Florida

City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer appointed Lopez to the role earlier today, officially replacing former CIO Rosa Akhtarkhavari, who stepped down as CIO at the beginning of June.

With hurricane season officially underway, Industry Insider — Florida reached out to the division to see what technology it has in its arsenal to deal with potential storms.

Officials at the Office of Director of National Intelligence have said U.S. intelligence believes the Cuban government will attempt to influence U.S. elections this year. One possibility: targeted campaigns against state and local races in Florida.

The county has partnered with Leading Edge Aerial Technologies to rent a spraying drone for about $3,000 a month to combat mosquitos.

It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly how many people flee ahead of a storm — and where to find those who remain — but city and county officials say they get a clearer picture with each passing hurricane season.

City Council members voted unanimously to make the career Florida executive permanent in both roles. Hayden, who was previously infrastructure services manager, has served as interim CIO and CTO since January.

The veteran municipal executive, who became chief information officer in 2010, led a centralized IT team, oversaw a multiphase IT transformation and managed a budget of more than $29 million.

A 35-year-old man from Altamonte Springs, Fla., was arrested after dismantling 22 license plate readers in Seminole County, Fla., ultimately being caught by the same technology he sought to take down.

To prepare for hurricane season, starting June 1, Orange County has upgraded the technology in its emergency operations center to better predict and deal with storms.

The South Florida company has announced plans to buy Lilium electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) jets, and to begin flying in Miami in 2026. It’s believed to be the first U.S. airline to integrate eVTOL craft into its fleet.

Whether they major in creative writing, fine arts, film or virtual reality development, students at the Ringling College of Art and Design can add an AI certificate and develop a project portfolio for job searches.

The program would use drones to deliver a defibrillator, a tourniquet or naloxone — an opioid overdose antidote — to emergency scenes in order to reduce response times for life-threatening situations.

Lawmakers in Colorado, Connecticut and Florida have brought forward laws on artificial intelligence and generative AI, aimed at enforcing transparency and risk management. Opponents highlight potential impacts to business.

On Wednesday, Manatee County was set to launch a new pilot program that uses a drone to deliver a defibrillator, a tourniquet, or naloxone — an opioid-overdose antidote — to emergency scenes.

Government Technology magazine’s Top 25 Doers, Dreamers & Drivers for 2024, released this week, highlights the work of Florida Department of Children and Families CIO Cole Sousa.

Fifth grade science classes in South Florida will use the digital instruction and gaming platform Legends of Learning over the next five years as researchers watch for improvements in standardized test scores.

CIO, Florida Department of Children and Families

“My previous public-sector experience has allowed me to see what customers on the public side feel; I can better understand their pain points, their concerns, their reservations, understand the process for procurements, budget requests, bureaucracy and how it all affects IT and cybersecurity,” he told Industry Insider — Florida.