Digital Services

Kyle Guerrant takes over for Michelle Lange, who is set to step down to take a job in the private sector. The state CIO departed in December for a technology role at Michigan State University.

The major initiative, a modernization of the state’s financial management system known as One Washington, is years in the making and projected to launch in 2027. The work has engaged more than 40 state agencies.

The local government’s Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to appropriate the funds for a “comprehensive technology infrastructure remediation project.” It comes in response to a critical IT outage last summer.

Hassan Janjua will join the city in February as its inaugural CIO, following an “organizational realignment.” Its technology department was previously helmed by the director of IT.

Plus, federal legislation supporting rural Internet access gets introduced, Utah’s legislature will consider a law establishing digital literacy education, Texas is investing millions in broadband expansion, and more.

Ensuring a smooth transition, the comptroller told a state Senate committee, is “absolutely of the utmost importance” to efficient revenue collection funding state operations.

The new plan reflects a move from piloting emerging technology to operationalizing AI. The department has done more than a dozen AI projects and is actively developing upwards of 20 others.

The City Council approved giving OnLight Aurora, set up to manage the city’s fiber network, $80,000 via either a loan or grant. A key issue, an alderman said, is getting the organization back on track.

The state has been trying to revamp a pair of aging IT systems for some time, with one being related to worker's compensation and the other being the state’s financial systems.

Plus, New York has reopened applications for grants through its ConnectALL program, New Mexico celebrated progress on connectivity expansion, fiber networks continue expanding to new locations, and more.

National Grid is expected to install the devices for 121,000 customers in the city. They will enable people to track energy usage via a portal, and will immediately alert the utility to power outages.

SUNY Oneonta’s Milne Library and Cooperstown Graduate Program were awarded a $50,000 grant to digitize the university’s archive of New York state folklife and oral history recordings.

Visitors to the Colorado state Capitol can now access free American Sign Language interpreting services through the Aira ASL app, building on the state’s existing work to expand language access with this tool.

The local government has partnered with Blitz AI to make its building permit process more efficient. The integration automates formerly time-consuming manual application reviews.

The City Council signed off on directing roughly $360,000 in state funds to the police department. Of that, more than $43,000 is earmarked for software that will let police “obtain and retain” digital evidence.

The appointment of Eleonore Fournier-Tombs as chief AI officer and Stephen Graham as chief digital officer signals a more coordinated approach to AI, tech policy and public services as leadership roles evolve.

Archie Satchell, the Florida county’s CIO of more than seven years, will retire Jan. 16. Deputy CIO Michael Butler, whose time with county IT dates to the mid-1990s, has taken on the role of acting CIO.

The county sheriff’s office has identified a “person of interest” as it investigates the incident, which led to an initial loss of $3.3 million. A payment of $1.2 million has been “recovered and restored.”