This week on the Ameritocracy show, host Troy Edgar is joined in Washington, D.C. for an insightful conversation with Michael Parrish, Chief Acquisition Officer and Principal Executive Director for the Office of Acquisition, Logistics, and Construction for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Mike serves as a senior advisor to the Secretary and leads over 17,000 acquisition professionals, responsible for the Department’s $58 billion Supply Chain spend and over $100 billion in major programs. Mike and his team support the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States, providing care at over 1,200 healthcare facilities, to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA healthcare program.

Tune in for a deep dive into how the VA is adopting innovative procurement strategies and maintaining flexibility to respond to changing needs, artificial intelligence, and new technologies.

Follow-up links mentioned in this episode:

PathFinder, the VA's latest program, seeks your innovative solutions to make a lasting impact on Veterans, families, and caregivers. Discover more at: https://pathfinder.va.gov/

Veterans Legacy Memorial is an online memorial that honors nearly 10 million Veterans interred in VA National Cemeteries, VA grant-funded cemeteries, DoD-managed cemeteries (including Arlington National Cemetery); U.S. Park Service National Cemeteries, and thousands of private cemeteries where Veterans have received a VA-provided gravesite marker since 1996, explore more: https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/

Ameritocracy™ is produced by Prospect House Media and recorded in studio locations in Los Angeles and Washington DC.

This week, host Troy Edgar explores the life and lasting impact of J.P. Morgan, the titan of American finance.

In this episode, we trace J.P. Morgan's company transformation from a family enterprise to a global financial powerhouse. Learn how his business practices laid the groundwork for modern banking and inadvertently sparked antitrust laws such as the Sherman Antitrust Act and the Clayton Act. Join us as we examine the interplay between business, government, and public interest that is still as relevant today as it was in the Progressive Era.

Recommended reading: Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ron Chernow's acclaimed biography "The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance"

A great follow-up episode is E21: U.S. Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA) on Big Tech Antitrust Issues and Bipartisan Cooperation.

Ameritocracy™ is produced by Prospect House Media and recorded in studio locations in Los Angeles and Washington DC.

Sidebar Conversations is our monthly series where we dive into challenging topics, current events, explore faith, and much more. Expect fresh insights from familiar faces and new voices as we engage in candid discussions. Join us for open and honest friendship, embracing diverse perspectives.

Featured guest: Rich Pierce, a highly respected International Surfing Association (ISA) and Head Olympic judge, returns to the Olympic stage for the 2024 Tahiti Games. The veteran judge, who played a role in surfing's historic Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, shared his story and insights into the world of professional sports judging in Episode 17 of the Ameritocracy podcast.

Topics explored in this episode:

• The process of selecting judges for the Olympics

• Competitor qualifications

• The dangerous conditions and unique challenges of surfing Teahupo’o

• Wave quality and how it impacts the surfer’s score

• Impact of the Olympics on the surfing industry

Ameritocracy™ is produced by Prospect House Media and recorded in studio locations in Los Angeles and Washington D.C.