In this episode of The CX Tipping Point Podcast, Martha Dorris sat down with Dr. Paul Lawrence, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Dr. Lawrence previously served as the Under Secretary for Benefits during his first term at VA and was named the 2019 Service to the Citizen Government Executive of the Year.

As Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Lawrence oversees VA operations and supports the Secretary in delivering on the Department’s priorities. Throughout the conversation, he reiterated his commitment to veterans and to ensuring they have a positive experience when accessing VA health care and benefits.

Dr. Lawrence highlighted several key achievements, including progress in housing homeless veterans, expanding access through the opening of new clinics, and improving the speed and accuracy of benefits processing — all while working with fewer resources. He emphasized the importance of engaging directly with veterans, listening to their feedback, and using metrics to identify the areas that matter most.

Additional topics discussed included:

• VA’s ongoing rollout of the Electronic Health Record, a major transformation effort aimed at improving both the health care experience and operational efficiency, for which Dr. Lawrence serves as executive champion.
• Enhancements to the overall veteran experience beyond medical care, including small but meaningful changes that demonstrate respect and compassion.
• The value of hearing veterans’ concerns firsthand through in-person visits, and how even minor adjustments can make a significant difference.
• The importance of aligning technology investments with clear outcomes and managing change carefully to ensure successful adoption.
• VA’s responsibility to serve veterans across generations, from their late teens to over 100 years old, requiring excellence across all service delivery channels.

The conversation concluded with a focus on VA’s plans to continue improving benefits processing, simplifying forms, streamlining processes, and enhancing the end-to-end health care experience. Dr. Lawrence noted that veteran trust in VA has increased significantly over the past nine years, underscoring the impact of these efforts.

Thank you for listening to this episode of The CX Tipping Point Podcast! If you enjoyed it, please consider subscribing, rating, and leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your support helps us reach more listeners!

Stay Connected:

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  • LinkedIn: @DorrisConsultingInternational
  • Twitter: @DorrisConsultng
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Resources Mentioned:

• Citizen Services Newsletter
• 2024 Service to the Citizen Awards Nomination Form

Welcome to season 6 of The CX Tipping Point Podcast! In this episode of The CX Tipping Point Podcast, Martha Dorris talks with Mark Forman about the evolution of digital government and e-government initiatives, with a focus on the groundbreaking Quicksilver project of the early 2000s. Mark shares how Quicksilver identified 24 priority initiatives across four portfolios to improve service delivery and reduce transaction costs—and what he would do differently if leading similar efforts today.

Drawing from his experience leading the 2001 Quicksilver digital transformation initiative, Mark discusses building a cross-agency task force of seasoned government reformers, navigating collaboration and funding challenges, and ensuring long-term sustainability.

Together, Martha and Mark explore the ongoing burden of government transactions, the complexities of organizing services around a citizen-centric model, and the lessons still shaping government CX today. The conversation concludes with Mark’s vision for “New Federalism 2.0” and how better technology integration could transform citizen services.

Thank you for listening to this episode of The CX Tipping Point Podcast! If you enjoyed it, please consider subscribing, rating, and leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your support helps us reach more listeners!

Stay Connected:

• Follow us on social media:
  • LinkedIn: @DorrisConsultingInternational
  • Twitter: @DorrisConsultng
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Resources Mentioned:

• Citizen Services Newsletter
• 2024 Service to the Citizen Awards Nomination Form

In this episode of The CX Tipping Point Podcast, host Martha Dorris sits down with a distinguished panel of leaders in customer experience and government service delivery:

• MaryAnn Monroe, Maximus
• Airis Gill, Deloitte
• Crystal Philcox, Philcox Consulting
• Lee Becker, Medallia

The group characterizes today’s environment as “codified, fragile, and accelerating”—noting strong policy alignment around CX but ongoing staffing and capacity challenges. They highlight the continued commitment to CX across administrations, from the Government Performance and Results Act to the current Customer Experience Executive Order.

Key topics include:

• Modern legislation and initiatives shaping service delivery and the need for integrated governance
• The importance of design-driven approaches, along with AI and automation—including the new America by Design Executive Order
• Preparing the government workforce for rapidly evolving technologies
• Why starting with the customer and working backwards leads to better, more effective services

A concise, forward-looking conversation on what it takes to deliver modern, customer-centered government services.

The following policies and legislation were discussed.

21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act, December 2018

Government Services Delivery Improvement Act, January 4, 2025

Executive Order 14179, Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence, January 23, 2025

Section 280 of A-11, Managing Customer Experience and Improving Service Delivery, 2025

Executive Order 14058, Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery To Rebuild Trust in Government (December 13, 2021)

OMB Memorandum M-23-22, Delivering a Digital-First Public Experience (September 23, 2023)

Executive Order 14338, Improving Service through Design, August 21, 2025

Harnessing GenAI to Elevate the Citizen Experience, Nascio, September 25, 2025

Thank you for listening to this episode of The CX Tipping Point Podcast! If you enjoyed it, please consider subscribing, rating, and leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your support helps us reach more listeners!

Stay Connected:

• Follow us on social media:
  • LinkedIn: @DorrisConsultingInternational
  • Twitter: @DorrisConsultng
  • Facebook: @DCInternational

Resources Mentioned:

• Citizen Services Newsletter
• 2024 Service to the Citizen Awards Nomination Form

In this episode of The CX Tipping Point Podcast, Martha Dorris sits down with Frank Bisignano, Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA) and newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Commissioner Bisignano shares his remarkable career journey, from leading major financial institutions to overseeing operations during the 9/11 attacks, and how those experiences shaped his approach to public service. In his new dual roles at SSA and the IRS, he underscores his commitment to modernization, technology, and customer experience, focusing on how to effectively lead two of the largest organizations that touch nearly every American.

Throughout the conversation, he discusses his management philosophy, the importance of technology as an enabler, and his dedication to employee growth and development. He also reflects on his recent letter marking the 90th anniversary of the SSA, highlighting the agency’s modernization priorities and renewed focus on serving the public.

The discussion explores the Digital First agenda at SSA, which aims to enable 200 million Americans to transact digitally, while still ensuring that services remain accessible by phone and through field offices for those who need them.

Tune in to hear more about:

• His perspective on the depth and diversity of SSA’s customers
• How he measures success in modern government service delivery
• Key improvements and successes already underway at SSA

It was an honor to speak with Commissioner Bisignano, stay tuned, he’s already requested a follow-up conversation in six months!

Thank you for listening to this episode of The CX Tipping Point Podcast! If you enjoyed it, please consider subscribing, rating, and leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your support helps us reach more listeners!

Stay Connected:

• Follow us on social media:
  • LinkedIn: @DorrisConsultingInternational
  • Twitter: @DorrisConsultng
  • Facebook: @DCInternational

Resources Mentioned:

• Citizen Services Newsletter
• 2024 Service to the Citizen Awards Nomination Form

In this episode, Martha Dorris sits down with Marina Fox, former lead of GSA’s Digital Analytics Program (DAP) and one of the 2025 Service to the Citizen® Award winners, to explore how data and persistence transformed how government understands, and improves, digital services.

From her early career in data analytics to launching analytics.usa.gov, Marina shares how she built one of the most impactful digital initiatives in government, helping agencies use real-time data to design faster, simpler, and more transparent online experiences.

Highlights from the episode:

• Building the foundation: How DAP unified fragmented web analytics and gave agencies consistent, actionable insights for the first time.
• Scaling impact: With limited resources, Marina’s team brought Google Analytics to 6,000 federal websites, creating the largest GA account in the world.
• Driving transparency: The launch of analytics.usa.gov gave the public access to real-time government web traffic, turning data into a model for open government.
• Insights that matter: From USPS tracking to NASA’s data portals, DAP revealed what citizens value most and helped agencies prioritize improvements.
• A new chapter: As Director of Digital Solutions at TechSur Solutions, Marina continues helping agencies harness data, AI, and cloud to deliver better digital experiences.

Why it matters:
Marina’s story is a masterclass in leading digital transformation through collaboration, community-building, and data-driven design. Her work reminds us that when government embraces analytics, it doesn’t just measure success, it creates it.

Thank you for listening to this episode of The CX Tipping Point Podcast! If you enjoyed it, please consider subscribing, rating, and leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your support helps us reach more listeners!

Stay Connected:

• Follow us on social media:
  • LinkedIn: @DorrisConsultingInternational
  • Twitter: @DorrisConsultng
  • Facebook: @DCInternational

Resources Mentioned:

• Citizen Services Newsletter
• 2024 Service to the Citizen Awards Nomination Form

In this episode of The CX Tipping Point Podcast, host Martha Dorris sits down with Christopher Mannozzi, Director of Performance Management, and Jim Schaefer, Director of Surveys at the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

Together, they lead the Survey of Healthcare Experiences of Patients (SHEP) program, which is transforming how the VA listens to and improves care for veterans.

The conversation explores how SHEP:

• Uses surveys to capture veterans’ experiences across all types of care
• Analyzes data to highlight what’s working well and pinpoint opportunities for improvement
• Leverages automation and monthly reports to deliver fast, actionable insights

They also share what’s ahead for the program, including:

• Enabling veterans to complete surveys directly from their phones
• Comparing VA care to community care to better understand the full patient journey
• Exploring AI and natural language processing for deeper analysis
• Providing training to staff on turning feedback into meaningful action

At its core, SHEP’s mission is simple yet powerful: to improve healthcare quality and satisfaction, helping veterans live healthier lives. By surfacing common challenges and spreading best practices, the team is driving positive change across VA facilities nationwide.

Congratulations to the SHEP team on receiving the 2024 Service to the Citizen® Award!

Thank you for listening to this episode of The CX Tipping Point Podcast! If you enjoyed it, please consider subscribing, rating, and leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your support helps us reach more listeners!

Stay Connected:

• Follow us on social media:
  • LinkedIn: @DorrisConsultingInternational
  • Twitter: @DorrisConsultng
  • Facebook: @DCInternational

Resources Mentioned:

• Citizen Services Newsletter
• 2024 Service to the Citizen Awards Nomination Form

In this episode of The CX Tipping Point Podcast, Martha Dorris sits down with Loree Levy, Deputy Director of California’s Employment Development Department (EDD), to talk about their shared passion for transforming how the public experiences government services.

With 24 years in state government and a background in television journalism, Loree reflects on her career journey and the lessons she’s carried into leadership. Together, they explore how EDD has embraced customer experience practices through modernization efforts that include:

• establishing a dedicated customer experience division
• simplifying application processes for unemployment and disability insurance
• implementing technologies like chatbots to improve access and responsiveness

Loree emphasizes the importance of an enterprise-wide, customer-centric approach that bridges communications and IT while breaking down silos across departments. She highlights how leadership, community practices, and ongoing collaboration are essential to creating better public service experiences.

This thoughtful conversation offers valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities of bringing CX into state government at scale.

Thank you for listening to this episode of The CX Tipping Point Podcast! If you enjoyed it, please consider subscribing, rating, and leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your support helps us reach more listeners!

Stay Connected:

• Follow us on social media:
  • LinkedIn: @DorrisConsultingInternational
  • Twitter: @DorrisConsultng
  • Facebook: @DCInternational

Resources Mentioned:

• Citizen Services Newsletter
• 2024 Service to the Citizen Awards Nomination Form

In this episode of The CX Tipping Point, Martha Dorris sits down with Avery Muse, former Executive Director for IT Operations at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to explore how he brought customer experience (CX) and employee experience (EX) together as a “Total Experience” at HHS.

With a career spanning defense, law enforcement, and health, Avery shares unique insights on service transformation in government. The conversation dives into his implementation of fusion teams, experience-level agreements, and a unified support portal, as well as efforts to modernize physical support locations and integrate omni-channel technology.

Martha and Avery also discuss the critical role of leadership buy-in, the link between employee engagement and service delivery, and best practices for measuring both operational and experience metrics.

Check out Avery’s recent NextGov Op-Ed on Total Experience, and connect with him at info@themusegroup.net or visit themusegroup.net.

Thank you for listening to this episode of The CX Tipping Point Podcast! If you enjoyed it, please consider subscribing, rating, and leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your support helps us reach more listeners!

Stay Connected:

• Follow us on social media:
  • LinkedIn: @DorrisConsultingInternational
  • Twitter: @DorrisConsultng
  • Facebook: @DCInternational

Resources Mentioned:

• Citizen Services Newsletter
• 2024 Service to the Citizen Awards Nomination Form