Career

Virtual Proposal Secrets (Winning Government Proposals in a Virtual Team Environment)

I just wrote a 9-page article based on my interview with Ben Rowland, a Washington, DC virtual proposals expert, that I would like to share with you. This detailed article discusses the common challenges and provides tips, tricks, resources, and tools for managing virtual proposals. Virtual Proposals Secrets: Interview with Ben Rowland By Olessia Smotrova-TaylorRead… Read more »

Hiring in Government

I just read an interesting article from the Washington Post. I encourage you to read it, especially those of you who may be responsible for hiring, or communications. Did you know that in the next four years, approximately 1/3 of government (Federal) jobs will need to be filled? With 3/4 of its workforce being overRead… Read more »

Project of Week – Open Forum Foundation

I met Wayne at Gov 2.0 Barcamp on one Sunday morning as a group of volunteers were planning the eventual conference. I was impressed with his ideas and thought processes and was wondering what he was up to. That day and at the actual Gov 2.0 Barcamp he told me about his group “Open ForumRead… Read more »

GovLoop Member of the Week – Lauren Modeen

This week I was able to pick the brain of IT Queen and super active GovLooper, Lauren Modeen! She took some time to chat and I ended up with one awesome interview! Thanks Lauren! Enjoy! 1. What do you do exactly at Computech? Aha – – what do I do exactly at Computech…a solid openingRead… Read more »

Prepackaged Ch. 13 Bankruptcies

I found this article interesting for two reasons (1) it gives a good description, as far as I can tell, of the issues and problems associated with the servicing related to defaulting loans and (2) presents a novel idea towards solving the ‘underwater’ property issues. Abstract: “The housing crisis threatens to destroy hundreds of billionsRead… Read more »

Government Employees Teleworking?

Interesting article below, it asks if govt workers are ready to telework (article raises the question in light of swine flu developments…) Having just returned yesterday from Guadalajara, Mexico — where I teleworked for GovPartner and saw first hand the tremendous effect a potential epidemic like this would have on our daily activities — theRead… Read more »

Corporate/Government Training Classes

Taken any training classes recently? Being in IT we take classes every year to keep abreast of the new technology, even if it’s only to learn a new Microsoft operating system that will be gone in three years. We also get management courses. How to manage people, projects, time, whatever. The instructors aren’t called “instructors”Read… Read more »

Feds gear up

There’s been plenty of quick action so far to ratchet up the government’s response to the swine flu outbreak. It’s all over the federal government – There are websites from multiple federal agencies. Congress is planning emergency hearings this week on the outbreak and government command centers have been enacted to keep track of andRead… Read more »

Federal Eye: Swine Flu Exposes HHS Vacancies

At Sunday afternoon’s White House press briefing on the administration’s efforts to combat and control a potential swine flu outbreak, press secretary Robert Gibbs was joined by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, deputy national security adviser John Brennan, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acting director Dr. Richard Besser. Noticeably absent on stage wasRead… Read more »

A Reality Check on Mortgage Modification

Interestingly, servicers who originated loans that may have violated federal or state law could use the modification process to avoid liability if they securitized the mortgage but retained the servicing rights. The author writes that this may be an unintended consequence of the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009 (H.R. 1106, passed byRead… Read more »