Features Government

When the COVID-19 outbreak hit Delaware’s prison system in 2020, prior work updating technology and electronic medical records at the Department of Correction—including a module that would aid in contact tracing—allowed for a swift response to quarantine-positive cases. It was welcomed relief at a time of crisis, says Phillip Winder, chief of information technology at […]

While some IT specialists put more emphasis on technology, Stephen Forrest is all about information. For the data-driven Montana Department of Environmental Quality, Forrest draws on his social sciences and humanist background to advance the organization. While he appreciates what technology can do, he’s not interested in only the latest and greatest tools. Instead, Forrest […]

Now he’s the CIO of the New Mexico Human Services Department, he knows how to listen to those being served by the organization. In one sense the conversations seem routine, beginning with questions like, “What do you think needs to change?” “How could our phone system be improved?” and “Will this be useful to you?” […]

While commercial real estate investing hasn’t quite resumed its robust pre-COVID ways, it’s been far from dormant. Then there are the many investors taking advantage of low interest rates by refinancing their properties. All of which spells more opportunity for NorthMarq, the nation’s largest privately owned mortgage brokerage, and where Daniel F. Ritch has been […]

They’ve come a long way from storing property tax records in antiquated computers with green screens, unconnected to the internet. Brent Messer talks about those computers to show how Chattanooga, Tennessee, government worked—or didn’t work—with technology when he joined it in 2014. In the seven years since Messer became CIO, he and his team of […]

Well, if nothing else, the attorneys and staff at Canada’s Department of Justice got used to virtual meetings and hearings in 2020, recalls CIO Dugald Topshee. The year began with him adding digital tools to enable Department of Justice attorneys supporting 40 federal departments to work on the go. It ended with those attorneys and […]

When Jimmy Williams came across a job listing for an IT position at the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma nine years ago, the description was vague. It mentioned programming, though, and because of that, Williams was sold. With a background in software development at Texas Instruments and MEMC, and as a Choctaw himself, he was quickly […]

OMG, who could resist that furry little face? Those eager eyes and quivering nose? This is an animal ready for a new home with a loving family. But this story isn’t about adopting a puppy or kitten. It’s about tech improvements in Pocatello, Idaho, such as a fiber optic network and webcams, soon to allow […]

There are lots of things that can be borrowed from the LeRoy Collins Leon County Public Library System in Florida—but 80 laptops at once? It happened in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, says Leon County CIO Michelle Taylor. In truth, the Dell laptops the library ordered to replace desktops were redirected because they had not […]

While it may not be a Dickensian “best of times, worst of times” scenario, there’s no doubt that 2020 turned much of what state governments do squarely on its head. With increased demands for services during the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with new regulations limiting how state employees could interact with those in need, Tracy Barnes […]