Dr. Ian Brooks, Principal Solutions Engineer at Cloudera, and Nic Perez, CTO for Cloud at ThunderCat Technology, join GovExec TV to discuss how federal agencies can leverage AI and data strategies to improve efficiency, security, and mission success. From soldiers in the field to postal workers and park rangers, edge capabilities are becoming essential to modern operations. Brooks and Perez share strategies for building resilient data and AI frameworks that enable these capabilities while maintaining strong security and governance.
The conversation highlights how agencies can safeguard data, adapt to evolving mission needs, and align with administration priorities focused on efficiency, streamlined procurement, and operational impact. They also explore how cloud marketplaces can accelerate innovation and how emerging technologies—such as agentic AI and large language models—are shaping the future of government modernization. Together, Cloudera and ThunderCat illustrate how federal agencies can translate data-driven strategy into action, empowering the workforce and advancing mission outcomes across the federal landscape.
In this interview, Perez and Brooks answer the following questions:
- For many federal agencies, providing capabilities at the edge, to the front lines of the agency’s workforce, is essential — whether we’re talking soldiers, postal workers, or park rangers. What should agencies incorporate into their data and AI strategy to enable those edge capabilities?
- How important is the role of security and governance in architecting agency data and AI strategies? What should agencies be mindful of when designing those strategies, particularly to support missions both now and in the future?
- The current administration has introduced a number of priorities around technology, largely focused on enhancing efficiency and streamlining operations – in mission enablement, procurement, cost, workforce structure and more. How can the strategies we’ve discussed help support these priorities?
- We’ve covered strategies and priorities, so now let’s dig into how Cloudera and ThunderCat provide support. How do you help federal agencies achieve mission success?
- Looking forward, what capabilities or solutions do you see having a major impact in the near future? What are you excited about coming down the pike in this space?
This interview was filmed in conjunction with GovExec TV on September 12th, 2025 in Washington, D.C.