Q&A: Introduction to Alex Spithas, Director of Project Integration at Makpar

With an extensive background in business process reengineering working with a number of federal agencies, Alex Spithas recently joined Makpar as the Director of Project Integration.  He will be playing a major role in advancing emerging innovations to keep Makpar on the forefront of government IT.

To officially introduce Alex to Makpar’s ecosystem of government customers, partners and employees, we recently sat down with him to get his take on why he joined the company, and gain his perspective on overall government IT trends.

The following conversation has been edited for length.

Q: Please tell us about your background.

I've worked in government consulting since around 2010, initially focusing on business process reengineering at the IRS. Over time, I transitioned into leadership roles, driving solution-oriented implementations.

How can we ensure that the agencies we work with are truly having their problems solved rather than just being sold a product? To best answer this question, I always try to best collaborate with agencies to fully understand their challenges, and then design solutions to best meet their needs. 

Fortunately, I’ve been able to help agencies such as the IRS, the Department of Education and CMS on these types of engagements.

Q: Tell us about your role at Makpar.

My role at Makpar is multifaceted and dynamic, which I appreciate because it keeps me engaged. I tend to get restless if I'm not challenged with a variety of tasks. I'm currently collaborating with the Makpar solutions team to explore various opportunities and deliver tailored solutions to address them.

When it comes to potential or existing clients, my responsibilities include responding to proposals and collaborating with our engineering team and the Makpar Innovation Lab on prototypes. It's essential to ensure a seamless integration between engineering and product mindsets.

Another aspect we're exploring is leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance the work we do, as well as helping agencies to best position themselves in this new frontier.

With this in mind, I've been involved with in-house AI prototypes and implementations, as well as collaborating with clients, such as the IRS, on projects such as e-Authentication, Authorization and Access (eA3), focusing on authentication, authorization, and access.

I'm genuinely excited about maintaining strong relationships with our customers and staying informed about their day-to-day needs. Additionally, I'm committed to offering various solutions for upcoming client opportunities.

Q: Why did you choose to work at Makpar?

That’s a great question. For me, the focus isn’t just on what Makpar is doing, but rather on why they are doing it – meaning that the company truly cares when it comes to helping customers.

When I had discussions with leadership at Makpar, I was more interested in understanding this “North Star,” what was driving their decisions, rather than just focusing on the specifics of what they were doing. This is something that’s very important to me.

Makpar’s motivation for being in this business and what they aim to achieve is not solely driven by profit. Perhaps profit may be a byproduct, but the focus lies in creating positive change for customers and the community.

I've also built relationships with many people here through various projects in the past. It was definitely beneficial to see alignment in overall culture and values.

Q: Where do you think IT modernization in government is headed?

Utilizing innovative technologies, such as AI, is often regarded as a buzzword. However, the real focus lies in modernization and transitioning to cloud-based systems. This shift away from costly physical data centers is likely the initial step in our short-term strategy.

The subsequent focus will be on automation and AI to streamline processes, reduce fraud and waste, and enhance efficiency through technology.

It's an exciting time because there's a genuine openness to embracing new technologies. The reluctance to take risks is diminishing as success stories from proof of concepts and full implementations in various agencies demonstrate tangible benefits. This paves the way for similar advancements within specific government agencies.

Q: Any personal information about yourself you would like share with our readers?

Well, since the topic of AI is big these days, my wife often refers to me as the “Human AI” (said with a laugh).

Sometimes people liken me to an AI because I prioritize logic over emotion to avoid bias in decision-making. While my decisions are typically consistent, I occasionally introduce anomalies to challenge algorithms.

Overall, I'm deeply passionate about technology and find the current landscape fascinating, especially considering the ethical implications of AI. It's an exciting yet uncertain time; the next 5-10 years could lead to groundbreaking advancements or potentially Orwellian scenarios. Only time will tell.

We would like to thank Alex for taking the time to speak with us, and officially welcome him to the Makpar team!