Workforce and People

State leaders prioritized AI advancement in 2025; CIO Alberto Gonzalez said it will help support being efficient and improved service delivery for residents. Onboarding staff has been greatly quickened.

Eric Swanson, who leads the Michigan Center for Shared Solutions, will concurrently serve as the state’s acting chief information officer, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Friday. Clark has been state CIO since 2021.

Washington state's most populous city has tapped Lisa Qian as its inaugural city AI officer. Her experience is largely in the private sector, including data-focused leadership roles for LinkedIn and Airbnb.

Stanford students describe a suddenly skewed job market, where just a small slice of graduates who already have thick resumes are getting the few good jobs, leaving everyone else to fight for scraps.

The state began recruiting this week for a chief technology officer after Alex Pettit, who formerly held the position, returned to Oregon state government for a role in digital transformation.

Craig Hopkins, the Texas city’s technology leader of eight years, will retire in early 2026. Officials are mounting a recruitment for a new CIO to oversee a department with more than 340 staff.

Officials are prepping for long-term technology needs, state CIO Matthew McCarville said, with efforts including a statewide IT apprenticeship program and a strong foundation in cybersecurity.

The United States Tech Force is being led by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management to recruit and train technologists for service across multiple federal agencies. It is structured as a two-year program.

In 2025, state IT focused on resilience — including recovery from a significant cybersecurity incident — and technology modernization with the CORE.NV project, setting the stage for continued progress next year.

The need to be connected is driving IT work across the state, from progress on a broadband expansion milestone to an interoperable radio network to collaborating with agencies to support their service delivery.

The new executive will lead the state’s artificial intelligence and machine learning strategy as the Department of Innovation and Technology builds out a formal AI office.

State CIO Bryanna Pardoe was previously the inaugural director of the state’s digital experience office. That work is shaping her approach to leading state IT and driving human-centered design.

Holly Drake, the state chief information security officer, will join the University of Central Florida as its CISO. She was recognized for her work this fall by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers.

New state funding will help replace aging infrastructure for mechatronics and advanced manufacturing training at State University of New York Delhi and prepare graduates for the workforce.

Daniel Rister, a 26-year veteran of Cumberland County government, has been named its permanent chief innovation and technology services director after serving on an interim basis for about four months.

Pamela McKnight will serve as the city’s inaugural chief AI officer. Officials first announced plans to hire a CAIO and build out an AI team earlier this year, powered by a $2 million budget expansion.

State leadership has been working on key IT initiatives in 2025, from a digital ID project to a customer experience initiative to bolstering their cybersecurity approach. That work is expected to advance in 2026.

The Teradyne plant in Wixom is expected to house manufacturing for Universal Robots’ collaborative robots. It will serve as the company’s new U.S. Operations Hub, with support from a $2.7 million grant.