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Leadership at Scale: Gary Washington on Modernizing Federal IT and Managing Change

The Buzz with ACT-IAC

The Buzz with ACT-IAC
Leadership at Scale: Gary Washington on Modernizing Federal IT and Managing Change
Apr 16, 2026
ACT-IAC

Proud to have Gary Washington on today's show. He is a former Air Force member, longtime federal IT leader, and former USDA CIO (eight years), now Chief Strategy Officer at ACT-IAC. Washington recounts his career across agencies including Treasury, HHS, FDA, OMB, and USDA, and explains how military discipline shaped his emphasis on documented plans, accountability, and trust. He discusses common resistance to change in large organizations, USDA’s shift from decentralization toward centralization, and implementing the White House-driven IT Modernization Centers of Excellence through inclusive, business-driven governance, performance measurement, workforce education, RPA training, and results such as deactivating 37 data centers and consolidating networks and end-user support.

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Intro/Outro Music: See a Brighter Day/Gloria Tells
Courtesy of Epidemic Sound

(Episodes 1-159: Intro/Outro Music: Focal Point/Young Community
Courtesy of Epidemic Sound)