Workforce and People

Jacob, the state’s former chief digital transformation officer, succeeds longtime executive deputy CIO Jennifer Lorenz. His priorities will include helping provide AI education and training to the state workforce.

Privacy and accessibility are connected in a digital environment, according to an Idaho official who leads work in both areas, and who said she believes both are key responsibilities of state employees.

After signing a bill in April to create the office, Gov. Greg Abbott has elevated an executive vice president at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a nonprofit research organization, to lead it.

From Arizona to Maine, 17 projects will join the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s RAMPS initiative, to strengthen local pipelines of cybersecurity talent. A lack of personnel persists even as cyber attacks scale up.

The TECH Mobile Initiative project will provide approximately 800 students at high schools and career centers with STEM education, training and credentials tailored to specific career pathways.

According to officials at a public university in Alabama, working with local industry and workforce partners in high-demand fields such as computer science and cybersecurity has helped drive enrollment growth.

Veteran technologist Alison Deigan, who spent two decades in federal service and oversaw a $150 million technology portfolio, has been appointed the county’s new IT director. The role, she said, has personal significance.

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly ingrained in both the public and private sectors, government has a chance to lead the way on how to supplement meaningful, mission-driven work with tech.

The city’s Department of Buildings wants to improve its “workforce efficiency,” and is giving companies a chance to produce results. This marks the second such contest, the first of which produced eight winning firms.

Plus, Baltimore’s new AI computer lab aims to bring digital skills to the community, stakeholder groups have submitted comments to the FCC on the state of U.S. broadband deployment, and more.

North Dakota’s cybersecurity strategy, overseen by its new CISO, involves elevating the security posture of public entities across the state — a method that is enhanced by its statewide network.

Gretchen Peri has succeeded Nick Stowe as chief technology officer at Washington Technology Solutions. Stowe, in service as CTO since March 2023, will depart the agency at the end of the year.

With residents and workforce in mind, the state CIO and the Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services plan to continue moving toward modernization, transparency and integration.

Justin Sherwood, who has been chosen to lead county technology, aims to modernize systems, strengthen cybersecurity and enhance public services. He has more than a decade of experience in North Carolina municipal IT.

The University of North Dakota this week will host an Innovation, Workforce and Research Conference summit for academia and government, spotlighting the region's AI, aerospace and autonomous systems.

A public-private partnership called the Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance aims to support career awareness and exploration for PreK-12 students focused on high-tech advanced manufacturing in mid-Michigan.

For decades, governments nationwide have predicted a coming tidal wave of retirements will cripple critical government services. But recent surveys say otherwise.

Officials announced that the state has joined the OpenAI Certification Program through a partnership with OpenAI that will bolster AI skills in workers and students. It builds on an earlier initiative, the OpenAI Academy.