For many, the notion of women in technology is focused on computer science and the tech industry. Should the definition be so narrow? Do we really want to send the message to girls and young women that aspiring to be coders and tech entrepreneurs is the best (or only) way they can make a professional… Read more »
Dean Smith, former head basketball coach of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) died on February 7, 2015. In his 36 year coaching career, he won 876 games which was an NCAA Division I record at the time. A member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, he coached UNC-CH to 2 nationalRead… Read more »
I was a federal employee during the government shutdowns of 1995–96 and 2013 which resulted from conflicts between a Democratic President and Republican-controlled Congress. It is 2015, and here we are again. A federal agency and its employees are being subjected to Congress’ inability to pass a funding bill. Last week, a House bill was re-filed to fund the DepartmentRead… Read more »
The government, like first-grade classrooms, has a system to draw attention to those who have misbehaved. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has developed a list, issued every two years, that identifies programs that are underperforming and need significant improvement. Chris Mihm, Managing Director of Strategic Issues for the GAO, spoke with Christopher Dorobek for theRead… Read more »
“The man who gives little with a smile gives more than the man who gives much with a frown,”-Jewish Proverb
What wicked wonders await us in the next season of the hit series, House of Cards? If you’ve been binge watching, you know that the main character, Frank Underwood, played by Kevin Spacey, is a politician with some violently strong management methods. With Season 3 of House of Cards premiering on Netflix on February 27, 2015, it’sRead… Read more »
Women face barriers in nearly every professional setting. However, some sectors of government are more challenging than others, especially when they employ a dominantly male workforce and require skillsets traditionally associated with men. Civic tech is one of those sectors. Jill Melnicki, as a technology consultant in state and local government, offers a unique perspectiveRead… Read more »
When you’re the manager, the last thing you want to do is appear uninformed or incompetent when someone asks you a question – but even worse can be the damage caused by guessing at the answers. Yet it’s often our first impulse to spin out conjecture rather than simply saying, “I don’t know.” The risks?Read… Read more »
Although we’re only a mere two months into the year, a deluge of incredible books on the topics of elections and the political process — fiction and non-fiction alike — has occurred. In the words of George Mason, “The freedom of the press is one of the great bulwarks of liberty, and can never beRead… Read more »
I’ve always found it a bit disheartening how far-removed some government departments seem to be from any semblance of performance-based accountability. I ask, “would these folks survive a day out in the real world if there was an ounce of competition?” Considering that I work for the government as well, I have to assume that othersRead… Read more »