Owning the Outcome: Advancing Fraud Intelligence Across Government

Richard J. Lucas was appointed to lead the office of Federal Student Aid in November 2025 and brings more than 38 years of exemplary public service to this role. He began his career at the U.S. Department of Education (ED) as a co-op student in the Office of Inspector General (OIG). That formative opportunity led to his first position as an OIG auditor. He became a legislative liaison and, later, a criminal investigator in the OIG before moving to Federal Student Aid, which—at the time—was a newly created performance-based organization. Richard spent approximately 20 years at Federal Student Aid managing taxpayer funds and directing complex financial programs. In May 2024, Richard was delegated the duties and responsibilities of the assistant secretary and chief financial officer in ED’s Office of Finance and Operations. In that role, he advised senior officials about financial and management, accounting, and human capital. He also oversaw all financial activities and integrated key financial information with ED’s policies and strategic objectives. A first-generation college student, Richard earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Maryland and a law degree from American University. In 2022, he received the prestigious Presidential Rank Award, which recognizes exceptional long-term performance, leadership, and results in the federal government. 

Bethany Messick is a federal healthcare leader with more than 14 years of experience at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), specializing in program integrity, data analytics, and fraud prevention. In her senior leadership role within the Center for Program Integrity, she oversees multimillion-dollar budgets, leads multidisciplinary federal teams, and modernizes analytic and IT systems to strengthen oversight across all Federal Healthcare Programs. She advances data-driven decision-making through innovative fraud detection models, cross-agency partnerships, and enterprise-wide investigative and analytic forums that have contributed to significant financial recoveries and provider actions. With a background in accounting and process improvement certifications, Bethany brings expertise in workforce development and change management to CMS’s mission of safeguarding federal healthcare programs and ensuring accountability.

Jordan Burris is a trailblazer in government innovation and digital trust, leveraging over 15 years of experience to transform public sector technology and pioneer cutting-edge solutions. As Vice President & Head of Public Sector at Socure, he leads the company’s mission to modernize digital identity and fraud detection in government. He guides cross-functional teams across strategy, customer success, sales, legal, and compliance to transform how identity verification powers secure and seamless digital service delivery.

Previously, Jordan served as Chief of Staff in the White House Office of the Federal Chief Information Officer, where he was a key architect of initiatives that modernized federal IT infrastructure, strengthened cybersecurity, and advanced digital identity solutions. He helped manage the Federal Government’s multi-billion-dollar technology budget and led work on critical issues pertaining to cloud computing, zero-trust architecture, and artificial intelligence.

A certified CISSP and CRISC practitioner, Jordan serves on the boards of the Identity Theft Resource Center and the Kantara Initiative, contributing to the development of digital identity standards and efforts to reduce identity-related fraud. He is a proud graduate of Pennsylvania State University and a respected voice in the field of digital identity and public sector technology.