Listen Now

In episode 4 of our Energy Renewed podcast series — host Katie Janik, asset management advisor at ICF, speaks to Paul McGuire who was part of the team that created a short circuit program that eventually became Computer Aided Protection Engineering (CAPE) software. Katie is also joined by Baldwin Yeung, VP of CMY Solutions, who discusses the impact of CAPE software as a foundation for the power industry for grid protection and reliability. The conversation covers the background of this important software and what it contributes to the reliability of the grid.

In this episode, host Caitlin Howley, director of child welfare and education at ICF, examines the issue of racial equity in Appalachian education. The conversation with Director of the Regional Comprehensive Center, Kandace Jones, and First2 Network Program Coordinator, Jade Irving, covers such topics as:Why racial equity in education matters so much for the future of Appalachia.Current trends and shifting attitudes toward social justice in Appalachia.The importance of student exposure and staff training in reaching racial equity.The achievement and opportunity gaps in learning—and what to do about them.The systemic nature of racial inequality in education, and the systemic solutions required to combat the issue.NOTE: Jade Irving appears on this podcast in a personal capacity. She does not represent the views of her employer.

In this episode, hosts David Speiser, Ph.D., executive vice president at ICF, and Nicola Dawkins-Lyn, Ph.D., vice president of research science at ICF, explore how public health in the United States links up—and doesn’t—with the larger global health landscape.The conversation with Director of Emory University’s Global Health Institute Dr. Jeff Koplan covers topics such as:The relationship between U.S. healthcare and the nation’s larger patterns of government.The ways global health issues affect the United States and highlight the world’s interconnectivity.The skills the U.S. public health workforce needs to operate in a global environment.The increasingly apparent role of climate change as an influence on public health issues.The importance of creative public health messaging in motivating U.S. citizens to stay healthy over time.

In this episode of our podcast, host by Dr. Caitlin Howley , director of child welfare and education at ICF, is joined by Dr. John Ross, one of ICF’s experts on instructional design and blended learning, to discuss the challenges students, parents, and educators across Appalachia are facing as they deal with COVID-19. They cover topics such as:The effect limited resources have on every aspect of the educational experience.How different schools and school districts are addressing internet access and barriers to technology.What online learning reveals about student engagement prior to the pandemic.Positive changes in education that will likely remain long after COVID-19 is no longer a threat.

In this episode of our Climate Risk series, host Brad Hurley, senior communications consultant at ICF, is joined by Jesse Keenan, a social scientist at Tulane University and one of the editors of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's Managing Climate Risk in the U.S. Financial System report, to discuss how the private sector is poised to do its part to manage climate risk. The conversation covers topics such as:Transitional risks as society shifts to a net zero carbon strategy.The wide-reaching impacts of a regional event (e.g. wildfires, drought) on multiple commodity markets.How changing consumer preferences amplify uncertainties—and opportunities. Steps regulators can take to prepare for risks related to climate change.Barriers to financial institutions’ ability to measure their climate risk.

In this episode, host David Speiser, Ph.D., executive vice president at ICF, and Nicola Dawkins-Lyn, Ph.D., MPH, a behavioral scientist at ICF, speak to Dr. Marcus Plescia, the chief medical officer at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), a national nonprofit organization that tracks, evaluates, and advises public health professionals across the U.S. and its territories to provide guidance and technical assistance.The conversation covers topics such as:What state and territorial public health departments can do to influence social determinants of health.The connections between state departments of health and other state government agencies.What the public health enterprise can do to unite the country around better public health outcomes.The difference, from a state public health leader’s perspective, between working in centralized and decentralized public health systems.

Host David Speiser, Ph.D., executive vice president at ICF, and Nicola Dawkins-Lyn, Ph.D., MPH, a behavioral scientist at ICF, speak to Lori Freeman of the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), a membership organization representing the nearly 3,000 local health departments across the country, on the role of the public health system during—and after—the pandemic.The conversation covers topics such as:Fragmentation and the disparate strategies and priorities of different regions across the U.S.Ways to engage with rural public health organizations.Equity factors that contribute to a person’s overall health, and systemic barriers health departments must work to remove.How to keep population healthy at such a polarized time.The crisis of a decreasing public health workforce, especially in the field of nursing.

How can we unlock the power of the private sector to scale up technologies and services that facilitate climate resilience and adaptation?That’s the question on our minds in this podcast, as we continue to explore climate risk from a variety of perspectives.Hosted by Brad Hurley, senior communications consultant at ICF; and Peter Schultz, Ph.D., vice president, climate and resilience; this conversation with Jay Koh, co-founder and managing director of The Lightsmith Group, a sustainable private equity firm in New York City, covers topics such as:The differences between investing in climate resilience and making climate resilient investments.The range of tools—from data and analytics to products and services—that investors use to help assess the evolving challenges that climate change introduces as risks become more complex and move from one area to another.How to use investment in the policy context as a tool for supporting sustainable development. New frontiers and untapped opportunities in advancing resilience in the private sector.Why it’s important to create and invest in products and services that are both designed for a more climate-changed future and superior in quality to present-day alternatives.

In this podcast, hosted by David Speiser, Ph.D., executive vice president at ICF, we speak to three leaders at Inova Health System to capture the provider perspective on the challenges and opportunities we face at this moment. The conversation with Stephen J. Motew, MD, MHA, FACS, chief, clinical enterprise, Inova Health System; Maureen Sintich, DNP, MBA, RN, WHNP-BC, NEA-BC, chief nurse executive, Inova Health System; and Chalapathy Venkatesan, MD, MS, FACP, chief quality and safety officer, Inova Health System, covers: The role of Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) and the relationships between providers and different levels of the government’s public health enterprise.The interplay between the health system and the community, both within and beyond healthcare facilities. Data sources that are available through state and federal resources, and how that data is applied in the provider realm. How qualitative feedback through resources, alliances, and partnerships enabled Inova Health System to redesign its care during COVID-19.How rapid credentialing has changed the provider landscape.

In this podcast, hosted by Brad Hurley, senior communications consultant at ICF, one of ICF’s leading climate experts discusses how businesses plan for climate uncertainty and the corresponding risks. The conversation with Peter Schultz, Ph.D., vice president, climate and resilience, covers topics such as: The difference between the key forms of climate risk: physical and transition.The drivers pushing businesses to evaluate their climate risk.Which countries and business sectors are leading the way in being proactive about climate risk.The different approaches businesses can take to mitigate their climate risk.

Host David Speiser, Ph.D., executive vice president at ICF, is joined by Virginia State Health Commissioner Dr. Norman Oliver for a candid discussion on the pandemic response from the front lines. The conversation covers topics such as: The fragmented nature of public health across the U.S. and how states vary in their approaches. The role of the Virginia Department of Health in regulating hospital capacity, along with lessons being absorbed from the COVID-19 emergency about how to maintain surge capacity of facilities and medical professionals. How to align the public with the need to embrace critical public health interventions such as vaccine acceptance, masking, and physical distancing requirements.Recommendations for how to effectively prioritize new or modernized public health information systems after the pandemic, while also ensuring that they are truly national and universal.

In episode 3 of Energy Renewed, Katie Janik of ICF speaks with Steve Becker of the ICF technical advisory team within our Commercial Energy Division; Whitney Hampton, senior project manager in the RETC Group at US Bank Community Development Corporation; and Dan Miller, managing director of Origination at CIT, to discuss the impact of COVID-19 from the perspective of investors and lenders of renewable energy projects. This episode is the second part of two episodes developed to explore how COVID-19 is impacting renewable energy transactions.

In episode 2 of Energy Renewed, Katie Janik of ICF speaks with Heidi Marie Larson, who leads the ICF technical advisory team within ICF’s Commercial Energy Division, and Kevin Christy, COO of North America at LightSource BP, to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on owners and developers of renewable energy projects. This episode is part one of a two part series developed to explore how COVID-19 is impacting renewable energy transactions.

Given the high stakes involved in the COVID-19 pandemic, there has never been a more urgent time to take a hard look at America’s public health enterprise and all of its deficiencies. Only then can we map out the ambitious plan that will be required to fix it.   Join David Speiser, executive vice president at ICF, as he discusses the limitations of America’s public health system and how it has crippled our response to the COVID-19 pandemic with three of ICF’s leading public health experts: Jen Welham, senior vice president of ICF’s health and human services business; Mary Schwarz, managing partner of ICF Next’s government division; and Christine Walrath, chief science officer for ICF.

Several weeks ago, we released a COVID-19 funding podcast that was based on our initial understanding of the federal funding that’s available for state and local governments with regards to COVID-19 response and recovery. While much of our original recommendations are still relevant and accurate, this is an unprecedented and rapidly evolving situation. There are new cooperative agreements and updated options that state and local governments can take advantage of. In this episode, hear again from three of ICF’s emergency management experts—Meghan Treber, Kelly Price, and Marty Altman—as they explain the federal funding options available to state and local governments and eligible private nonprofits for COVID-19 response. Moderated by Marko Bourne, former director of policy at FEMA. We've also published a list of helpful resources compiled by our disaster management experts to provide clarification on relevant response and recovery topics: https://www.icf.com/insights/disaster-management/covid-19-resources

What if I told you that you could raise your prices by 30%, cut half of your products—and still have excited customers and a growing business? The challenge, however, is that you have to transform your business model, re-arrange several internal departments, and invest in technology to create personalized experiences. For the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), its need to transform was not just about maintaining and growing membership.  It was about understanding how to deliver real value to its members in the right way. That meant looking at essentially a 200-year-old business model and deciding to do better.  By evaluating outside industries, HFMA identified a new set of experiences it could adopt and expand to create something new, but familiar to its membership. In this podcast we talk to Garth Jordan, Chief Strategy Officer & Senior Vice President of HFMA about this multi-year journey of transformation. Moderated by Fred Faulkner, Partner at ICF Next.

It is early May of 2020. Americans have been practicing social distancing and sheltering in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic for almost two months. The widespread closure of schools, businesses, and government facilities has led to resource constraints, economic woes, and logistical challenges at all levels of society. And we’re about to enter natural disaster season. Midwest flooding, hurricanes, severe storms, and wildfires will sweep the country in the coming months—while we’re still dealing with COVID-19 restrictions. In this episode of our Navigating COVID-19 podcast, Steven Kral, EMS Director for ATCS, PLC and Michael Junell, Director of Public Assistance for ICF, help those on the front lines of disaster management navigate a safe and effective path forward. Moderated by Marko Bourne, Senior Vice President of Disaster Management for ICF. We've also published a list of helpful resources compiled by our disaster management experts to provide clarification on relevant response and recovery topics: https://www.icf.com/insights/disaster-management/covid-19-resources

Risk management is used primarily to identify the steps we can take to avoid loss or lessen the impact of threats such as hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and terrorism. But what about pandemics? What do risk leaders in business and government need to bear in mind as they respond to the current COVID-19 crisis—and prepare for a future that may very likely include additional waves of infection? In this episode of our Navigating COVID-19 podcast, Reid Sawyer, Head, Emerging Risks Group and U.S. Cyber Risk Consulting Practice Leader, Marsh; and Susan West, Vice President of Risk Management for ICF discuss how to mitigate the risks associated with a pandemic, and what business and governmental risk leaders need to think about today to prepare for an uncertain future. Moderated by Marko Bourne, Vice President of Disaster Management and former director of policy at FEMA. We've also published a list of helpful resources compiled by our disaster management experts to provide clarification on relevant response and recovery topics: https://www.icf.com/insights/disaster-management/covid-19-resources

HUD’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding supports state and local governments in their community development and housing missions. It’s also used for disaster relief (CDBG-DR) and mitigation efforts (CDBG-MIT). The COVID-19 pandemic and the CARES Act have introduced a new category of CDBG funds that grantees can take advantage of in their pandemic recovery efforts—CDBG-CV. In this episode of our Navigating COVID-19 podcast, three ICF experts explain how grantees can leverage new and existing federal funding options for COVID-19 recovery efforts, and how to navigate changing rules and procurement requirements in light of the pandemic. Kelly Price, vice president of community development; Deborah Siefert, senior disaster recovery consultant; and Karolyn Gardner, vice president of contracts and pricing, discuss how HUD is implementing the COVID-19 CARES Act funding and share advice and procurement best practices with grantees. Moderated by Marko Bourne, vice president of disaster management and former director of policy at FEMA. We've also published a list of helpful resources compiled by our disaster management experts to provide clarification on relevant response and recovery topics: https://www.icf.com/insights/disaster-management/covid-19-resources

The novel coronavirus is impacting us all in dramatic ways. Individuals, families, companies, governments, and industries around the world are reeling from the effects of COVID-19. The insurance industry is no exception. As insured businesses experience loss of revenue, they are looking to their insurance policies for help. How is the industry responding?In this podcast, two insurance and risk experts weigh in on the impact of COVID-19 on the insurance industry. Nancy Sylvester, area executive vice president and public sector national director of federal disaster recovery for Arthur J. Gallagher, and Susan West, vice president of risk management for ICF, discuss insurance and how it affects our clients at the state, federal, local, and private sector levels with regards to COVID-19. Moderated by Marko Bourne, vice president of disaster management and former director of policy at FEMA. We've also published a list of helpful resources compiled by our disaster management experts to provide clarification on relevant response and recovery topics: https://www.icf.com/insights/disaster-management/covid-19-resources