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Washington, D.C.—The leader of the nation’s largest independent union of federal employees will join with top officials from more than 50 major U.S. companies representing a wide range of industries in a White House forum today focused on modernizing government and improving the delivery of services to the public.

In addition to the general sessions during the afternoon event, President Colleen M. Kelley of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) will take part in a discussion on streamlining government operations.

President Obama will open the conference in the Executive Office Building with remarks at 1:45 p.m.; the event is being sponsored by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Also speaking at the forum are: OMB Director Peter Orszag, Chief Performance Officer Jeffery Zients and presidential advisor Valarie Jarrett.

“This is an excellent opportunity to engage in a wide-ranging discussion not only to share ideas about improving the delivery of government services,” President Kelley said, “it is a chance to hear from chief executive officers of substantial companies about their experiences with what works and what has not worked in the private sector as the government seeks to bridge the technology gap.”

Kelley plans to highlight the difficulty federal agencies face in funding long-term technology projects, given the government’s annual budget cycle; the need to ensure that agencies do not rely too heavily on outside contractors at the expense of a permanent loss of internal capability; and the pressing need of providing employees with the appropriate equipment, such as laptops, to work remotely on a regular basis or in times of emergency.

Along with the session on streamlining government operations, participants will look at ways to improve customer service and maximize returns on information technology investments.

President Kelley, who often has presented congressional testimony on ways to improve efficiency in government workplaces, noted that NTEU has extensive experience in this area—including its efforts working with the Internal Revenue Service to implement the 1998 IRS Reform and Restructuring Act, among other examples.

“We know from experience that while coming up with fresh ideas—or new twists on older ideas— is necessary, that is only a single step in the process,” she said. “The laudable goal of improving government service requires an all-encompassing approach, addressing resources, staffing structure, training, equipment and leadership, including respecting the voices of the frontline employees who perform the work.”

As the largest independent federal union, NTEU represents 150,000 employees in 31 agencies and departments.