# Government Leadership AI Bootcamp

Canonical URL: <https://www.graduateschool.edu/courses/government-leadership-ai-bootcamp>

## Overview

The Government Leadership AI Bootcamp helps government leaders confidently guide their agencies through AI adoption by combining AI governance, leadership, and performance management into one practical program. Participants gain the tools and best practices needed to support accountability, compliance, risk management, and public trust, while integrating AI into policies, procurement, and daily operations. Through real government case studies, hands-on exercises, and executive discussions, leaders learn how to oversee AI solutions, address ethical and legal issues, lead workforce change, and use AI to improve goal setting.

In addition to the core courses, participants can choose one of two optional paths to deepen their learning. The AI Ethics option focuses on responsible AI use, helping leaders identify ethical risks, manage compliance, and apply practical strategies that build trust. The AI Agents option offers a no-code introduction to agent-based systems, explaining how AI agents differ from traditional automation, how agent-enabled workflows are designed conceptually, and how government principles for oversight and risk management apply, with an emphasis on informed decision-making rather than technical development.

## What you'll learn

- Define the pillars and principles of AI governance in a government setting, and evaluate AI systems for compliance, risk, and performance.
- Develop governance mechanisms for procurement, vendor oversight, and third-party solutions, while addressing legal, ethical, and policy challenges.
- Assess AI’s impact on the workforce and organizational structure, and create strategies for leading workforce transformation and AI adoption.
- Design talent management approaches for recruiting, upskilling, and retaining employees in AI-driven environments.
- Identify the role of AI in performance management, enhancing goal setting, feedback, and evaluation processes.
- Apply AI-driven tools and frameworks to improve performance and monitor results, ensuring alignment with government guidelines and ethical standards.
- Assess risks, limitations, and best practices for responsible AI use in performance management.
- Choose to learn core ethical principles and risks of AI in government and frameworks to address ethical issues, or learn how AI agents differ from traditional automation and where they fit in government workflows.

## Curriculum
1. **AI Agents for Government Workflows Course**
2. **Advanced Prompt Design & Reasoning Strategies for Government Professionals Course**
3. **AI Governance & Oversight Course**
4. **AI for Government Leadership and Management Course**
5. **AI in Government Performance Management Course**
6. **AI Ethics for Government Employees Course**

## Schedule
- Jun 9, 2026 – Jul 24, 2026 — Live Online
- Jul 8, 2026 – Jul 24, 2026 — Live Online
- Aug 12, 2026 – Aug 28, 2026 — Live Online
- Sep 16, 2026 – Sep 29, 2026 — Live Online
- Oct 15, 2026 – Nov 19, 2026 — Live Online
- Nov 5, 2026 – Dec 3, 2026 — Live Online
- Dec 1, 2026 – Dec 17, 2026 — Live Online

## Instructors

### Bruce Gay — Instructor

Bruce is an engaging trainers and program manager who brings 25+ years practical experience to deliver effective and experiential training to students. Able to engage adult learners with a range of backgrounds and professional experiences. Successful at building effective stakeholder relationships and coordinating multi-disciplinary teams for solution delivery.

Bruce has over 25 years of project and program management experience across multiple industries. He has a Masters degree from The George Washington University and a B.A. from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. 

Bruce currently runs his own freelance training and consulting business, helping project managers and team leaders improve their business skills, become better leaders, and achieve professional greatness. 

Bruce is a well-received speaker in the areas of design thinking, project management, cross-team collaboration, and AI tools for projects, and has presented at regional and international conferences.

### Steve Pesklo — Instructor

Steve is an energetic trainer who focuses on applying technical concepts to everyday work practices. He is the founder and president of SoftLake Solutions, a company that specializes in providing data and AI applications to identify fraud for Internal Audit, Criminal Investigations, Forensic Accounting, Privacy, and Compliance.

Steve brings a large amount of experience across multiple industries and government agencies. He is an expert in implementing large data analysis projects across the world, including Inland Revenue in the UK and Argentina, New Zealand, Africa and across Europe. Previously, he was the manager of Data Architecture and Data Services for a large mortgage company. He is a frequent speaker on data analytics and project management topics and speaks fluent German. He has been teaching at the Graduate School for over 10 years.

Steve has an M.B.A. from the University of St. Thomas and a B.S. in Computer Science from California Lutheran University and the Universität Salzburg in Austria. He is certified as a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Project Management Professional (PMP), and a Certified ScrumMaster (CSM).

### Brian Simms — Instructor

Brian Simms is a seasoned educator and training leader with extensive experience developing and delivering innovative learning programs in project management and emerging technologies. Over the course of his career, he has designed adaptive learning models that combine instructor-led sessions, live online experiences, and self-paced study, ensuring professionals can access training in flexible and effective ways. His work has emphasized the integration of artificial intelligence into professional development, helping organizations and individuals understand how AI can be applied to solve real-world challenges in leadership, project execution, and decision-making. 

In addition to his instructional expertise, Brian has guided curriculum development, led large training initiatives, and advanced the use of collaboration tools that improve learner engagement and retention. His depth of experience and forward-looking perspective make him uniquely equipped to prepare federal professionals to navigate the complexities of data, project management, and the transformative potential of AI.

### Clarissa J. Corbin — Instructor

Clarissa J. Corbin is an accomplished corporate trainer, project manager, and business consultant with over 25 years of experience designing and delivering impactful learning experiences. As President and CEO of Projections Training Solutions, she partners with federal agencies, private corporations, and international organizations to provide results-driven training in leadership, project management, business analysis, and emerging technologies.

Clarissa has trained more than 10,000 professionals worldwide, serving clients such as the DoD, NASA, FEMA, Microsoft, Citibank, PNC Bank, Del Monte, and Symantec. Her expertise has taken her across the globe, leading initiatives in Singapore, China, Japan, South Korea, Africa, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, and St. Thomas, USVI. Known for her ability to engage diverse audiences and create interactive, high-impact sessions, Clarissa equips participants with practical solutions they can apply immediately.

At Graduate School USA (GSUSA), Clarissa is regarded as one of the most versatile and trusted instructors. She teaches across multiple programs. She played a pivotal role in redesigning the flagship “Managing for Results” course, while also contributing to the development and review of numerous others. Her contributions have earned her two GSUSA Customer Excellence Awards and a two-year appointment to the GSUSA Instructor Advisory Council, underscoring her commitment to innovation, quality, and learner success.

### Natalya H. Bah — Instructor

Natalya Bah has been a part-time instructor at the Graduate School USA for over fifteen years. Natalya teaches across multiple curricula, including Leadership and Management, Project Management, and Human Resources. She has created a curriculum for the school, including Change Management Workshops and project management courses. She has served as an action learning coach, instructor, and facilitator for government leadership programs in the Center for Leadership and Management. Natalya also provides self-assessments and dynamic team-building sessions on behalf of the Graduate School USA.

Outside of Graduate School USA, Ms. Bah is a self-employed business owner providing executive coaching, training, and consulting services to the public and private sectors. She created the Define and Achieve Your Goals Process™ and is a certified Birkman Method© Consultant. She received her Master of Science degree in Project Management from George Washington University’s School of Business, where she served as a teaching assistant and received the Project Management Award. She is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

### Michiel Pruijssers

Michiel is a Principal Designer and Forward Deployed Engineer at Microsoft's Industry Solutions Engineering Division, where he partners with strategic enterprise customers to architect and ship production AI systems. With over 15 years of experience, he operates at the intersection of user research, design, engineering, and cloud architecture, anchored by deep expertise in machine learning. His career spans senior roles at Snorkel AI, Determined.ai, and earlier Microsoft teams behind foundational AI products including LUIS.ai, Azure Bot Service, and Azure Stack, where he led both customer discovery and platform design for some of the industry's most technically ambitious ML offerings.

He pairs rigorous qualitative research with hands-on building, shipping his own production SaaS products in Python while also teaching students through cohort-based AI courses.

His instruction is grounded in real practice: what it takes to design, build, and operate AI systems that actually hold up in the wild.

## Pricing

**Tuition:** $2399
