Equipping the Federal Workforce for AI

Kathleen Featheringham is a leader focused on large-scale, responsible technology transformation for our clients’ most critical and sensitive mission areas.

She led the development and now oversees the implementation of Maximus’ AI strategy. As the lead of the AI Accelerator within the Chief Technology Office, she helps deliver advanced solutions in client support, artificial intelligence, and data to improve decision-making and efficiency.

An expert in AI, data science, strategy, and change management, Kathleen has more than 20 years of experience working with clients across the Federal Government. She focuses on the convergence of mission and AI, with a special emphasis on the human elements of adoption. This includes working with organizations to responsibly view data as an asset, evolving technical architectures to eliminate continual redesign, redefining human roles to allow more time for critical thinking, and embedding ethical AI controls and measures into the fabric of an organization.

Prior to joining Maximus, Kathleen served as a Director at Booz Allen Hamilton, where she led highly technical cross-functional teams through transformation. She established and scaled Booz Allen’s AI strategy and training capabilities, empowering organizations to harness analytics for data-driven decision-making. She was a founding member of the team that developed Booz Allen’s award-winning Data Science 5K Challenge program, which focused on upskilling the firm’s data science workforce to help clients use data in innovative ways. Kathleen also led the development of Booz Allen’s AI governance and risk management procedures and operating practices as part of their Responsible AI efforts.

Kathleen holds an M.S. in intelligence analysis from Mercyhurst College and a B.S. in business administration from Georgetown University. She also has a Change Management Advanced Practitioner certification from Georgetown and a Psychology of Leadership graduate certificate from Cornell University.

Davon Tyler is the acting deputy chief operating officer for information technology management and the chief information security officer (CISO) for the U.S. Department of Education (ED) office of Federal Student Aid (FSA). He also serves as director of the FSA Enterprise Cybersecurity Group. FSA administers the federal student aid programs, which—in Fiscal Year 2023—provided more than $114 billion in federal grants, loans, and work-study funds to nearly 9.7 million students attending approximately 5,400 postsecondary institutions. In total, FSA manages a federal student loan portfolio valued at more than $1.6 trillion representing more than 45 million borrowers.

Under Tyler’s leadership, FSA’s Enterprise Cybersecurity Group is responsible for implementing FSA’s portion of ED’s Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) and cybersecurity requirements. Such requirements include ensuring safeguards are in place to protect the critical data that FSA has been entrusted with and rapidly responding to cyber threats to quickly mitigate FSA’s exposure.

In December 2022, Tyler joined FSA from the Technology Modernization Fund Program Management Office within the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). There, he served as the cyber investment manager responsible for advising GSA and Office of Management and Budget leadership about cyber proposals across the federal government. Prior to his time with the GSA, Tyler served as the chief information security officer for the U.S. Mint, where he was responsible for overseeing the Mint’s Authorization and Assessment implementation, as well as the Security Operations Center. Previously, Tyler worked in senior positions at the Defense Information Systems Agency and was an active-duty member of the U.S. Navy.

With more than 20 years of combined public and private sector experience, Tyler is recognized as an expert in cybersecurity with skills in network and system engineering, program management, and financial and acquisition management.

Tyler earned an associate of applied science degree in information technology from the State of New York University Empire State College while on active naval duty. In addition, he holds undergraduate and master’s degrees in cybersecurity and a Master of Business Administration, all from the University of Maryland Global Campus.