That was one of the themes offered at the recent National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) conference in Denver last week.
During a Government Technology interview with Brandon Ragle, Illinois' relatively new CIO, he offered ideas about how to make do with less and to meet the challenges states face going into 2026. He has more than two decades of experience in tech and public-sector leadership, and has worked his way up the ranks of state IT.
He oversees Illinois tech at a time of extraordinary political tension and amid ongoing federal budget cuts as states strive to bring more digital, mobile, AI and data analysis power to their services.
However, Ragle offered a confident view about how state tech leaders can keep moving forward even as they deal with historical changes.
He emphasized the importance of being a “customer-centric” organization that provides top services to state agencies — and doing so even as state tech leaders continue to push for more innovation.
"We need to get back what our core mission is, which is servicing our 36 client agencies," he said.
Ragle also said that when it comes to potentially leaner times — and leaner workforces in state government — AI has an important role, a point that was often made at the NASCIO conference in Denver.
AI can help “empower” the state workforce, Ragle said.
“Making ourselves more efficient in our daily jobs is very important,” he said, adding that he is providing his fellow gov tech professionals in Illinois with the necessary training and tools.
