Workforce and People

Siwei Lyu, a computer science professor and expert on AI-generated media like deepfakes, will lead the University at Buffalo's Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science.

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.

The impending departures on the same day in March, of Alameda County’s CIO and assistant CIO, will close a chapter in the local government’s technology history. Both have been in place since 2012.

State CIO Kristin Darby describes the search for an agentic, auditable enterprise resource planning system, and why 2026 marks a shift from incremental upgrades to exponential change across state technology.

Colorado state CIO David Edinger recounted progress the state made to improve digital services in 2025, including identity management, digital equity, accessibility and AI. He also revealed what’s ahead in 2026.

Google has given money to support STEM education at Glenwood Community School District, apprenticeships at Iowa Western Community College and IT boot camps at Avenue Scholars Southwest Iowa, among other programs.

Hiring a workforce development coordinator with deep industry knowledge and connections, and making it easier for CTE instructors to get licensed, helped an Arizona district grow its network of business partnerships.

Tony Sauerhoff, who also previously served as state chief information security officer, was appointed interim executive director of the Texas Department of Information Resources and interim CIO.

From the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf Coast, local governments are taking a strategic approach to sustain operational continuity in the face of IT department layoffs caused by budget constraints.

"Chief" has long been included in government job titles, particularly in IT. But as organizations have evolved, the lines between what each chief does have blurred. AI has only made the issue more pressing.

Delaware CIO Greg Lane, in place since July 2023, has stepped down. Jordan Schulties, chief of administration for the Department of Technology and Information, has been named interim CIO.

Amid all the attention around AI, Mississippi CIO Craig Orgeron said his state is focused on building the foundations state government needs to scale emerging technologies into 2026.

UW-Stout has received about $2 million of federal grants for special projects to promote civil discourse, enhance understanding of AI and expand short-term, non-degree training programs.

Arizona CIO J.R. Sloan, co-founder of GovRAMP, has served as its board president since 2021. Now, Texas Chief AI and Innovation Officer Tony Sauerhoff will take on the leadership role.

Rizwan Ahmed, who served as Louisiana’s CIO from 2006 to 2008, is the city-parish’s new information services director, bringing years of state-level IT experience to the role.

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.

CIO Shawnzia Thomas decodes why "cyber discipline" drives AI, modernization, and trust in Georgia’s 2026 tech agenda, and how cyber resilience is achievable through digital literacy and upskilling.