JAMES E. TUNNESSEN JR., MBA
D. Eng. Candidate, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
Forbes Technology Council ~ Federal CAIO Council Member
Email: jetjr@gwu.edu •
Location: Washington, DC area
GitHub: github.com/jtunnessen •
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jimtunnessen
Consulting: gradientdescent.biz
PRESENTATIONS, SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS & MEDIA
Keynotes & Featured Addresses
GITEC Conference: Opening Keynote — The Evolution of the CIO 2025
Government Information Technology Executive Committee Annual Conference | Washington, DC
FCW Briefing: Truly Digital Government: Beyond Better Websites 2019
FCW | Washington, DC
ATARC Federal DevOps Summit: Keynote and Master of Ceremonies 2017
Advanced Technology Academic Research Center (ATARC) | Washington, DC
Federal Innovation Summit: Creating Enclaves of Innovation 2016
Federal Innovation Summit | Washington, DC
Red Hat Government Symposium: It Will Take All of Us to Improve Federal IT 2016
Red Hat Government Symposium | Washington, DC
Red Hat Government Symposium: Keynote on Innovation 2015
Red Hat Government Symposium | Washington, DC
Invited Talks & Conference Presentations
Panel: The CIO and Innovation Officer Government/Audience Interchange May 2026
ACT-IAC Emerging Technology and Innovation Conference | Washington, DC
ATARC Executive Roundtable: Driving Mission Outcomes Through Data Relationships and Gen AI March 2026
Advanced Technology Academic Research Center | Washington, DC
ATARC Executive Roundtable: Building a Data Foundation March 2026
Advanced Technology Academic Research Center | Washington, DC
National Capital Region DoD Quarterly Historians Training Workshop September 2025
NCR DoD Historians | The Pentagon | Washington, DC
SIM Capital Area Chapter: AI at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center August 2025
Organizer & Moderator — Executive site visit and AI briefing at NASA Goddard | SIMCAC | Greenbelt, MD
SIM Capital Area Chapter: OSCAL — Panel with OpenAI April 2025
Moderator — Executive discussion panel on AI strategy and deployment with OpenAI | SIMCAC | Washington, DC
GovLoop Executive Roundtable: AI and Data in 2025 — The Opportunity and Challenge March 2025
GovLoop | Washington, DC
SIM Capital Area Chapter: AI in Practice — Panel with OpenAI February 2025
Moderator — Executive discussion panel on AI strategy and deployment with OpenAI | SIMCAC | Washington, DC
Amazon Media & Entertainment Conference 2019
Use of Machine Learning to Automate Localization for International Distribution | Amazon
ACT-IAC Emerging Technology Conference 2019
Use of Artificial Intelligence in Media and the Federal Government | ACT-IAC
Acquia Engage: Big Ideas 2019
Acquia Engage Conference | New Orleans, LA
ACT-IAC Executive Leadership Conference 2016
Curing What Ails Us: Imagine an Entirely Agile Government | ACT-IAC
ATARC Federal DevOps Summit: Visionary Panel — Agencies Adopting Agile Approaches 2016
Advanced Technology Academic Research Center | Washington, DC
Government Information Technology Executive Committee Summit 2016
DevOps from Idea to Continuous Improvement | GITEC | Washington, DC
Top Trends & Technologies Driving Mobility in Government 2016
Mobility in Government Conference | Washington, DC
GovLoop Webinar Course: Modernizing Your IT Infrastructure 2016
GovLoop | Virtual
Red Hat Government Symposium: Accelerating Application Delivery 2015
Red Hat Government Symposium | Washington, DC
ATARC Redefining Federal IT Conference 2015
Using Hybrid Cloud for Enhancing Mission Capabilities | ATARC | Washington, DC
ATARC Federal Cloud Computing Summit 2015
DevOps and Automation in the Cloud | ATARC | Washington, DC
USCIS Internal Leadership Forum 2015
DevOps, Open Source, and Kanban for Software Development | DHS USCIS | Washington, DC
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) 2014
Operating with Open Source and DevOps | CFPB | Washington, DC
GSA: Enterprise Social Networks, the New Reality 2012
U.S. General Services Administration | Washington, DC
Podcast, Radio & Media Appearances
Federal News Network: Cloud Exchange 2026
Interview on AI and digital strategy at NEA | Federal News Network
Federal News Network: Ask the CIO 2020
Interview on AI and digital strategy at VOA | Federal News Network
Federal News Network: Artificial Intelligence Helps VOA Translate Broadcasts Worldwide 2020
Podcast | Federal News Network
FedScoop TV: How Open Source Is Winning in Government 2015
Video Interview | FedScoop
Federal News Radio / WTOP 2015
How Citizen Services Can Be Transformed by Software Analytics | Radio Interview | WTOP Washington
Articles & Media Features
20 Enterprise Risks Lurking Behind Open AI Adoption 2026
Article | Forbes
GovLoop Book: Your Guide to DevOps in Government 2016
Featured as one of four government DevOps subject matter experts | GovLoop
FedTech Magazine: DevOps Is Here, and It’s Going to Change Your Agency’s Culture 2016
Article | FedTech Magazine
GovLoop Article: Modernizing Your IT Infrastructure 2016
Article | GovLoop
ModernGov: Accept the Challenge — Modernize Your IT Infrastructure 2016
Article | ModernGov
FEDTECH Magazine: Culture Shock 2017
Interview / Feature Article | FEDTECH Magazine
FCW Magazine: At USCIS, They DID(it) 2014
Feature Article | Federal Computer Week (FCW)