Meet the inspiring folks behind Google Cloud Public Sector

At Google Cloud, being a strategic partner is part of our DNA. Whether it’s listening closely to our customers, helping to build team skills for innovation or simply being there (since we know the cloud is 24/7), we get excited about working hands-on with customers to deliver new solutions. 

As we look to solve decades-old challenges with new technologies in workforce productivity, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence/machine learning, we know that we are only as good as the people behind the technology. Today, we’re proud to spotlight a few of the inspiring folks behind Google Cloud Public Sector and celebrate their recognition in the industry. 

Melissa Adamson, Head of Government Channels at Google Cloud, has been named to the highly respected Women of the Channel list for 2021. This annual list recognizes the unique strengths, leadership and achievements of female leaders in the IT channel. The women honored this year pushed forward with comprehensive business plans, marketing initiatives and innovative ideas to support their partners and customers.

Melissa was brought on to build the Public Sector channel from scratch. The initial focus was building the channel for the US government team and has since expanded to include education, Canada and Latin America.

Having a career background at both Microsoft and Accenture, Melissa leveraged her extensive professional network to build the organic partnerships needed to accelerate the Public Sector partner ecosystem. This helped her drive two key wins (US Postal Service and PTO) and personally recruit top cloud partners in the industry. Melissa loves card games and is learning a new language.

Todd Schoeder, Director of Global Public Sector Digital Strategy, was recently featured in the “Top 20 Cloud Executives to Watch in 2021” by Wash Exec. Recognized for his work in helping customers navigate through the impact of COVID-19 and developing innovative solutions to meet mission challenges, he says: “New partnerships are required to solve for the problems of the future. Challenges that were previously thought of as insurmountable, too risky or expensive, are actually quite the opposite — as long as you have the right partner that is working in your best interest with you.”

Josh Marcuse, Head of Strategy & Innovation, received his second Wash100 Award for leading a digital transformation team that works to drive the development of public sector solutions, including cyber defense, smart cities, and public health.

Josh has launched services to support collaborative team operations including Workspace for Government and an artificial intelligence-based customer service platform to support remote work needs. His work also includes leading Google Cloud's partnerships with organizations to improve data sharing in the public health community, contact tracing activities, and supporting research efforts across national laboratories. 

Like Melissa, Josh was brought on to build a new team dedicated to strategy and innovation. This team’s purpose is to bring an intense focus to public sector mission outcomes and the public servants who own them. Josh spent a decade pushing digital modernization and workforce transformation at the U.S. Department of Defense, and co-founded the Federal Innovation Council at the Partnership for Public Service, and now brings that domain expertise to supporting government workers who are driving digital transformation.

Join us in celebrating these folks for their leadership and contributions!