SIMCAC Member Spotlight: John Lambeth
John Lambeth serves as Chief Information Officer for
MAXIMUS a publicly traded government services firm that employs over 30,000 professionals globally. His IT organization enables MAXIMUS to deliver critical business process services both domestically and globally, including Medicare and Medicaid case management, human services benefits and the US Census. Mr. Lambeth is leading the MAXIMUS technology transformation to microservices and cloud infrastructure.
1) You’ve had a long career in Technology, including roles with Xerox, Blackboard, and now with Maximus. For those that don’t know you well, could you share more about your professional journey, including some of your highlights and what drove you to take on your recent role with MAXIMUS?
Over the years, I have worked in a variety of industries, including High tech, Public software and government services. A common thread for me is to be a part of organizations that are passionate about their mission. MAXIMUS is all about connecting the government to the people it serves. We are the front line for a huge variety of health and human services both at the state and Federal level.
2) It sounds like your team at MAXIMUS is involved in some interesting work right now, including work supporting the Census. Can you tell us a little about that?
Census 2020 is an exciting project to be experiencing. The Census is the basis for allocating billions of dollars of Federal funding to various state services and education programs. It also guides overall representation of municipalities and states in the Federal government. Another interesting project for MAXIMUS is the support we provide to various states for the enrollment in both Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act programs. Each state government has subtle differences in eligibility, enrollment process and privacy requirements, so we need to be incredibly flexible in our support to these programs.
3) How is the COVID-19 pandemic impacting how you and your team support your organization and customers? Has it impacted your work to support the Census?
COVID-19 has been a unique career experience for me. Because we provide support to various state health and employment programs, we have responded to multiple calls to stand up call centers for traceability, COVID test results and unemployment verification hotlines. Most of these have been stood up in less than one week. Our own company has made a massive shift to telecommuting, with 18000-plus employees and call center agents now working remotely.
4) Those who know you well, know that you are a veteran and that you have been actively involved in the Boy Scouts. Can you share a little more about your service to your country and community, and how that has impacted your leadership style?
I was fortunate enough to attend college under the Army Reserve Officers Training Program. After College, I was a commissioned officer and served various roles in Finance, Civil Affairs and military systems. I spent some 20 years supporting Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in various roles and my son attained the rank of Eagle Scout. I would say that both of these life experiences instilled a spirit of servant leadership in me, which has defined my management style throughout my career.
5) You’ve been a long time member and board member of SIMCAC. How has SIM helped you advance your career and what would you say to peers that are considering membership?
I have been involved in SIM for 28 years. Earlier in my career I attended the SIM Regional Learning Forum, a truly life-changing experience. The friendships and network connections I have made over the years have been invaluable.