Built on Trust: The Future of Personnel Security, a fireside chat hosted by Chainbridge Solutions on September 10, brought federal Personnel Security leaders together as Trusted Workforce 2.0 changes how their programs operate. The conversation explored what it takes to turn the growing volume of continuous vetting information into timely, defensible decisions.
More Signals Increase the Need for Resolution
Mr. Peregrine D. Russell-Hunter, Director of the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals, delivered the keynote and described continuous vetting as an expansion in the sources available to the government. That broader visibility can surface risk earlier while also increasing the number of false hits or incomplete records that require review.
One example Russell-Hunter described involved an adverse police record that appeared serious in an initial summary. Fuller documentation established that the allegation was false, changing the case once the decision-maker had access to the complete record.
That principle applies directly to continuous vetting. Faster detection creates value when agencies can move from an alert to enough context to understand and resolve it. Russell-Hunter also emphasized transparency and independent review as safeguards that strengthen defensibility as Personnel Security moves toward a continuous model.
As more alerts enter the process, the operational challenge becomes clear. Agencies need to preserve context as work moves from detection through resolution.
The Operating Layer Has to Keep Pace
That theme continued during the federal leader panel moderated by Nathan Richman, Chainbridge Solutions’ Director of Personnel Security Support Services. Panelists John Goldsby of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Lisa Nichols-Streck of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and Nicholas O’Connell of the Smithsonian Institution discussed how Trusted Workforce is changing day-to-day Personnel Security operations.
While each agency is approaching the transition from a different operational position, the same pressure is emerging across programs. Continuous vetting is increasing the flow of information while many teams still depend on manual handoffs or disconnected systems to move work forward.
The panelists pointed to system integration and better information exchange as practical priorities. When case activity moves between portals or depends on staff to carry context from one step to the next, the process consumes capacity and slows resolution.
That gap creates a practical test for readiness. Agencies need systems that keep case records current and give practitioners visibility as work moves through the process. Better continuity from alert to decision allows teams to absorb additional workload while protecting the quality of the determination.
The event also explored where AI can reduce friction in that operating layer. Participants saw value in using AI to find relevant policy and compare case information with prior decisions, with adjudicators retaining responsibility for verification and the final determination.
That division of labor is crucial in Personnel Security. Applied AI can shorten the path to decision-ready context and give practitioners faster access to authoritative information. Professional judgment and accountability remain with the person responsible for the decision.
The Path Forward
Taken together, the discussions at Built on Trust point to a practical path forward. As continuous vetting expands, agencies need to strengthen the operating environment around it by preserving context and reducing manual handoffs. Experienced practitioners also need technology that helps them reach defensible decisions as workload grows.
Systems like Perseus™ can support that shift by keeping case activity and context connected across the vetting lifecycle, while Applied AI helps move decision-ready information to the professional responsible for acting on it.
Trusted Workforce will continue to change the volume and pace of Personnel Security work. Agencies that strengthen the operating layer now will be better prepared to absorb that change while maintaining continuity and control.