Authors

Jessica Mulholland

Web Editor/Photographer


Jessica Mulholland has been a writer and editor for more than 10 years. She was previously the editor of Emergency Management magazine, and she loves that she can incorporate her passion for photography into her work as a part of the Government Technology editorial team. Jessica can be reached at jmulholland@govtech.com, @jbronwen on Twitter and on Google+.

June 1, 2017

‘Understand Your Citizens’ and Other Tips from Arkansas CIO Yessica Jones on Being Mobile First

With nearly six months under her belt, Jones also talked to us about chatbots and artificial intelligence in government.
May 26, 2017

3 Pieces of Advice for Making the Transition from Waterfall to Agile

Maine’s agile journey began five years ago, so CIO Jim Smith and Associate CIO Paul Sandlin offer tips to IT officials looking to make the change.
May 16, 2017

Mississippi Enterprise Security Program Provides Framework for Agency Partnerships

CIO Craig Orgeron says HB 999, which establishes the security program, also validates where the state has been.
May 11, 2017

Changes in IT Procurement Require a Change in Culture

Washington CIO Michael Cockrill says modeling government procurement after the private sector can cause conflict, but there are ways to make it work.
May 10, 2017

Chatbots Will Help Arkansas Reach Constituents on Facebook Messenger, Amazon Echo

The state is working on two key upgrades: integrated payments within its Gov2Go app and chatbots that answer citizens' questions using machine learning.
May 4, 2017

What's New in Civic Tech: A Look at How Mapping Data Makes It Useful

Plus, the DATA Act is set to evolve, and the District of Columbia establishes a comprehensive data policy.
May 3, 2017

Colorado Turns to 'Mini-Bids' to Streamline, Simplify IT Procurement

The state's Office of Information Technology prequalified a set of vendors so when projects come up, this select group is targeted, resulting in quicker response and implementation times.
April 28, 2017

Will Innovative Technologies Help Wyoming Change the Way We Use Coal?

CIO Tony Young says the state is looking to capture carbon dioxide and turn it into a useful product — and XPrize is offering a $20 million award to the team that can do it.
April 27, 2017

What's New in Civic Tech: New York City Rebukes FCC's Actions on Internet Privacy, Net Neutrality

Plus, the Knight Foundation announces $1.2 million in funding for six cities to explore Internet of Things technologies, a Maryland county's Bicycle Stress Map serves as a template for others, and Boston stumbles upon inconsistencies with Web analytics.
April 25, 2017

CIOs Dig Deep on Emerging Tech, Collaborating with the Feds and Identity Management at NASCIO Conference

On day two of the 2017 midyear conference, attendees participated in interactive and informal sessions to exchange ideas and discuss best practices.
April 25, 2017

IT's Role in Solving Pennsylvania's Budget Problem

Shared services can help streamline government operations, saving taxpayer money in the process. Pennsylvania is counting on it.
April 24, 2017

Cybersecurity, Agile Development Top of Mind at 2017 NASCIO Midyear Conference

More than 530 government and industry attendees gathered to talk about top strategies, and management processes and solutions.
April 10, 2017

10 States Take Internet Privacy Matters Into Their Own Hands

Just days after President Donald Trump signed legislation into law allowing Internet service providers (ISPs) to sell the personal data of customers, several states moved ahead with legislation to protect the data of their constituents.

March 29, 2017

Team Missouri

Michael Roling, CISO
Steve Siegler, Deputy CIO
Rich Kliethermes, Acting CIO

February 7, 2017

New Jersey Prioritizes Open Data, Codifies Chief Data Officer Position

The state's Open Data Initiative will help CDO Liz Rowe drive the development of common standards and governance across the executive branch, and develop an approach to enterprise data sharing.
November 9, 2016

2016 Digital Cities: Winners Focus on Transparency, Security, Infrastructure

This year’s top digital cities know data demands are only going to grow, and they want to be prepared.
November 4, 2016

Digital Government Services Explosion — What Took So Long?

It’s due to a combination of very powerful forces coalescing, according to one public official.
October 25, 2016

California DMV Computer Outage Linked to Loss of Hard Disks

Despite the field office outages, DMV online services are still available and the department is updating its list of affected offices on its website.
October 25, 2016

Big Apple Claims SF's Miguel Gamiño as New CTO

Gamiño, currently the CIO of San Francisco, is leaving the West Coast to become New York City's chief technology officer.
September 30, 2016

Exponential Planning: Helping Government Embrace the Future

Government must consider many new risks and factors in planning given rapidly changing technology and constituent behavior.
September 22, 2016

Workforce Modernization: Tennessee's IT Reclassification Results in Operational Advancement, Improved Performance

Just over halfway through its five-year contract with a firm that specializes in training for management and IT professionals, the state’s Office of Information Services is focusing on creating IT leaders and is seeing improved performance.

September 21, 2016

Indiana Takes Aim at Opioid Crisis with Analytics

Indiana CIO Dewand Neely talks about how his state is applying data to address an issue on many governors’ agendas.

September 20, 2016

NASCIO Day Two: Rise of the Enterprise-Level CISO

Cybersecurity is becoming part of the fabric of government operations, as proven by the fact that all respondents in NASCIO's biennial cybersecurity survey reported having an enterprise-level chief information security officer.
September 19, 2016

CIOs Gather to Talk Leadership and Outsourcing at NASCIO, Day One

Agile development, cybersecurity and the cloud also make the agenda as the annual meeting kicks off in Orlando, Fla.
September 18, 2016

How Digital is Your State?

Results of the 2016 Digital States Survey indicate that the effort states are putting into innovation, collaboration and aligning their investments with citizens' priorities has never been higher.
September 15, 2016

Ingenuity, Collaboration the Hallmarks of Best of New York 2016 Survey Winners

Winning projects serve internal and external stakeholders well, proving the dedication and hard work in designing and creating these projects was well worth the effort.
September 1, 2016

2016 Best of the Web Winners Demonstrate Technological Innovation, Service Delivery Improvements

This year’s best government websites shared in common a simple vision of user-centric content, a desire to iterate and collaborate more quickly than in years past, and to watch the market for the latest trends and standards.
July 20, 2016

Digital Counties Survey 2016: Winners Make Collaboration, Innovation, Civic Engagement Top Priorities

In this year's survey, the Center for Digital Government recognizes 55 counties that understand technology's value, empower their tech leaders, and implement new ideas to make life better for those who live and work there.
March 23, 2016

Team San Francisco

Miguel Gamiño, CIO
Jay Nath, Chief Innovation Officer
Joy Bonaguro, Chief Data Officer

January 30, 2016

2016 State of the State Addresses: Does Technology Matter?

Government Technology’s editorial team analyzes this year’s speeches to see which governors are talking tech.
November 2, 2015

2015 Digital Cities: Winners Experiment with Forward-Thinking Tech Projects

This year’s top digital cities have developed a mature infrastructure that lets city leaders experiment with technology projects that are molded in the image of the average citizen's lifestyle.
September 2, 2015

What Do the Best Government Websites of 2015 Have in Common?

Winning sites in the 2015 Best of the Web competition tend to use simple, high-image, low-text designs; prioritize accessibility and mobility; and start with a design philosophy that puts the user first.
July 9, 2015

2015 Survey Honors Most Innovative, Pioneering Digital Counties

In this year's survey, the Center for Digital Government recognizes 54 counties as adaptive IT leaders, collaborators and arbiters of the public trust.
February 24, 2015

8 Tips for Recruiting and Retaining Millennials

Keeping in touch with millennials is key, whether it’s during the recruiting process, while they’re employed with your organization, and even after they've left for another job.
February 3, 2015

Photo of the Week: Managing California's Electrical Grid is No Small Task

The California Independent System Operator is like a giant pool of electricity with streams constantly flowing in and out, and operators must keep that flow in balance 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

January 30, 2015

2015 State of the State Addresses: Is Technology on the Agenda?

To find technology in this year’s speeches, you often need to read between the lines.
November 13, 2014

2014 Digital Cities: Winners Focus on Innovation, Boosting Transparency and Privacy

In this year's Digital Cities Survey, top cities recognize the value of technology, empower their tech leaders and use new ideas to make life better for everyone who lives there.
November 5, 2014

Election 2014: Assessing the Fate of State CIOs

With 36 governorships up for election, the fate of many state IT leaders hangs in the balance. Here’s what we know.
September 18, 2014

3 Steps Governments Can Take to Engage Citizens

Citizens, with their rapidly changing expectations, can play a role in making government what they want and need it to be.
September 16, 2014

San Francisco Airport Launches #Converge@flySFO Innovation Space

#Converge@flySFO is a place for travelers to innovate and collaborate while waiting for their flights.
September 9, 2014

New York City Announces Inaugural CTO

At the 10th annual NY Tech Meetup, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that Minerva Tantoco will be the city's first chief technology officer.
July 21, 2014

How Will Jennifer Pahlka's Year with the Feds Impact Code for America Operations?

After serving as U.S. deputy chief technology officer, CfA's founder and executive director says in this Q&A that she's focused on creating a government that works for the people and by the people in the 21st century.
April 17, 2014

FirstNet Testbeds (Interactive Map)

FirstNet began negotiations with eight testbed jurisdictions, and the projects that did reach agreements should help shape the FirstNet network.

April 10, 2014

Govs Run the Heartbleed Bug Test

When it comes to testing whether sites have been affected, two primary resources exist.

March 28, 2014

Chief Innovation Officers in State and Local Government (Interactive Map)

Chief innovation officers popping up in state and local government have scopes as different as the jurisdictions they serve.
March 17, 2014

Open Data Policies in State and Local Government (Interactive Map)

See which state and local governments have made their open data promises official.
July 12, 2013

Hawaii's Open Data Law Takes Aloha State to 'Next Level'

State CIO says the new law will help excite and engage citizens in developing solutions around government data.

May 28, 2013

Virginia DMV Streamlines Driver Testing

Starting this July, the department is overhauling its automated testing system, which handles all driver’s license testing in the state.

May 14, 2013

Michael Locatis Leaves Government, Joins Private Sector

After nine years in the public sector, Locatis -- former assistant secretary of Homeland Security for Cybersecurity and Communications -- departs, joining private industry.
April 18, 2013

Arrest of HIX Chief Doesn't Slow 'Covered California' Development

Despite searching for a replacement for its IT chief, the California health insurance exchange is slated for an on-time launch.
March 20, 2013

Riverside, Calif., Hires New Chief Innovation Officer

Lea Deesing begins on April 8, and will employ her seven point path to successful leadership in the position.
February 27, 2013

Carolyn Parnell -- 2013 GT Top 25 Winner

CIO, Minnesota
February 13, 2013

President Obama Signs Executive Order on Cybersecurity

During his State of the Union address, Obama mentioned the signing and called for Congress to take action to protect the nation's critical infrastructure from cyberattacks.
February 6, 2013

Secrets to Success for CIOs

Six public- and private-sector leaders outline what it takes to succeed as a C-level executive in government.
February 1, 2013

CIO Jon Walton Wants to Bring Cloud and Mobility to San Mateo County

The former San Francisco CIO discusses his legacy in the City by the Bay and his plans for San Mateo County.
January 29, 2013

Chris Vein Leaves White House for the World Bank

After two years as deputy CTO for the White House, Vein is taking what he's learned in open government and innovation, and applying it internationally.
January 28, 2013

Will California Create an Earthquake Early Warning System?

State Sen. Alex Padilla announced legislation to create a statewide system to warn of impending earthquakes.

January 17, 2013

San Francisco Posts Restaurant Health Inspection Data on Yelp

The new partnership also calls for the standardization of health score data nationwide.
January 15, 2013

Governor-Elect Inslee Names Michael Cockrill CIO of Washington

Cockrill, a technology entrepreneur, will begin as Washington state's CIO on Jan. 23.
January 14, 2013

Philadelphia Appoints its First Director of Civic Technology

In this position, Tim Wisniewski will leverage technology like mobile apps for civic gains, and will work with the CIO and other city departments on how to be more efficient.

December 14, 2012

An In-Depth Look at Ann Arbor's Vehicle-to-Vehicle Pilot

The largest connected vehicle project in the nation is working on standardizing equipment that allows cars to communicate with one another, improving driver safety.

December 12, 2012

Washington CIO Bharat Shyam Resigns

After just over a year as the state's CIO, Shyam submits his resignation, leaving the post at year's end.
December 11, 2012

Ohio Launches State's New Ultra-Fast Broadband Network

Today, Ohio Gov. John Kasich lit up the state's new 100 Gbps broadband network.

December 11, 2012

Photo of the Week: Create Virtual Glasswork on Your iPhone

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts' new iOS app, Chihuly, lets users shape virtual glass into pieces of artwork by blowing into the iPhone or iPad’s microphone.
December 10, 2012

SF CIO Jon Walton Accepts Position in San Mateo County

Walton will become San Mateo County's CIO on Jan. 14, 2013.

December 4, 2012

Newark Mayor Begins Food Stamp Challenge

Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker shares his experience eating for $30 per week via Twitter.

November 27, 2012

See and Share Vintage Typography Around the Globe

Fontly helps preserve "an incredibly important aspect of the world’s visual heritage."
November 21, 2012

Top 7 Tech Turkeys of 2012

Here's a look at some of our most disappointing stories of 2012.
November 21, 2012

Infographic: Barriers in the Data Center

The number of data centers in operation worldwide will increase from more than 191,000 to almost 202,000 between 2011 and 2014.
November 20, 2012

Google Experiments with 100,000 Stars

Using galaxy images, star renderings and sun images from Wikipedia, NASA and other sources, Google has created an "interactive visualization of the stellar neighborhood."
November 9, 2012

Michigan Launches 'Cyber Range' to Enhance Cybersecurity

The range, opened on Nov. 9, trains cybersecurity professionals in detecting and preventing cyberattacks in a real-world setting.

November 6, 2012

NASA Sends Alerts When ISS is Overhead

NASA's Spot the Station service will only send out alerts for “good” sighting occasions.
November 6, 2012

Amazingly Detailed Underwater Images from Russia's White Sea Biological Station

The White Sea Biological Station aims to transform the fields of marine science, molecular biology and sustainable coastal management.
October 30, 2012

NYC Takes to Twitter During Hurricane Sandy

Over the last five days, the city has tweeted and retweeted information about evacuations, road and bridge closures, and shelters to keep citizens informed and safe.
October 24, 2012

San Diego Harbor Lights Up at Night

The 2012 NASCIO Annual Conference comes to a close in America's Finest City.
October 23, 2012

Survey: States Struggle with Cybersecurity

Only 24 percent of chief information security officers are very confident in their states’ ability to guard data against external threats.
October 22, 2012

State CIOs Balance Innovation and Legacy, Survey Says

Tech chiefs across the nation keep up with the old while introducing the new in state government IT.

October 22, 2012

Top Digital States Winners Honored at NASCIO 2012 Annual Meeting

Two 'A' grade states and those with best practices receive awards during special event held Oct. 21 in San Diego.

October 22, 2012

What's being developed to help with a burned tongue?

What's being developed to help with a burned tongue?
October 16, 2012

Illinois Announces Gigabit Broadband Initiative

The state of Illinois, University of Chicago and local communities are partnering with Gigabit Squared to build a gigabit-speed broadband network for mid-south Chicago neighborhoods.
October 16, 2012

Clark County, Nev., CIO Laura Fucci Submits Resignation

Fucci accepts CIO position with the city of Henderson.

September 24, 2012

Mini-Nukes Advancing in South Carolina

The Department of Energy approved two programs to advance the next generation of nuclear energy technology.
September 21, 2012

White House Names Local ‘Champions of Change’

These 13 local, public-sector leaders have committed themselves to creating a more open and innovative government.
September 19, 2012

GovGirl Covers Best of the Web Awards

Here's a fun look at the 2012 Best of the Web awards held in San Francisco last week.
September 11, 2012

Photo of the Week - Experimenting with Living Pictures

Using the Lytro camera means that focusing isn't so important in the moment -- it can be done after the picture is taken.

August 30, 2012

Sacramento Thinks Tech Savvy for New Airport Terminal (VIDEO)

After just over three years of construction, the new terminal at California’s Sacramento International Airport is a leader in operations and efficiency.

August 2, 2012

Maryland Governor’s Office Trades Printers for iPads (VIDEO)

Gov. Martin O’Malley’s office goes paperless, swapping out copiers, faxes and printers for iPads.
July 17, 2012

Q&A: BYOD Is Better in Minneapolis

Bring-your-own-device policies allow government employees to use their iPads for both professional and personal purposes.
May 7, 2012

Philadelphia Police Officers to Start Tweeting at Work

At Issue: Is Twitter -- and other social media use by police -- a return to the days when police officers walked a beat and talked to people, or a public relations activity that distracts from dealing with crime?
April 17, 2012

Philadelphia Police Officers to Start Tweeting at Work

The department’s communications director says the Philadelphia Police hope the move will help build trust with the community.
April 10, 2012

Photo of the Week - Sierra Nevada Brews Beer Ecological-Style

The researchers say their discovery represents a success in the advancement of lightweight materials that can help the auto industry design cars that get more miles per gallon with no compromise in safety or comfort.
February 29, 2012

Bryan Sivak

Chief Innovation Officer, Maryland
January 30, 2012

Ex-Hacker Mafiaboy Discusses Local Government Web Security

A former hacker shares just how vulnerable local governments are to attacks on their systems — and how they can better protect themselves.

January 2, 2012

Governments Retrofit Buildings to Save Money and Energy

California DMV expects to boost energy efficiency by 50 percent by retrofitting headquarters.
November 30, 2011

CIO Flint Waters Outlines Wyoming's IT Priorities

Waters discusses state IT consolidation and transition to Google Apps for Government.
November 28, 2011

Motorcycle Medics Reach the Injured Faster in Austin

Paramedics in Austin, Texas, use motorcycles to shorten emergency response times on a congested highway.
November 15, 2011

Photo of the Week - The Network Never Sleeps

AT&T's Global Network Operations Center operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

November 8, 2011

Photo of the Week - Humanoid Robot Debuts in Tokyo

ASIMO can walk, run, hop on one leg, pour a beverage for you and save lives at disaster sites
October 25, 2011

Photo of the Week - Passenger Spaceship Ready for Liftoff?

The prototype arrived at Florida’s Canaveral Air Force Station over the weekend, and is being prepped for its 21-day docking mission.
October 24, 2011

New York School District Tests Video Surveillance on Demand

Port Washington public school district tests cameras with eyelids for privacy and security.
October 18, 2011

Photo of the Week - Another Dead Satellite Set to Re-Enter Earth's Atmosphere

Though it's one-third lighter than the satellite that fell to Earth in September, the Roentgen satellite's entry is expected to be "dangerous."
September 27, 2011

Photo of the Week - 2,000-Year-Old Dead Sea Scrolls Now Online

High-resolution photos of five of the seven Dead Sea Scrolls can now on the Web, thanks to expert digital photography and Google.
September 21, 2011

Photo of the Week - Testing Technology in a Ghost Town

A 20-square-mile town is planned solely to test emerging intelligent and green technologies and innovations -- no inhabitants necessary.
September 13, 2011

Photo of the Week - Dead Satellite Will Soon Fall to Earth

Scientists say the bulk of UARS' will burn up during re-entry, but some pieces will likely survive.
September 6, 2011

Photo of the Week - See A Supernova From Your Backyard

The closest supernova to Earth in the last 25 years will be its brightest this weekend.

September 1, 2011

‘Change by Us’ Connects Citizens to Government

New social media platform tasks citizens with helping change their cities.
August 24, 2011

Pictures from the East Coast Earthquake

The magnitude 5.9 earthquake that struck Tuesday, Aug. 23, in central Virginia was felt far and wide — from New York City to the Carolinas and west to Ohio. Downtown Washington, D.C., was not excluded.

August 23, 2011

Photo of the Week - Are Floating Cities a Reality?

PayPal Founder Peter Thiel predicts full settlement of the first island in 2019 and 10 million floating residents by 2050.
August 16, 2011

Chief Innovation Officer Bryan Sivak Tackles Maryland’s Status Quo

Why allowing the “unnatural act” of a government failure is a necessary part of innovation.
August 16, 2011

Photo of the Week - Will DARPA Continue Testing Hypersonic Flight?

Though the test flight of DARPA’s Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 ended early, some believe the agency will continue to pursue hypersonic flight.

July 29, 2011

Smart Meters Enable Residents to Prepay for Electricity

Ocala, Fla., residents will soon get to pay for their electricity from the city utility the way they do gas for their cars.

July 19, 2011

Photo of the Week - Solar Map Shows NYC's Solar Energy Potential

NYC residents can use the NYC Solar Map to estimate the solar energy potential for every building in NYC’s five boroughs.
July 12, 2011

Photo of the Week - Space Shuttle Atlantis' Final Mission

Space shuttle Atlantis lifted off on Friday, July 8 for the shuttle program’s final flight—a 12-day mission to the International Space Station.
May 24, 2011

Photo of the Week - Final Space Shuttle Launch Tweetup

NASA is counting down to its final space shuttle launch — and its giving 150 of its Twitter followers a front-row seat.

May 3, 2011

Privacy Must Exist in the World of Transparency

At TransparencyCamp 2011, where some presenters and attendees opted for privacy, some presented information openly. This speaker shared information about Civic Commons at the Ignite Session on Sunday May 1.
April 28, 2011

Code for America Works to Help Cities Solve Problems

City Program Director Alissa Black discusses 2011 city fellowships. This year's partner cities include Philadelphia, Boston, Seattle and Washington, D.C.
March 29, 2011

iPads in the Classroom

Is this the way of the future? Government Technology magazine visited three Chicago schools to find out.
March 29, 2011

iPads Make a Difference in Chicago Public Schools

After several months of testing iPads, public schools in Chicago see multiple enhancements in teaching and learning.
February 25, 2011

NYC's First Chief Digital Officer Speaks Out

Rachel Sterne, previously a consultant and entrepreneur, aims to make the city more transparent and accessible.

February 22, 2011

Law Enforcement Upgrade

Next month, the San Francisco Police Department officially opens its Bay Area Regional Crime Center.

February 17, 2011

Claire Bailey

CTO, Arkansas

February 1, 2011

Water Filtration in the Big Apple

New York City’s first – and only – water filtration plant is a marvel of engineering.
January 25, 2011

Inside Houston TranStar

The Greater Houston Transportation and Emergency Management Center coordinates responses with all Harris County jurisdictions and agencies from its TranStar facility.
October 21, 2010

Could Technology Save Government $1 Trillion?

A recent report claims that the federal government could save lots after implementing tech innovations. Could states and localities find such cost savings too?
September 21, 2010

Running Fiber Through the Sewers

Sewer-based fiber to the home networks may be a cost-effective way to provide superfast Internet connections. Quincy, Ill. is pursuing this option slowly.
August 23, 2010

Online-Only Western Governors University Could be New Model for Education

Technology and new approaches like the Western Governors University can cut the cost and improve the performance of public colleges and universities.
May 21, 2010

Technologies Track Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill, Provide New Views of its Effects

Crowdsourcing allows the public to report impacts from the oil spill and could provide the federal government with another view of the disaster.
April 2, 2010

Feds to Test Results-Only Work Environment

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management will pilot a 'results-only work environment,' moving 400 agency employees into the flexible work program.
June 17, 2008

Tony Cardenas, Los Angeles City Councilman, Lists Technology Priorities

From easing traffic congestion to enhancing public safety, information technology makes the city more livable.
May 31, 2008

Port Security is Focus for Los Angeles Councilman

Tony Cardenas seeks funding for port security enhancements.
December 8, 2005

GT Spectrum

Reports from the IT horizon.
August 31, 2005

GT Spectrum

Reports from the IT horizon.
May 12, 2005

IT Turnaround

With a good portion of the public-sector IT work force hitting retirement age, the question about whether that turnover will be a positive or negative on the industry remains
January 26, 2005

GT Spectrum

Reports from the IT horizon
October 5, 2004

GT Spectrum

Reports from the IT horizon.
September 26, 2000

Sprechen Sie Internet?

The Internet gives foreign students a high-tech path to English proficiency.