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Arianne Gallagher-Welcher, Esq

Arianne Gallagher-Welcher, Esq

Official Resume

Rome (00198) Italy
Employed Available
Contact me
I am a passionate, driven professional who enjoys delivering results and helping others, encouraging the people around me while having fun and being creative. Greatly enjoy and exceed at building lasting relationships and networks with kindred professional spirits with a hungry appetite to innovate on old process and strategies and used existing resources to deliver new, more effective results. I have been called ridiculously optimistic which I find to be a very high complement.

Public sector digital transformation executive with deep experience founding and scaling federal innovation, technology modernization, and government-wide talent programs across USDA, OPM, OMB, GSA, and the White House. Founder and Executive Director of the USDA Digital Service, leading enterprise digital service delivery, cloud migration efforts, customer experience modernization, IT acquisition strategy, and cross-agency transformation initiatives. Proven ability to build trusted relationships with senior government executives, align multidisciplinary teams, influence strategy, and deliver measurable outcomes in complex, high-visibility environments. Licensed attorney, PMP, FAC-PPM Senior Level and COR Level 3 certifications, and former Presidential Management Fellow with expertise spanning digital transformation, federal IT policy, human-centered design, data, automation, workforce modernization, regulatory strategy, and public sector program delivery.

Executive Value Proposition
• Builds and scales public sector modernization programs from concept to enterprise adoption.
• Leads high-visibility federal technology, innovation, and digital service initiatives across complex stakeholder environments.
• Develops trusted relationships with senior government executives, agency leaders, policy officials, technologists, legal counsel, HR leaders, and external partners.
• Aligns strategy, delivery, acquisition, talent, technology, and operations to achieve measurable outcomes.
• Experienced operating across federal government, White House/EOP environments, cabinet-level agencies, and government-wide programs.
• Brings legal, policy, program management, human-centered design, digital transformation, and executive stakeholder engagement expertise.

Interested in opportunities in where I can continue to work remotely full time as I am part of a foreign service family currently stationed in Rome, Italy until 2028.
Home Experiences Education Certifications & Selected Achievements Speaking Engagements
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Experiences
  • Founder and Executive Director of the USDA Digital Service, an enterprise digital transformation program within the Office of the Chief Information Officer. Responsible for accelerating digital service delivery across USDA through human-centered design, modern technology practices, improved customer experience, secure digital services, and multidisciplinary delivery teams.
  • Founded and scaled the USDA Digital Service to deliver simple, seamless, secure, and human-centered technology and customer experiences across USDA.
  • Goal lead advisor for Goal 1 of the USDA IT Strategic Plan: Accelerate Digital Transformation during the Biden Administration
  • Serve as a member of the Federal Digital Experience Council and served as an advisory member of the USDA Chief Information Officer’s Council , helping shape digital experience, technology modernization, and service delivery priorities.
  • Lead integrated, multidisciplinary teams on high-priority, multimillion-dollar transformation initiatives across the Department.
  • Successfully secured Direct Hire Authority for term appointment for a broad category of IT Specialists across the Department
  • Drive modernization efforts involving cloud migration, digital service delivery, customer experience, human-centered design, data-informed decision-making, and secure technology adoption.
  • Led and facilitated key cross-agency IT modernization efforts for OCIO, such as the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program application, IT Loan Modernization, key cloud migration efforts, and others
  • Led the effort to get a $300 million BPA in place for key IT projects for the National Farm Security Action Plan in less than 4 months
  • Own executive relationships from problem identification through execution, aligning senior stakeholders around modernization goals, delivery priorities, risks, and measurable outcomes.
  • Partner across sales-equivalent, consulting, engineering, product, acquisition, delivery, legal, policy, and program teams to execute strategic initiatives.
  • Promote delivery excellence, program quality, customer value, operational discipline, and sustainable digital transformation practices across agency programs.
Company Description
USDA provide leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on public policy, the best available science, and effective management.

We have a vision to provide economic opportunity through innovation, helping rural America to thrive; to promote agriculture production that better nourishes Americans while also helping feed others throughout the world; and to preserve our Nation's natural resources through conservation, restored forests, improved watersheds, and healthy private working lands.
Company website
http://www.usda.gov
  • Directed the Presidential Management Fellows Program, the federal government’s premier leadership development program for advanced-degree talent and future public sector executives. Led strategic design, day-to-day operations, stakeholder engagement, policy, budget, program delivery, and continuous improvement for a government-wide program supporting approximately 600–1,000 Fellows across federal agencies and assessing up to 20,000 applicants annually.
  • Led national program strategy and delivery for a highly visible, government-wide leadership program with complex stakeholder, policy, operational, and public-facing requirements.
  • Identify and implement opportunities and strategies for program reform and improvement while maintaining high credibility and legacy of an over 40-year old program
  • Managed relationships with federal agencies, senior government leaders, academia, public sector organizations, Congress, and external partners.
  • Implemented a new PMF Leadership Development Program to strengthen leadership capability and improve participant experience.
  • Scaled program operations and streamlined application and placement processes, reducing cycle time from several months to approximately six weeks.
  • Maintained 100% cost-recovery status through disciplined budget management, revenue monitoring, contracting oversight, and operational planning.
  • Supervised and developed a team of seven and contributed to the Strategic Leadership Team for OPM’s Center for Leadership Development.
  • Led change management, quality improvement, customer engagement, and stakeholder communication efforts in a high-visibility environment.
  • Received multiple Outstanding Performance Ratings; PMF team received the Human Resources Solutions STAR Award for delivering the 40th Anniversary celebration of the PMF Program.
Company website
http://www.pmf.gov
  • Served as Performance Manager and principal policy advisor for federal hiring policy, human capital reform, workforce strategy, performance improvement, and government-wide management initiatives. Advised OMB and Executive Office of the President components on human capital matters and served as a primary liaison with federal agencies and stakeholders.
  • Served as principal policy advisor for federal hiring policy and initiatives across government.
  • Built trusted relationships with senior officials across OMB, OPM, federal agencies, GAO, Executive Office of the President components, and other key stakeholders.
  • Developed and implemented government-wide strategies to improve hiring, talent acquisition, workforce management, and mission delivery.
  • Led the formulation, drafting, editing, approval, and publication of OMB-OPM Joint Memorandum “Institutionalizing Hiring Excellence to Achieve Mission Outcomes,” released November 1, 2016.
  • Successfully researched, prepared, coordinated, and implemented execution of the President’s Hiring Freeze on January 23, 2017. Drafted and supported publication of two OMB policy memoranda implementing the hiring freeze within eight days.
  • Directed, developed, and coordinated integration of Administration personnel reform proposals into FY17 and FY18 National Defense Authorization Act processes, with many provisions passed in whole or in part in the final bill.
  • Managed complex projects requiring coordination across OMB divisions, federal agencies, policy teams, and senior executive stakeholders.
  • Analyzed data, presented findings, and interpreted complex statutory, regulatory, legislative, and policy guidance for federal hiring and human capital programs.
  • Provided input for Congressional inquiries, White House correspondence, legislative proposals, budget materials, and other high-level requests.
  • Led coordination of office administrative and modernization responsibilities, including team-building, employee engagement, records administration, and IT network migration.
  • Received OMB Special Achievement Awards and recognition for legislative coordination, policy execution, and team engagement improvements.
Company Description
The core mission of OMB is to serve the President of the United States in implementing his vision across the Executive Branch. It reports directly to the President and helps a wide range of executive departments and agencies across the Federal Government to implement the commitments and priorities of the President primarily through budget formulation and government-wide management.
Company website
http://www.omb.gov
  • Served as the first Deputy Director of the Presidential Innovation Fellows Program during its operational transfer from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to GSA. Led day-to-day operations, recruitment, agency engagement, program administration, stakeholder coordination, and delivery support for a high-profile federal innovation program.
  • Led daily operations for the Presidential Innovation Fellows Program, including administration, recruiting, outreach, communications, agency/customer relations, training, education, and program support.
  • Successfully transferred program operations and functions from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to GSA while maintaining continuity and program momentum.
  • Supported recruitment and selection of the program’s second class of Fellows while graduating the first class.
  • Cultivated and sustained strong relationships with agency sponsors, customers, senior leadership, legal counsel, HR specialists, and operational partners.
  • Represented Fellows and advocated for program needs, participant success, agency value, and long-term institutionalization.
  • Led an initiative with the GSA HR team to design and implement an expedited recruitment and hiring process to meet current and future program needs.
  • Monitored fellowship work and delivery, facilitated weekly brainstorming and development sessions, and partnered with agencies to design future projects and products.
  • Received GSA Director’s Award for Excellence in Performance.
Company website
http://www.whitehouse.gov/innovationfellows
  • Co-founded the Presidential Innovation Fellows Program, a government-wide innovation initiative pairing technologists, entrepreneurs, designers, and innovators with federal civil servants to address major national challenges. Supported program creation while detailed to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy as a Presidential Management Fellow.
  • Co-created the program model, policy framework, operational infrastructure, funding approach, administrative systems, and core principles for the Presidential Innovation Fellows Program.
  • Helped design and execute the first class of Fellows, including project selection with agencies, recruitment and selection, onboarding, mission support, funding, and delivery operations.
  • Built and sustained relationships with early agency sponsors and first customers across more than 16 federal agencies.
  • Navigated numerous personnel systems and interagency detail agreements to hire and place Fellows across government within a compressed timeframe.
  • Led and supported a team of volunteers that helped establish and operate the program.
  • Coordinated and executed a seven-city innovation tour to build awareness, internal support, external sponsors, and customers for the program.
  • Assisted in drafting the Executive Order signed by the President to formally establish and make the program permanent across government.
  • Supported additional White House and OSTP initiatives related to Open Data, Open Government, technology policy, innovation, and the President’s Management Agenda.
  • Received the U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy Award for Excellence.
  • Served as Senior Policy Advisor in the Director’s Office, Planning and Policy Analysis Division, and as advisor to the Performance Improvement Office. Portfolio included the President’s Management Agenda, performance improvement, open data, employee engagement, federal workforce policy, and Federal Employee Health Benefits Program policy.
  • Led and supported agency-wide modernization, performance improvement, workforce strategy, open data, and federal management initiatives.
  • Developed and implemented initiatives under the President’s Management Agenda, People & Culture Cross-Agency Priority Goal.
  • Coordinated and led development and release of UnlockTalent.gov , a data tool for federal agencies and the public to understand federal employee engagement.
  • Served as project and team lead for the employee engagement sub-goal.
  • Designed, led, and implemented OPM’s data-driven performance review process, Performance Point .
  • Provided oversight for web development contract activities and coordinated across technical, policy, and program stakeholders.
  • Developed and coordinated policy initiatives related to Open Data and the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program.
  • Supported a White House Datapalooza using workforce data.
  • Built relationships across OPM offices and components to advance agency-wide priority projects, including USAJOBS.gov restoration and Retirement Services call center improvements.
  • Provided regulatory and policy advice on Federal Employees Health Benefits Program matters affecting approximately 8 million federal employees, retirees, and beneficiaries.
  • Completed data analysis, reporting, Privacy Impact Assessments, and recommendations for healthcare, wellness, workforce, and employee data initiatives.
  • Converted to competitive service and promoted to Senior Policy Advisor after completing the Presidential Management Fellowship.
  • Received three promotions and several performance awards during tenure.
  • Managed regulatory and administrative procedures for more than 15 concurrent infectious disease research studies. Maintained research documentation, Institutional Review Board submissions, consent forms, databases, compliance records, and study files. Provided privacy and regulatory consultation related to public health research and ensured compliance with state and federal requirements.
  • Supported corporate legal matters, contract review, casework development, alternative dispute resolution, and urgent legal research through the University of Pittsburgh School of Law Health Law Practicum.
  • Created and improved processes to audit access to electronic medical records through the AIM Initiative. Researched Medicaid provider enrollment, malpractice exposure, ERISA impacts, anti-kickback legislation, HITECH, HIPAA, and healthcare privacy requirements. Developed a Business Associate Agreement and supported hospital-wide policy improvements related to vendor agreements, conflicts of interest, and biotech company interactions.
  • Reviewed and drafted contracts, supported HIPAA implementation and staff training, prepared confidentiality agreements and family-facing communications, and assisted hospital counsel with regulatory, litigation, settlement, and public welfare hearing matters.