November 26, 2025

Former NASA Chief Information Officer Renee Wynn brings clarity, candor, and a people-first mindset to her conversation on Fed Gov Today, outlining what agencies should prioritize as they plan their technology and data strategies into 2026. Throughout the discussion, she returns to three central themes: organizational capacity building, the value of experience, and the need to truly understand data before making data-driven decisions.

Renee begins with what she considers the most important starting point: organizational capacity building. She favors this term because it shifts the focus away from the fear that often comes with talk of “efficiency.” Instead of implying cuts or expecting employees to do more with less, capacity building looks at individuals and asks what leaders can do to bring more of their talent to the forefront. Renee emphasizes that when leaders focus on people — removing friction, giving them the tools they need, and helping them work in the ways that suit them best — agencies unleash creativity and productivity that would otherwise remain hidden.

She offers simple but telling examples: maybe someone struggles with reading long documents. Instead of labeling it a limitation, a leader could provide technology that converts text to audio, enabling greater productivity and workplace comfort. In her view, this approach is far more empowering than chasing efficiency alone. When employees feel supported, when they can imagine doing more rather than losing something, they become more willing to experiment, collaborate, and contribute to solving mission challenges. It’s a philosophy summarized in her Thanksgiving-timed metaphor: make more pie instead of fighting over the last slice.

Renee acknowledges that staying focused on capacity building can be difficult in government environments conditioned by decades of “do more with less.” She argues that storytelling is a powerful tool to keep people engaged. Even in technical settings, stories capture imagination, which then allows leaders to introduce data and technology in ways that resonate. She references the crisis-driven innovation of Apollo 13, noting how urgency — not panic, but purpose — can push teams to think differently. Leaders, she says, must frame urgency in ways that spark imagination rather than fear.

Her second major point is the value of time in the saddle. Renee insists that experience matters in government, especially in environments filled with complexity, classification, and mission-critical guardrails. But experience should not be used to shut down new ideas by saying, “We’ve tried that before.” Instead, experienced employees should offer context: what was attempted, what the outcomes were, and where the guardrails truly lie. She likens this to a master craftsperson evaluating whether a job can be done — their “no” comes with a reason, while a novice may simply not know enough to explain why something might fail. When teams blend seasoned expertise with fresh perspectives, organizational capacity grows even stronger.

The third pillar of her conversation is the realization about data: if agencies don’t understand the data they have or the data they need, they cannot solve problems using data. Renee describes the enormous range of federal data — from centuries-old paper archives to NASA’s 50+ terabytes of daily space data — and explains that agencies often collect information for one purpose without realizing it could solve problems elsewhere. She stresses that success comes when teams feel confident they’ve gathered the right data sources to address a challenge. There is no universal metric, she says; instead, readiness is seen when teams believe they’re on track, when they can identify missing data early, and when they can adjust course before heading too far in the wrong direction.

Renee closes with a reminder that outcomes matter, but they must be balanced with outputs, continual engagement, and the willingness to change direction when needed. Her message throughout the conversation is consistent: invest in people, value experience, understand your data, and keep mission delivery at the center.