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Louisville, Ky., Hires New Head of IT

The city tapped Chris Seidt to help guide its technology infrastructure into the future.

Louisville, Ky., has picked Chris Seidt to serve as its new director of information technology.



Seidt, who started in the role last week, is a veteran of the city's IT department, having worked within it since 2008. In his most recent role as the civic technology manager, he handled projects related to the city’s ongoing fiber Internet and smart city initiatives.

Seidt is now leading a department that serves the other 26 public agencies that make up Louisville’s municipal government, which totals 6,000 employees spread throughout 160 locations.

Seidt told local media that one of his goals in his new position is for IT employees to see how other agencies work up close in order to foster ideas about innovations. As director of IT for Louisville, Seidt is responsible for a wide range of work, handling everything from the operation of the city website to whether city employees have working computers to use in service of their jobs.

Seidt also told local media that he will soon release a plan for implementing smart city upgrade during the first half of 2018, upgrades like intelligent streetlights that react to activity, or traffic lights that alter their pattern to better alleviate congestion on the streets.

Louisville is a forward-thinking city rife with innovation, one that has regularly punched above its weight in terms of gov tech, with initiatives that incorporate data-driven governance and other work.

Associate editor for Government Technology magazine.