Earlier this month, I wrapped up an incredible 18-month journey as the Department of Defense’s first-ever Chief Customer Experience Officer (CXO). Building the CXO office from the ground up within the Office of the CIO, I had the honor of helping shape a culture centered on the needs of our servicemembers, civilians, and mission partners—working to streamline governance, improve transparency, and ensure IT solutions are truly mission-ready.

I recently sat down with Billy Mitchell on The Daily Scoop—presented by FedScoop—to reflect on this chapter, the progress we made, what’s next for CX at the DoD, and the evolving role of AI in the space.

When I first started in my role, the Customer Experience Office (CXO) did not exist. We built it from nothing—growing it from the seeds of an idea into a fully realized entity that drove wide-scale, enterprise-level change. Doing that within a bureaucratic machine like the Department of Defense is a herculean effort, but we made it happen.

As the Customer Experience Officer (CXO) for the past year and a half, I took immense pride in leading this transformation. My mission was clear: to drive user-centered IT initiatives, enhance strategic planning, and ensure that government technology served those who relied on it. Leading the CXO Portfolio Management Office, I worked to ensure IT capabilities were not just scalable, sustainable, secure, but - fundamentally - functional.

At DefenseTalks 2024, I had the privilege of joining a panel discussion hosted by DefenseScoop’s Brandi Vincent, where we explored how the Department of Defense is reimagining digital experiences to better serve our mission and our people.

As the Department’s first Customer Experience Officer (CXO), I shared insights into how we’re modernizing IT systems and governance with a human-centered lens—prioritizing the real-world needs of service members, civilians, and mission partners. Our work aims to make technology not just functional, but truly usable and effective in high-stakes environments.

At a recent panel discussion focused on cybersecurity and operational resilience, I had the opportunity to join an incredible group of leaders to unpack how automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and Zero Trust Architectures (ZTA) are shaping the future of cyber defense across government.