 and the introduction of climate-aligned contracts. With insights on the Middle Mile Broadband initiative and the complexity of state budgets, this episode provides a comprehensive overview of California's tech and budget landscape.00:00 Introduction and Hosts00:13 Governor's Budget Overview01:45 AI's Role in the Budget03:09 AI Regulation and Legislation05:59 Cybersecurity and Staffing Issues07:41 Middle Mile Broadband Initiative11:14 State Procurement Changes17:28 Climate-Aligned Contracts and Final Thoughts

January 13, 202620 min

E67: Navigating Government Transitions and AI Regulations in California

In this episode of Gov Tech Today, hosts Russell Lowery and Jennifer Saha dive into the complexities of government transitions, focusing on Governor Newsom's last year in office and the implications for gubernatorial appointees and vendors. The conversation explores the nuances between career civil servants and those appointed from private sectors. They also discuss the ongoing AI regulation at the federal level and how California is positioning itself amidst federal executive orders. The episode wraps up with insights on managing new tech initiatives during budget deficits, emphasizing strategic positioning for tech vendors in lean times. 00:00 Introduction to Gov Tech Today00:14 Understanding the Lame Duck Administration01:13 Job Security for State Appointees01:56 Governor Newsom's Presidential Aspirations03:02 Navigating Political Transitions07:53 The Role of Civil Servants10:32 AI Regulation and Federal Involvement12:33 California's Tech Initiatives13:57 Federal vs. State Regulations18:59 Governor's Last Budget and Deficit Management20:43 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

December 16, 202516 min

E66: New Terms and Conditions for IT Contracts — A Simplified Approach

In this episode of Gov Tech Today, hosts Russell Lowery and Jennifer Saha discuss the recent updates to terms and conditions for IT contracts released by the California Department of Technology (CDT) and the Department of General Services (DGS). The new regulations aim to simplify the contracting process by consolidating three sets of cloud provisions into one and introducing a cap on vendor liability for cybersecurity breaches. The episode delves into the significance of these changes for both vendors and state agencies, highlighting the collaborative efforts between CDT and DGS to address long-standing concerns from the vendor community. 00:00 Introduction to Gov Tech Today00:36 New Terms and Conditions Released by CDT04:04 Simplification of IT Contracts06:45 Collaboration Between CDT and DGS11:05 Impact on Vendors and Subcontractors13:20 Final Thoughts and Practical Advice