tom temin And we never talked about your Presidential Rank Award, and it was for work done before coming to the Department of Agriculture. and a ranking award. Never state why someone got it. So what did they tell you? got it.
byron adkins So it was a series of events. I have been a senior executive for about 10 years, and all of his accomplishments during those 10 years were highlighted, especially when he worked at the Department of Commerce and worked with GSA to renovate their headquarters facilities. it was done. It's what we called the 21st Century Workforce Model at the time, which is basically an open workplace, bringing more light into the building and giving it a more modern touch and feel. But, you know, my work is also important, including the transition from COVID-19 and how we handled that at the department, and the presidential transition team that will be here again very soon. We partner with his GSA to manage all of the political processes of the presidential transition. That was a very interesting part of my work at Commerce, but also more recently at the Interior Business Center, focusing on the Orphan Wells work and the grants my organization was able to award approximately $560. I did a job where I guessed. a million. One of our Associate Directors also received a Fed 100 award for his work in effectively transitioning the Federal Retirement Savings Investment Board to a new financial system in ERP. At that time, we partnered with them on that. And it was an important and wonderful initiative that I was able to be a part of. And last but not least, the differences that I was able to champion, especially in this administration, were also part of that packet. And I was very fortunate and very humbled to receive that award. And that was a real highlight in my long career as a senior executive. I appreciate it very much.
tom temin And when you return to the Department of Commerce, your knowledge of its history, what's now in the space that was once an aquarium, will be tested.
byron adkins Understood. This space is currently under renovation. We were able to actually start working on the first integrated security operations center that is part of that. As far as I know, you can't find anything in the aquarium since the other half is still under renovation. You have to go to Baltimore, where the fish was shipped.
tom temin Now, SoCs have given new meaning to phishing attacks. You might say. Sorry about that. Now, you're moving from Interior Business Center, a large, visible, multi-service agency, and you're part of a very focused organization. Please briefly explain what the Farm Credit Administration actually does.
byron adkins I had to educate myself once I joined the company, so I'm glad I was able to do that. So the Farm Credit Administration essentially provides oversight and regulation for what they call the farm credit system. And these are all the farmers, ranchers, farm own cooperatives, rural homebuyers, and the group of institutions that fund agricultural businesses so that we can feed the world. is. And the Farm Credit Bureau ensures they are a safe, sound, and reliable source of credit. Also, even more important. And I think this is also a partnership with the Department of Agriculture. We support the next generation of farmers and enable us to serve them by guaranteeing secure financing for promising young, new farmers and ranchers. good. So it's a really interesting mission. You know, we look at those agricultural credit systems and institutions and see if they're doing everything they're supposed to be doing, but it's very small and as you mentioned The company has approximately 350 employees. So it was quite a cultural change for me, but a good one.
tom temin I'm talking with Byron Adkins. He currently serves as Deputy Director of Operations for the Farm Credit Administration. What does that mean? The operation is essentially a white-collar operation. There are no real mechanics there.
byron adkins Yeah. So it's very similar to the work I was doing at the Interior Business Center. When I thought. So the mission is to ensure that the agricultural credit system is regulated, and we have examiners and regulators to do that. But every organization, every mission, requires the ability to make that mission a reality. So, I work in the agency services office and help support them. From human resources, back office, human resources and all those suites of systems to operational management like security, HR security, cybersecurity, everything that goes into making sure people can transport vehicles reliably. Despite being a small agency, we still need to provide these infrastructure and operational things. I also outgrew the facility. So I had an opportunity to go back to my roots within the Department of Commerce and make sure that I was actually creating a space that people wanted to come to. And operationally, they can get what they need to accomplish your mission.
tom temin Have you been a shared services provider in Interior and are now a shared services user?
byron adkins We are pleased that Farm Credit Administration is a user of our shared services. ARC and IVC both serve us, so we believe in that and we think they are examples of good government. Use shared services.
tom temin And many smaller government agencies, independent agencies, or smaller bureaus within larger departments like the Department of Agriculture are adopting cloud strategies. But most of what FCA does at the moment is cloud-based.
byron adkins We are working towards that. right. And it's a process. You can't change the Titanic in a day. And that's part of our long-term strategy. And one of our chairman's top priorities is to look at how we can innovate, while also complying with some of his IT executive orders related to that. So we're doing it internally at his FCA and we're slowly working it out. But I definitely mentioned our partners, namely ARC, IBC NFC, and our payroll. They are all moving to cloud-based solutions and support for us. So we're slowly becoming more proactive and it's at the top of our list to make sure that internally within FCA we're moving in that direction.
tom temin And in some ways, you are the embodiment of what the Senior Administrative Service is supposed to be. So a cadre of people who can move into any department or any function, regardless of their specific assignment, and who can help that department from an operational and leadership standpoint, doesn't always work out that way. Some people are very mission-focused and senior management stays in a similar channel. You moved around a lot. What's the first thing you do when you move in as a senior executive to a place where there's someone else and maybe they thought they were doing well, what's the first thing you do, “Thank you.” And you're new there.
byron adkins One of the first things I do is listen and observe. I call it the first 100 days of learning. Make sure you understand exactly how things work and immerse yourself in understanding the culture of the method. Getting things done is very important. Therefore, I spent a significant amount of time conducting informational interviews and understanding the dynamics and challenges associated with the organization. Let me tell you, there were one or two things that were on my mind that I needed to work on and address right away when I walked in the door, and I did them wisely. But let me tell you, I spent a lot of time there. And I can say that I was very lucky. It wasn't like the house was on fire. And, you know, I went into the field and I had to change things right away. So I was very lucky in that regard. I'm not saying it was cruise control, but it gave me the opportunity to get to know the agency, get to know the players who are on the mission, and think about how I can best serve them at that time. had. So I think that's what I carry with me into any organization and what I've done in the past to be successful. And once you understand that, you can find the best way to add value to your organization.
tom temin So I imagine these pressing issues were HR related. Therefore, we cannot provide details.
byron adkins Some of that was true, but others were just timely enough to push back deadlines for things that needed to be done quickly for the administration.
tom temin Okay. And what about telework/remote work? Where is FCA's actual headquarters? Where is it located? do you go there every day? What will happen to the remaining employees? Are they mostly remote now or what is going on?
byron adkins Indeed, we have a hybrid model, and that approach is informed by feedback from our employees about where they work best and how they want to approach it. So I usually go once or twice a week. The company is headquartered in McLean and the majority of its employees are located there. But we have leased locations all over the country, and that's where our fields, so-called field offices, are located. They have a small office and a cadre of FCA employees. And, you know, they're also in a hybrid work environment. It is also important to understand that examiners will actually travel to overseas credit institutions to carry out examinations and regulations, so a significant portion of their travel will be required. So they have a hybrid work environment and they actually travel. And it worked really well. It seems to be for FCA. So I'm going to keep doing that until I see that I need to make another change.
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