We’ve made it – together – to 2021.

To find the silver linings, MeriTalk, ServiceNow, Carahsoft, and Cask asked government and private sector leaders to share the moments that mattered, and countdown to 2021.

Here are a few things we are (collectively) grateful for…

  • The Federal community. “Every single Federal employee, including all the military and DoD for all the work they do every day.” – Maria Roat, Deputy Federal CIO, OMB
  • Our volunteers. “The USO is an organization and it’s run by volunteers; they man our airport centers, sometimes 24 hours a day. There are still military moving in and out of this country or going to different bases – they’re still performing their jobs.” – Elaine Rogers, President and CEO, USO Metro Washington-Baltimore
  • Kindness. “The kindness and the fellowship that the NSF community has shown to each other, that has enabled us to focus on our mission.” – Dorothy Aronson, CIO, NSF
  • Our teams. “My team for their commitment, dedication, passion, and their ability to adapt to the ever-changing environment – always focusing on doing the best for our organizations, our departments, and our country.” – Jason Gray, CIO, Department of Education
  • Our organizations. “I work for a company that allows me to help all of the agencies that are delivering transformational capabilities in a time of disruption.” – Bob Osborn, ServiceNow
  • Healthcare professionals. “Our public servants, government employees, and of course, our first-line healthcare professionals. Without you, our nation wouldn’t have made it through.” – Steve O’Keeffe, Founder, MeriTalk

And a few lessons learned…

  • Staying home isn’t so bad. “My wife gives a great haircut, board games are cool again, and my kids are incredibly resilient and full of optimism.” – Steve Walters, VP of Federal, ServiceNow
  • Relationships are key. “Our partnerships with our colleagues, business partners, and families are the most important things ever.” – Janet Vogel, CISO, HHS
  • Be grateful. “Practicing gratitude has allowed me to be able to manage and get through this year because it allowed me to shift my perspective.” – Janice Glover-Jones, Chief Diversity Equality and Inclusion Officer, DIA
  • Prepare for the future. “Our focus has been and always will be helping our clients understand the cost of their decisions…that way, no matter what challenges 2021 decides to throw us, we know our clients are prepared financially to respond.” – William Miller, Partner/Owner, Proven Optics
  • Remember, we can do this. “People are resilient – and we can persevere.” – Kevin Cooke, Principal Deputy CIO, HUD

Finally, a few things we are looking forward to this year…

  • Interaction. “In person meetings, and getting together again with my family and friends.” – Bobby Saxon, Deputy Director, Office of IT, CMS
  • Collaboration. “Continuing collaboration, continuing partnership, really continuing to drive net new innovation.” – Steve Walters, VP of Federal, ServiceNow
  • Continued partnerships. “Partnership between program offices and CIOs continues to flourish and to grow.” – Guy Cavallo, Principal Deputy CIO, OPM
  • Moving forward. “Driving a new normal that’s better for all of us.” – Basil Sakati, Federal Account Executive, Cask
  • Building resiliency. “Work together to build resiliency as part of digital transformation.” – Anto Tossounian, VP Solution Consulting, Federal, ServiceNow
  • Continuing the momentum. “Continue that momentum in 2021, so the government leaders and industry can partner to provide a modern employee experience, with tools that allow us to safely work anywhere in the world.” – Kevin Brooks, Principal Digital Strategist for DoD/IC, ServiceNow

As we kick off 2021, let’s remember this 2020 takeaway from Jonathan Alboum, ServiceNow’s Federal CTO – “When we work together and support each other, we can accomplish almost anything.”

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