aThis is the Federal Drive show blog. Here you can listen to the interviews, find more information about the guests on the show each day and links to additional resources.

Today's guests:

Carmen Middleton — director, Center for Mission Diversity, CIA

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Perhaps no agency captures the public's imagination like the CIA. The impressions, however, aren't always welcoming. One stereotype is that officers are white men with similar backgrounds and beliefs. It's Carmen Middleton's job to counter that image. As director of the CIA center for mission diversity and inclusion, she sends scouts to Arab American festivals and other events to tell some of the most skeptical Americans: they could be part of the CIA too.

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Paul Wormeli — executive director emeritus, Integrated Justice Information Systems Institute, IBM

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Ever since the Sept.11 terrorist attacks, justice and public safety agencies have struggled to improve communication with local law enforcement. Maybe they should try cloud computing. A new report by the IBM Center for the Business of Government says the technology holds great potential, if agencies can get past some common pitfalls.

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Ed Zurndorfer — registered employee benefit consultant

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Procrastinators beware. Open season ends on Monday, and with it, your chance to change your benefits for another year.

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