<![CDATA[In Pursuit with Mike Vichich — Government Technology & Public Sector Sales]]>In Pursuit is a podcast about how government really works — how decisions are made, how procurement actually functions, and how progress gets built inside public sector systems.

Each episode features candid conversations with government officials, procurement directors, policy practitioners, and private sector leaders navigating the intersection of business and government. We cover the decisions that happen long before a contract goes public, the relationships that shape policy, and the strategies that move the needle in public administration.

If you work in government, sell to it, or want to understand how public sector decisions shape the world around you — In Pursuit gives you the access and context to navigate it.

]]>https://www.pursuit.us/Riverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Mon, 08 Jun 2026 19:24:16 GMTThu, 05 Feb 2026 06:46:26 GMT60Pursuit<p><b>In Pursuit</b> is a podcast about how government really works — how decisions are made, how procurement actually functions, and how progress gets built inside public sector systems.</p><p></p><p>Each episode features candid conversations with government officials, procurement directors, policy practitioners, and private sector leaders navigating the intersection of business and government. We cover the decisions that happen long before a contract goes public, the relationships that shape policy, and the strategies that move the needle in public administration.</p><p></p><p>If you work in government, sell to it, or want to understand how public sector decisions shape the world around you — In Pursuit gives you the access and context to navigate it.</p>episodicPursuitmike@pursuit.usno<![CDATA[In Pursuit #11 | Mike Vichich & Glenn Caldwell — Running a Township: Staffing, Unions & Culture]]>Glenn Caldwell shares how Northville Township funds $45M projects, negotiates 5 unions, and runs lean government without raising taxes.

Visit pursuit.us

Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:35 Glenn's Origin Story: Co-op at 16, Straight to Government
3:26 The Arc of Township Budgets: Pre-Recession to Recovery
4:41 How a Township's Budget Works: Revenue Sources
5:16 Shared Services & Intergovernmental Agreements
9:02 Roads, the County, and Navigating What You Don't Own
11:28 Public Works: Water, Sewer & the $4M Water Tower
14:56 Procurement Philosophy: Why Low Bid Isn't Always Right
17:13 Township Governance: Charters, Ordinances & State Law
18:29 The Central Services Complex: $45M Without Raising Taxes
21:55 Capital Budgeting & the 6-Year Improvement Plan
29:05 Leadership Philosophy: Hire Well, Then Get Out of the Way
31:37 Managing Directors: Weekly 1-on-1s & Accountability
34:35 Five Unions: How Northville Negotiates Without Attorneys
42:41 Discipline & Progressive Counseling in Local Government
45:54 Leadership Transitions & Staff Turnover
47:59 Public Sector Incentives: What Actually Drives Performance
50:46 The Government Value Proposition: Pensions, Benefits & Balance
52:32 How Government Pensions Actually Work
55:06 AI in Local Government: Efficiency, Governance & Data Privacy

]]>eaa616f3-9182-455f-9c36-47678ddd046fMon, 08 Jun 2026 08:15:00 GMT<p>Glenn Caldwell shares how Northville Township funds $45M projects, negotiates 5 unions, and runs lean government without raising taxes.<br /><br />Visit <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://pursuit.us" target="_blank">pursuit.us</a><br /><br />Timestamps:<br />0:00 Intro<br />0:35 Glenn's Origin Story: Co-op at 16, Straight to Government<br />3:26 The Arc of Township Budgets: Pre-Recession to Recovery<br />4:41 How a Township's Budget Works: Revenue Sources<br />5:16 Shared Services &amp; Intergovernmental Agreements<br />9:02 Roads, the County, and Navigating What You Don't Own<br />11:28 Public Works: Water, Sewer &amp; the $4M Water Tower<br />14:56 Procurement Philosophy: Why Low Bid Isn't Always Right<br />17:13 Township Governance: Charters, Ordinances &amp; State Law<br />18:29 The Central Services Complex: $45M Without Raising Taxes<br />21:55 Capital Budgeting &amp; the 6-Year Improvement Plan<br />29:05 Leadership Philosophy: Hire Well, Then Get Out of the Way<br />31:37 Managing Directors: Weekly 1-on-1s &amp; Accountability<br />34:35 Five Unions: How Northville Negotiates Without Attorneys<br />42:41 Discipline &amp; Progressive Counseling in Local Government<br />45:54 Leadership Transitions &amp; Staff Turnover<br />47:59 Public Sector Incentives: What Actually Drives Performance<br />50:46 The Government Value Proposition: Pensions, Benefits &amp; Balance<br />52:32 How Government Pensions Actually Work<br />55:06 AI in Local Government: Efficiency, Governance &amp; Data Privacy</p>no00:59:01111In Pursuit #11 | Mike Vichich & Glenn Caldwell — Running a Township: Staffing, Unions & Culturefull<![CDATA[In Pursuit #10 | Mike Vichich & Jim Weaver — The Real Role of a State CIO: Beyond Managing IT]]>For this episode of In Pursuit, we sat down with Jim Weaver — former State CIO of Washington, CIO and Cabinet Secretary of North Carolina, CTO of Pennsylvania, and past president of NASCIO.

If you've ever wondered why a deal that seemed solid just stalled, or why timing your outreach to a state matters as much as your pitch — Jim explains the mechanics that most vendors never see from the inside.

Visit pursuit.us

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:11 Meet Jim Weaver: 37 Years on the Buying Side
01:57 What a State CIO Actually Does (It's Not Running IT)
05:30 The State IT Org Chart: Centralized vs. Decentralized
11:11 Trade-Offs of Centralization — and Why Cybersecurity Is the Exception
13:39 Growing Up in Human Services: Why Business Context Matters
17:02 How Agency IT and Central IT Learn to Coexist
20:08 Taking Over Washington State IT: An Agency Graded F-Minus
25:38 Building Trust With Your Team After a Turnaround
28:00 How Initiatives Get From Idea to Funded Budget
31:20 Stack Ranking Projects Across an Entire State
36:05 What Happens to Initiatives Under a Continuing Resolution
40:50 The Annual State Budget Cycle, Step by Step
43:22 How Federal Budget Uncertainty Cascades Into State IT
45:11 How Vendors and Lobbyists Fit Into the Budget Cycle
48:49 The Mainframe-as-a-Service Deal That Saved Washington Millions
54:39 Mainframes in 2024: Still Relevant? GenAI and COBOL
57:17 NextGen 911 in North Carolina: Building Statewide Resilience
01:00:14 Hurricane Helene: When the System Got Tested for Real
01:03:16 AI in Government: Cost of Ownership and the Human-in-the-Loop
01:09:23 Closing Thoughts

]]>bbd530bf-5765-4afd-96d1-f94bec29024aSun, 24 May 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>For this episode of In Pursuit, we sat down with Jim Weaver — former State CIO of Washington, CIO and Cabinet Secretary of North Carolina, CTO of Pennsylvania, and past president of NASCIO.<br /><br />If you've ever wondered why a deal that seemed solid just stalled, or why timing your outreach to a state matters as much as your pitch — Jim explains the mechanics that most vendors never see from the inside.<br /><br />Visit <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://pursuit.us" target="_blank">pursuit.us</a><br /><br />Timestamps:<br />00:00 Intro<br />01:11 Meet Jim Weaver: 37 Years on the Buying Side<br />01:57 What a State CIO Actually Does (It's Not Running IT)<br />05:30 The State IT Org Chart: Centralized vs. Decentralized<br />11:11 Trade-Offs of Centralization — and Why Cybersecurity Is the Exception<br />13:39 Growing Up in Human Services: Why Business Context Matters<br />17:02 How Agency IT and Central IT Learn to Coexist<br />20:08 Taking Over Washington State IT: An Agency Graded F-Minus<br />25:38 Building Trust With Your Team After a Turnaround<br />28:00 How Initiatives Get From Idea to Funded Budget<br />31:20 Stack Ranking Projects Across an Entire State<br />36:05 What Happens to Initiatives Under a Continuing Resolution<br />40:50 The Annual State Budget Cycle, Step by Step<br />43:22 How Federal Budget Uncertainty Cascades Into State IT<br />45:11 How Vendors and Lobbyists Fit Into the Budget Cycle<br />48:49 The Mainframe-as-a-Service Deal That Saved Washington Millions<br />54:39 Mainframes in 2024: Still Relevant? GenAI and COBOL<br />57:17 NextGen 911 in North Carolina: Building Statewide Resilience<br />01:00:14 Hurricane Helene: When the System Got Tested for Real<br />01:03:16 AI in Government: Cost of Ownership and the Human-in-the-Loop<br />01:09:23 Closing Thoughts</p>no01:10:00110In Pursuit #10 | Mike Vichich & Jim Weaver — The Real Role of a State CIO: Beyond Managing ITfull<![CDATA[In Pursuit #9 | Mike Vichich & Jocelyn Benson — Modernizing Government with Data]]>Michigan's Secretary of State turned around the DMV and broke voter turnout records. Here's the data-driven playbook she used to modernize government.

Visit pursuit.us

00:00 Intro
00:35 Meet Jocelyn Benson — from civil rights to running Michigan's DMV
04:32 What was actually broken at the DMV
07:35 Was it a funding problem, a process problem, or neglect?
09:08 Why government incentives don't work like the private sector
12:28 Moving transactions online: from 28% to 60%
15:27 Kiosks in grocery stores — meeting citizens where they are
17:41 Government tech procurement: the right way to structure a vendor contract
19:19 What didn't work: why one-size-fits-all solutions fail in government
21:06 Building a feedback loop with an Office of Continuous Innovation
22:10 Michigan election security: from 34th to 2nd in the nation
24:43 How to distill a complex goal into two words: "turnout up"
25:22 Annual strategic planning — the one thing no other state agency does
27:37 Why Jocelyn is running for governor: costs down, wages up, rights protected
29:10 What it means to invest in "place" — and why Michigan's talent is leaving
30:51 Clean energy, AI, and the economic case for Michigan's future
34:23 Closing vision: high-speed rail and keeping Michigan's kids home

]]>bf126f61-bccb-4d02-8fde-90a3d816e78aSat, 02 May 2026 06:00:00 GMT<p>Michigan's Secretary of State turned around the DMV and broke voter turnout records. Here's the data-driven playbook she used to modernize government.<br /><br />Visit <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://pursuit.us" target="_blank">pursuit.us</a><br /><br />00:00 Intro<br />00:35 Meet Jocelyn Benson — from civil rights to running Michigan's DMV<br />04:32 What was actually broken at the DMV<br />07:35 Was it a funding problem, a process problem, or neglect?<br />09:08 Why government incentives don't work like the private sector<br />12:28 Moving transactions online: from 28% to 60%<br />15:27 Kiosks in grocery stores — meeting citizens where they are<br />17:41 Government tech procurement: the right way to structure a vendor contract<br />19:19 What didn't work: why one-size-fits-all solutions fail in government<br />21:06 Building a feedback loop with an Office of Continuous Innovation<br />22:10 Michigan election security: from 34th to 2nd in the nation<br />24:43 How to distill a complex goal into two words: "turnout up"<br />25:22 Annual strategic planning — the one thing no other state agency does<br />27:37 Why Jocelyn is running for governor: costs down, wages up, rights protected<br />29:10 What it means to invest in "place" — and why Michigan's talent is leaving<br />30:51 Clean energy, AI, and the economic case for Michigan's future<br />34:23 Closing vision: high-speed rail and keeping Michigan's kids home</p>no00:37:3119In Pursuit #9 | Mike Vichich & Jocelyn Benson — Modernizing Government with Datafull<![CDATA[In Pursuit #8 | Mike Vichich & Milton Dohoney — 40 Years in Public Service: What Vendors Must Know]]>Milton Dohoney, Ann Arbor City Administrator, shares 40 years of public service insight on how cities buy tech, what vendors get wrong, and how government really works.

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:21 Milton's 40-year career across five cities
01:34 Council-manager vs. strong mayor government
02:41 Writing "It Always Begins With Leadership"
04:06 The four layers of city law: charter, ordinances, resolutions & policy
06:09 Who's the "Supreme Court" for a city?
07:46 How charter amendments get proposed and approved
09:23 Administrative regulations and how policy gets changed
13:50 When well-intentioned rules create unintended consequences
15:27 How Milton shortened council meetings from 7 hours to 3
18:57 How cities buy technology: the ideal procurement process end to end
22:56 The role of finance in a tech purchase
23:38 When to bring in procurement (and when it's too early)
25:16 Co-op contracts and piggybacking on existing RFPs
28:21 Budget reality: what happens when you don't have the money
31:40 How grants factor into purchasing decisions
33:45 Vendor win rates and the myth of the predetermined bid
36:00 The #1 mistake vendors make: going straight to the city administrator
38:06 When it does make sense to reach out to the city administrator
41:31 When should a department actually pull in procurement?
42:57 Do your homework: why 50 of 60 vendor emails get deleted
45:43 Travel approval and bureaucratic sign-off chains
47:17 How Ann Arbor builds its brand without local TV
49:11 The city's relationship with the University of Michigan
52:32 Practical advice for vendors selling into local government
56:27 The RFP cutoff: when vendor engagement must stop
57:58 What happens when a vendor implementation fails
59:37 Where to find Milton's book

]]>5578f90b-2cdc-4723-bb1d-d94abdb885e4Fri, 17 Apr 2026 23:00:00 GMT<p>Milton Dohoney, Ann Arbor City Administrator, shares 40 years of public service insight on how cities buy tech, what vendors get wrong, and how government really works.</p><p></p><p>Timestamps:<br />00:00 Intro<br />00:21 Milton's 40-year career across five cities<br />01:34 Council-manager vs. strong mayor government<br />02:41 Writing "It Always Begins With Leadership"<br />04:06 The four layers of city law: charter, ordinances, resolutions &amp; policy<br />06:09 Who's the "Supreme Court" for a city?<br />07:46 How charter amendments get proposed and approved<br />09:23 Administrative regulations and how policy gets changed<br />13:50 When well-intentioned rules create unintended consequences<br />15:27 How Milton shortened council meetings from 7 hours to 3<br />18:57 How cities buy technology: the ideal procurement process end to end<br />22:56 The role of finance in a tech purchase<br />23:38 When to bring in procurement (and when it's too early)<br />25:16 Co-op contracts and piggybacking on existing RFPs<br />28:21 Budget reality: what happens when you don't have the money<br />31:40 How grants factor into purchasing decisions<br />33:45 Vendor win rates and the myth of the predetermined bid<br />36:00 The #1 mistake vendors make: going straight to the city administrator<br />38:06 When it does make sense to reach out to the city administrator<br />41:31 When should a department actually pull in procurement?<br />42:57 Do your homework: why 50 of 60 vendor emails get deleted<br />45:43 Travel approval and bureaucratic sign-off chains<br />47:17 How Ann Arbor builds its brand without local TV<br />49:11 The city's relationship with the University of Michigan<br />52:32 Practical advice for vendors selling into local government<br />56:27 The RFP cutoff: when vendor engagement must stop<br />57:58 What happens when a vendor implementation fails<br />59:37 Where to find Milton's book</p>no01:00:0118In Pursuit #8 | Mike Vichich & Milton Dohoney — 40 Years in Public Service: What Vendors Must Knowfull<![CDATA[In Pursuit #7 | Mike Vichich & Jim Colangelo — A CPO’s Guide to Selling into Government]]>Former Michigan CPO Jim Colangelo breaks down how government procurement really works — and what vendors must know before the RFP ever drops.

Timestamps:
00:00 The Triangle of Customers in Procurement
00:51 Introduction — Jim Colangelo's Background
01:55 20 Years in Procurement: What's Stayed the Same
03:34 Who Are Procurement's Real Customers?
05:05 How JetBlue Shaped Jim's Customer Service Philosophy
06:55 Public vs. Private Sector Procurement: The Real Differences
09:41 Why Working in Public Sector Is a Privilege
11:04 Why Government Procurement Takes Longer
13:13 The Real Sales Cycle: Rec to Check
14:43 Vendor Management & Stewardship of Taxpayer Dollars
16:29 Best Value vs. Lowest Bid
18:00 Can You Shortcut the Government Procurement Process?
19:55 The Formula — and Why Everyone's Is Different
21:30 RFP Thresholds and How Co-ops Work
24:35 What the Ideal Vendor Sales Cycle Looks Like
27:35 How Procurement Plans 18 Months Ahead
30:07 When the Business Knows Exactly What It Wants
31:39 Bid Protests: What Happens and Who's Accountable
34:44 How Scoring Committees Work
37:46 Small & Diverse Businesses in Government Procurement
39:10 Teaming & Subcontracting Strategies for Small Businesses
42:56 How to Change a Procurement Law or Code
46:30 How Jim Turned Around Michigan's Procurement Office
50:07 Leadership Lessons: Listening Before Leading
51:41 Simplifying Complex Organizations
57:36 AI in Procurement: What Should Change, What Should Stay
1:00:03 How to Break Into Government Sales — Jim's #1 Advice
1:01:41 The Biggest Mistake Vendors Make: Going Around Procurement

]]>fabb3645-db11-49bc-9ed5-57a163383574Fri, 27 Mar 2026 08:00:00 GMT<p>Former Michigan CPO Jim Colangelo breaks down how government procurement really works — and what vendors must know before the RFP ever drops.</p><p></p><p>Timestamps:<br />00:00 The Triangle of Customers in Procurement<br />00:51 Introduction — Jim Colangelo's Background<br />01:55 20 Years in Procurement: What's Stayed the Same<br />03:34 Who Are Procurement's Real Customers?<br />05:05 How JetBlue Shaped Jim's Customer Service Philosophy<br />06:55 Public vs. Private Sector Procurement: The Real Differences<br />09:41 Why Working in Public Sector Is a Privilege<br />11:04 Why Government Procurement Takes Longer<br />13:13 The Real Sales Cycle: Rec to Check<br />14:43 Vendor Management &amp; Stewardship of Taxpayer Dollars<br />16:29 Best Value vs. Lowest Bid<br />18:00 Can You Shortcut the Government Procurement Process?<br />19:55 The Formula — and Why Everyone's Is Different<br />21:30 RFP Thresholds and How Co-ops Work<br />24:35 What the Ideal Vendor Sales Cycle Looks Like<br />27:35 How Procurement Plans 18 Months Ahead<br />30:07 When the Business Knows Exactly What It Wants<br />31:39 Bid Protests: What Happens and Who's Accountable<br />34:44 How Scoring Committees Work<br />37:46 Small &amp; Diverse Businesses in Government Procurement<br />39:10 Teaming &amp; Subcontracting Strategies for Small Businesses<br />42:56 How to Change a Procurement Law or Code<br />46:30 How Jim Turned Around Michigan's Procurement Office<br />50:07 Leadership Lessons: Listening Before Leading<br />51:41 Simplifying Complex Organizations<br />57:36 AI in Procurement: What Should Change, What Should Stay<br />1:00:03 How to Break Into Government Sales — Jim's #1 Advice<br />1:01:41 The Biggest Mistake Vendors Make: Going Around Procurement</p>no01:03:2217In Pursuit #7 | Mike Vichich & Jim Colangelo — A CPO’s Guide to Selling into Governmentfull<![CDATA[In Pursuit #6 | Mike Vichich & Rick Snyder — Cybersecurity & AI for State Government]]>Rick Snyder, Michigan's 48th Governor, shares how he built MEDC, led the nation in cybersecurity, and why AI is government's next big frontier.

]]>67f87484-9ea1-4d2a-916a-1a0b4f1da5a4Tue, 03 Mar 2026 09:00:00 GMT<p>Rick Snyder, Michigan's 48th Governor, shares how he built MEDC, led the nation in cybersecurity, and why AI is government's next big frontier.</p>no00:59:2416In Pursuit #6 | Mike Vichich & Rick Snyder — Cybersecurity & AI for State Governmentfull<![CDATA[In Pursuit #5 | Mike Vichich & Kevin Smith — Rescuing Distressed Cities]]>Michigan’s Deputy Treasurer on distressed communities, trust, and the evolving landscape of emergency management laws.

]]>5605b582-0488-4b7a-8b03-6994dc040920Mon, 16 Feb 2026 23:00:00 GMT<p>Michigan’s Deputy Treasurer on distressed communities, trust, and the evolving landscape of emergency management laws.</p>no01:01:3915In Pursuit #5 | Mike Vichich & Kevin Smith — Rescuing Distressed Citiesfull<![CDATA[In Pursuit #4 | Mike Vichich & Sandra Yu Stahl — How Cities Buy Technology]]>Detroit CPO breaks down what vendors often misunderstand about government procurement and how cities really buy.

]]>e4e5fc4f-4237-4d6b-99f2-fdba9e660b4cFri, 06 Feb 2026 08:34:51 GMT<p>Detroit CPO breaks down what vendors often misunderstand about government procurement and how cities really buy.</p>no00:41:2714In Pursuit #4 | Mike Vichich & Sandra Yu Stahl — How Cities Buy Technologyfull<![CDATA[In Pursuit #3 | Mike Vichich & Jared Ambrosier — Winning Government Contracts from Inside]]>Michigan procurement leader on timing, cooperative contracts, and building the right relationships to win public sector deals.

]]>daaf46eb-caf5-40e7-b6d3-2bd460ad2356Fri, 06 Feb 2026 08:22:28 GMT<p>Michigan procurement leader on timing, cooperative contracts, and building the right relationships to win public sector deals.</p>no01:07:4511In Pursuit #3 | Mike Vichich & Jared Ambrosier — Winning Government Contracts from Insidefull<![CDATA[In Pursuit #2 | Mike Vichich & Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen — Innovating Inside Government]]>Dr. Z reflects on NASA, risk management, government culture, and what it takes to drive innovation at scale.

]]>347a88f8-6324-43a0-84e3-0c1b4d5714a0Fri, 06 Feb 2026 08:05:52 GMT<p>Dr. Z reflects on NASA, risk management, government culture, and what it takes to drive innovation at scale.</p>no01:00:4112In Pursuit #2 | Mike Vichich & Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen — Innovating Inside Governmentfull<![CDATA[In Pursuit #1 | Mike Vichich & Mayor Christopher Taylor — How Cities Make Decisions]]>A conversation with Mayor Taylor on Ann Arbor’s biggest challenges and his vision for the city’s future.

]]>89ba082d-e8c8-48a6-af7c-269f2623da68Thu, 05 Feb 2026 07:47:00 GMT<p>A conversation with Mayor Taylor on Ann Arbor’s biggest challenges and his vision for the city’s future.</p>no01:04:2811In Pursuit #1 | Mike Vichich & Mayor Christopher Taylor — How Cities Make Decisionsfull