The national security landscape is evolving faster than ever — and so is the cleared talent pool that powers it. In a panel discussion at ClearanceJobs Connect, experts Todd Heckman of Google Public Sector, Elizabeth Mashakas of BlueHalo (now part of AE Industrial Partners), and Yolanda Reid of The Mill Corporation explored how organizations can adapt hiring and retention strategies to meet the moment.
Mashakas emphasized the importance of rethinking traditional hiring boxes, sharing stories of unconventional candidates who became invaluable assets once given a chance. Her takeaway: “Take that leap of faith. If someone doesn’t fit perfectly on paper, they might still be exactly who your mission needs.”
Retention, she added, requires creating “stickiness” — from food trucks to family engagement and micro-certifications — to ensure employees feel valued even when embedded at customer sites. Heckman echoed that sentiment, urging leaders to engage directly with their people and integrate empathy into management.
As the conversation turned to emerging technologies, the panel stressed proactive adoption. “AI and quantum are coming whether we’re ready or not,” Heckman said. “We need to lead the innovation, not react to it.”
Mashakas concluded with a bold proposal: the creation of a National Security Talent Innovation Lab — a government-backed hub for cross-agency collaboration, agile reskilling, and clearance modernization. Because the future of security, she noted, “depends not on systems, but on the people ready to evolve with them.”
