NASCIO Voices: Recent Episodes
NASCIO
A podcast from the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO). Amy Glasscock and Alex Whitaker interview guests (state CIOs, NASCIO members, strategic partners and colleagues) to get their unique stories and perspectives on state information technology, leadership and lessons learned.
NASCIO Voices is back! After a short summer hiatus, Amy and Alex return with an update on all things state IT. They kick off with some personal catch-up (including of the four-legged variety), then dive into NASCIO business: registration is officially open for the NASCIO Annual Conference in San Diego (September 27–30). Alex breaks down the latest from Washington, including advocacy efforts around the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program and the ongoing fight against a proposed federal moratorium on state AI laws. Amy shares the growing trend of states appointing dedicated AI leadership. They wrap things up with book recommendations to round out your summer reading list.
In this episode of NASCIO Voices, hosts Amy Glasscock and Alex Whitaker sit down with NASCIO policy analyst Kalea Young-Gibson to discuss her article Digital Accessibility Compliance Thoughts From a Public Sector Attorney, which is based on a conversation with Max Heinz, supervising attorney with New York State Information Technology Services. The conversation covers the recently extended DOJ Title II final rule compliance deadline, explaining that while states now have more time, the urgency has not diminished — digital accessibility lawsuits have surpassed 5,000 per year and are now considered mainstream civil rights enforcement. Kalea breaks down what "reasonable effort" really means for state agencies (hint: it's context-driven, not a checklist), how states should structure vendor contracts using WCAG-tied language as a model, and why documentation is the single hardest — and most critical — thing states must get right to defend themselves in litigation. The episode closes with a lightning round featuring emoji habits, lessons from new cat ownership, and a passionate endorsement of Cook Out, North Carolina's beloved fast food chain.
In this episode of NASCIO Voices, hosts Amy and Alex sit down with Bill Kehoe, State CIO of Washington, for a wide-ranging conversation about his 25-year career in public sector technology leadership. Bill traces his journey from serving as the first CIO of Washington's Department of Licensing to roles at King County and Los Angeles County before returning to lead the state. He shares his passion for "connected government" — the vision of breaking down agency silos to create seamless, frictionless digital experiences for residents — and highlights Washington's new wa.gov resident portal as a concrete step toward that goal. The conversation covers how AI is accelerating modernization efforts, the cybersecurity challenges that come with it, and how Bill navigated a gubernatorial transition while keeping key initiatives on track. Bill also discusses his work on the NASCIO Executive Committee and his own "Coffee with Kehoe" podcast series, which has become an unexpected recruiting tool for his agency. The episode wraps up with a lightning round featuring Bill's pet peeves, who he would pick to play himself in a biopic and his plans for the summer both inside and outside the office.
In this episode of NASCIO Voices, hosts Amy Glasscock and Alex Whitaker sit down with NASCIO Deputy Executive Director Meredith Ward to unpack the newly released 2026 NASCIO-Deloitte Cybersecurity Study. Meredith walks through key findings. The conversation explores the growing pressure on CISOs to do more with less amid flat or shrinking budgets, the urgent need for whole-of-state cybersecurity collaboration that extends beyond state government to local governments, K–12, higher ed and public health entities, and why measuring cybersecurity effectiveness has become a top priority. Meredith also makes a plug for reauthorizing the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program before the episode wraps up with a lightning round covering dream jobs, language-learning aspirations, and an enthusiastic endorsement of countertop composters.
In this episode of NASCIO Voices, Amy and Alex sit down with Brian Kane, Executive Director of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG). Brian shares his journey from entry-level deputy to chief deputy of the Idaho AG's office — and how that experience led him to his current role serving all 56 state and territorial attorneys general. We talk about how NAAG keeps a bipartisan coalition working together, the growing role of technology and AI in AG offices, and what state CIOs should know about their AG counterparts. Plus, Brian gives us his take on pickleball, the '90s, and his childhood dream of playing pro baseball.
It's time for the 2026 NASCIO Midyear Conference! Our own director of experience and engagement, Emily Lane is back on the podcast with a rundown of programming, networking opportunities and what to expect for first timers.
In this episode of NASCIO Voices, Amy is joined by NASCIO guest host Kalea Young-Gibson to break down NASCIO's latest report on the state Chief Privacy Officer (CPO) role. The report — based on responses from all 28 currently active state CPOs — reveals a role that's growing fast but still fighting for the resources it needs.
Amy and Kalea dig into the rapid expansion of CPOs across state government (from just 5 states in 2015 to 31 in 2026), the push toward formal privacy programs and frameworks, and how AI is reshaping — and sometimes overshadowing — the privacy function. Despite CPOs stepping into enterprise leadership roles, most still lack dedicated budgets, enforcement authority, and sufficient staffing.
The conversation also covers what CPOs say they need most: funding, CIO support, and a stronger seat at the table. Amy's key takeaway? CPOs know exactly what to do — they just need the authority and investment to do it.
Key topics covered:
- Growth of the state CPO role
- Privacy program maturity and the NIST framework
- CPO involvement in AI policy and risk
- Top challenges: funding, authority, and awareness
- What CPOs need to succeed in 2026 and beyond
- And what we're reading!
Join Amy Glasscock and Alex Whitaker as they sit down with Craig Orgeron, Mississippi's CIO, for an in-depth conversation about digital transformation in state government. Craig shares his unique journey from state CIO to the private sector and back again, offering valuable insights on AI innovation, procurement modernization, and building resilient digital infrastructure. Discover how Mississippi is tackling the digital divide, establishing AI frameworks, and preparing for the future of government technology.
Show Notes
0:00 - Introduction
Amy and Alex welcome Craig Orgeron back to NASCIO Voices
0:21 - Return to State CIO Role
Craig discusses his unexpected return to Mississippi's CIO position after three and a half years in the private sector, reflecting on the challenges of his first year back
3:00 - Lessons from Private Sector
Craig shares key insights from his time outside government, including deeper appreciation for private sector competition and the value of the NASCIO network
9:18 - Mississippi's Digital Government Agenda
Overview of major initiatives including procurement modernization, cloud migration, innovation fund, AI executive order, and new cybersecurity legislation
15:06 - Digital Equity Initiatives
Craig highlights grassroots efforts like the Mississippi AI Network (MAIN), AI Collaborative, and Mississippi Cyber Initiative working to close the digital divide
18:42 - AI Strategy and Policy
Discussion of AI governance, the democratization of technology, data quality, change fitness, and the importance of transparency and accountability in AI deployment
24:11 - Lightning Round
Quick questions about vacation plans (European river cruise!), Mississippi travel recommendations (blues trail, museums, Elvi's restaurant), and excitement for the NASCIO midyear meeting
Amy and Alex discuss how AI is moving beyond generating text to executing real tasks and workflows. In this episode, we unpack the rise of agentic AI, what it means for state governments and how technology leaders can prepare for this next phase of AI innovation.
Find the report here: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/resources/beyond-generation-the-rise-of-agentic-ai-in-state-government/
Alex and Amy are joined this week by NASCIO policy analyst Kalea Young-Gibson. We discuss vendor accountability, litigation trends and how states can reduce legal and operational risk as the DOJ final rule for accessibility of web content and mobil apps approaches.
Alex and Amy talk about NASCIO's recently released 2026 federal advocacy priorities--as well as our personal goals for the new year.
Find the priorities here: https://www.nascio.org/government-affairs/federal-advocacy-priorities/
Alex and Amy talk with NASCIO President and Arizona state CIO J.R. Sloan about his presidential initiative for 2026 and priorities in Arizona. He also tells us what he loves about living in Arizona.
Alex and Amy are joined by Eyal Darmon of Accenture to talk about our recent joint report. Specifically we are talking about how citizens and CIOs view the challenges of accessing state services--where they align and where they don't.
See the report here: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/resources/harnessing-genai-to-elevate-the-citizen-experience/
Alex and Amy are joined by NASCIO's Eric Sweden to hear all about the NASCIO Top Ten lists for 2026. There's a big change to the #1 spot this year! We also get some historic perspective on the top issues and technologies, and as always get to hear Eric play the guitar!
https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/resources/state-cio-top-ten-policy-and-technology-priorities-for-2026/
Today Amy and Alex talk about the issues that dominated NASCIO this year from AI and EA to procurement and accessibility. Plus we share what was on our Spotify Wrapped lists and our musical ages.
Alex and Amy are joined by NASCIO's program director for enterprise architecture and governace Eric Sweden to discuss the 2025 State CIO Survey sections on data management and cloud services. We also talk Thanksgiving food!
Read the State CIO Survey here: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/the-2024-state-cio-survey/
Alex and Amy are joined by NASCIO Policy Analyst Kalea Young-Gibson to talk about IT Accessibility making it into the State CIO Survey for the first time and what is driving this issue as a priority for states. We also discuss the foundational ways states are collaborating with local goverments.
Alex and Amy discuss findings from the 2025 State CIO Survey on how states use and governance of generative artificial intelligence has evolved since the 2024 survey.
Alex and Amy are joined by NASCIO's director of experience and engagement, Emily Lane, to talk about the upcoming NASCIO Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado. Learn about keynotes, networking, sessions and events!
For our 150th episode, Alex and Amy are joined by North Dakota state CIO Corey Mock. We discuss how Corey's unique background as a young state legislator led him to the role of state CIO, how ND worked with different agencies to established the ND Gateway for businesses to have a more seamless government experience, what is on the horizon and how he survives the apparently brutal ND winters!
Alex and Amy are joined by NASCIO policy analyst Kalea Young-Gibson to chat about her new report Beyond Compliance: The Economic Case for Digital Accessibility. We also get a new government affairs update from Alex.
Amy and Alex talk about Amy's experience last week hosting guests from the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Program in Lexington on behalf of NASCIO and Alex gives an update on federal affairs. Plus we talk about all the major pop culture news of the last couple of weeks.
Amy and Alex are joined by NASICO President and Texas state CIO Amanda Crawford to discuss her president's initiative around state IT procurement and the report that was released last week. NASCIO held a number of listening sessions between state and corporate members to learn about procurement pain points and how to to avoid them.
See the report here: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/resources/2025-presidents-initiative-demystifying-state-technology-procurement/
Chris Rein stops by the NASCIO Voices podcast to talk about his initiatives in New Jersey. We talk about updating infrastructure, balancing innovation with AI and citizen concerns, his advice for new CIOs and he tells us the most "New Jersey" thing about himself.
Amy and Alex are joined by Georgia state CIO Shawnzia Thomas. We talk about her four years at GTA and how AI has changed the work of the organization during that time. We also talk about her other priorities in the state and her favorite thing to buy for $10.
Alex and Amy are joined by NCSL's Legislative Director Barrie Tabin to talk about the proposed federal 10-year moratorium on states regulating AI. We discuss why our two organizations are working together to oppose the proposal as well as our work around preserving the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program. Plus we look ahead to some fun summer plans.
https://www.nascio.org/press-releases/nascio-statement-on-efforts-to-prevent-state-enforcement-of-ai-laws-for-ten-years/
Amy and Alex are joined by NASCIO policy analyst Kalea-Young Gibson to talk about her new report, Unlocking Potential: Empowering Re-entry Through Cybersecurity Training. The cybersecurity workforce gap is growing—and so is the urgency to find new solutions. In this episode, we explore an unexpected yet promising approach: training incarcerated individuals for careers in cybersecurity. With hundreds of thousands reentering society each year and many struggling to find stable employment, prison-based vocational programs could help fill critical roles, reduce recidivism, and diversify the field. In our lightening round we all talk about our favorite thing about NASCIO Midyear--and there's even a blooper at the end.
Find the report here: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/resources/unlocking-potential-empowering-reentry-through-cybersecurity-training/
Goodbye to National Harbor, hello to Philadelphia. Alex and Amy are joined again by NASCIO's director of experience and engagement, Emily Lane to talk all about what we can expect at the NASCIO Midyear Conference coming up in Philadelphia. We talk about programming changes, a new city, themes and apps Emily just can't live without!
Today Alex fills us in on the recent hearing on the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program and the testimony from Utah CIO Alan Fuller and CT CIO Mark Raymond. We also talk about making our homes more energy efficient and the new publication coming out on privacy.
Find the recording and testimony here: https://homeland.house.gov/hearing/cybersecurity-is-local-too-assessing-the-state-and-local-cybersecurity-grant-program/
Today Alex and Amy are joined by Waldo Jaquith with US Digital Response to discuss a new joint publication on improving the RFP process with a simple summary sheet.
We also discuss the importance of user research and who would play us in a movie.
See the report and summary sheet template here: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/resources/improving-rfps-with-user-research-how-summary-sheets-can-improve-solicitations/
Alex and Amy talk with Bryan Zaczek who works as a principal data scientist with the state of Indiana's Management Performance Hub. Bryan walks us through the art of prompt engineering to get better answers from generative AI tools. We also talk about how we are using GenAI in our personal lives!
Today Amy and Alex talk about how the federal funding freeze might affect the Cybersecurity Grant Program and state IT offices. Plus Amy tells Alex about what she learned about the Japanese local government system, their workforce challenges that look a lot like ours and what she was most impressed by in her recent trip to Japan representing NASCIO.
NASCIO's 2025 federal advocacy priorities are released! Alex gives us the rundown. https://www.nascio.org/government-affairs/federal-advocacy-priorities/
Kalea Young-Gibson, NASICO's policy analyst also joins to give us an overview of the DOJ final rule for accessibility for state and local government websites and apps.
Alex, Amy and Meredith from the NASCIO team disucss our predictions for the trends that will affect cybersecurity, privacy, AI, enterprise architecture, workforce and DC. We also give our pets some new year's resolutions.
Amy and Alex are joined by Eric Sweden, program director for enterprise architecture and governance with NASCIO, for our annual NASCIO Top Ten episode. Come for the data, stay for Eric's Christmas medly on the guitar! Eric tells us all about what's on these lists for 2025, how the lists have changed over the years and what's staying consistent.
Top 10
Find out where we've been, what we did and all we accomplished as a community in our episode wrapping up the year at NASCIO. Alex and Amy have a conversation covering our events, publications, awards, advocacy priorites and some fun things too. And yes, they tell you what was on their Spotify Wrapped lists too.
Alex and Amy are joined this week by NASCIO's deputy executive director Meredith Ward and Deloitte's Srini Subramanian to talk about the 2024 Deloitte-NASCIO Cybersecurity Study. We talk about the changing role of the state CISO, why budget woes are back and how CISO's are handling generative AI. Come for the great cyber content, stay for the seven minute lightening round where we talk about what they would be doing if they weren't in technology and what tech they can't live without.
Find the report here: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/resources/2024-deloitte-nascio-cybersecurity-study/
Today Amy and Alex talk about the new NASCIO report on how states are using generative AI. This was a President's Initiative Report spearheaded by the past year's President Jim Weaver, North Carolina's state CIO.
Find out key findings from the report such as:
- The role of the state CIO when it comes to generative AI
- The most common business practices for generative AI in the states
- Why some states aren't using it more
- NASCIO's recommendations for states
- Trends we expect to see over the next five years
You can find the report at nascio.org/resource-center
The other report mentioned is: Data Quality--Vital to Optimizing GenAI: A survey of State Chief Information Officers and Chief Data Officers.
Amy and Alex sit down with Texas State CIO and Executive Director (and NASCIO's new president!) Amanda "Mandy" Crawford to talk about her involvement with NASCIO over the years, her priorities in Texas and her thoughts on a presidential initiative. And of course, in our Lightening Round we also hear about her thoughts on fall, hobbies and Halloween plans.
Fresh off the NASCIO Annual Conference, Amy and Alex use the magic of Notebook LM to give us an audio overview of the NASCIO 2024 State CIO Survey. Hear how this AI tool summarizes the main ideas in the survey and even plays up this year's "building blocks" theme.
Read the survey for yourself here: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/the-2024-state-cio-survey/
It's time for the NASCIO Annual Conferece preview episode with our own director of experience and engagement, Emily Lane.
We'll be getting together very soon in The Big Easy! Find out what to wear for the Awards and Recognition Dinner, what you'll learn in the learning lounges and who our keynote speakers are. Plus, you'll learn how to hear directly from state CIOs and where to charge your phone and network.
This week we are joined by NASCIO's program director for enterprise architecture and governance, Eric Sweden and EY's Chris Estes on a new joint publication between NASCIO and EY called Data Quality--Vital to optimizing GenAI: A Survey of State Chief Information Officers and Chief Data Officers. We discuss what's in the report, data management and the first historical event we can remember!
https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/resources/data-quality-vital-to-optimizing-genai-a-survey-of-state-chief-information-officers-and-chief-data-officers/
Amy and Alex talk about the Summer Series guest list and discuss upcoming NASCIO events and publications. Plus they discuss what they did this summer and their work goals for the fall.
Amy talks with Nate Denny, Deputy Secretary for Broadband and Digital Equity for the North Carolina Department of Information Technology. We talk about the direct impact he and his team have on the ability of North Carolina citizens to get the resources they need in 2024.
Alex and Amy talk with Julia Fischer, Maryland DoIT's director of data services and geographic information officer. We talk all about her passion for maps, data and cartography.
Alex and Amy are joined by Paula Calhoun who serves as the director of communications for the Georgia Technology Authority. We found out that though Paula started out in broadcast journalism, she found her true calling in government.
Find the transcript: https://www.buzzsprout.com/704052/15328390
Bonus episode! Amy and Alex interrupt our regular summer series programming to announce a new NASCIO publication: Revolutionizing Assistance: How States Can Improve Generative AI’s Role in Disability Empowerment. Author and NASCIO policy analyst Kalea-Young Gibson joins us to talk about the publication and the recommendation she thinks is most critical.
This summer we are diving into some of the lesser-known roles in state government technology. This week Amy and Alex talk with Special Projects Coordinator, Addy Newsom with Tennessee Strategic Technology Solutions. Addy also provides executive support to the Tennessee state CIO. Addy tells us how an early career pivot away from nursing led her down the path to a job she loves today and why she thought she was being punked when she was asked to interview for the job.
This summer we are diving into some of the lesser-known roles in state government technology. This week Amy and Alex talk with Chief People and Culture Officer, Lisa Jammer with the Texas Department of Information Resources. Lisa tells us how she's reinvisioning human resources in her role for the organization, the craziest work trip she's ever taken and what her plans are for the summer.
Alex and Amy talk with NASCIO Executive Director Doug Robinson about 20 years in his role, what has changed with the state CIO role, state technology and NASCIO as an organization. We talk about challenges, successes and the advice he would go back and give himself 20 years ago. Also stay for an informative lightening round when we discuss bourbon at length!
Amy and Alex talk about all the big issues happening now on Capitol Hill along with an overview of our recent federal fly-ins. We also discuss why AI isn't much of a partisan issue and the fact that TikTok is still here even though Congress banned it.
Amy and Alex talk with our newest team member Kalea-Young Gibson, policy analyst, about her background and why she is excited to work with NASCIO. Then we are joined by NASCIO's director of experience and engagement, Emily Lane to talk all things Midyear Conference. Find out what's new, what's changing, what to get excited about and what to wear.
Alex talks with Amy about the newest NASCIO survey and report about the state chief privacy officer role, new AI responsibilities and continuing challenges around governance, funding and authority.
https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/resources/the-shifting-privacy-paradigm-state-chief-privacy-officers-evolving-roles-and-persistent-realities/
Find the transcript at: https://www.buzzsprout.com/704052/14859172
Alex and Amy talk with Bryce Carter, chief information security officer for the city of Arlington, TX. We talk about the similarities in priorities between local government and state government, his relationship with the state CIO, working with the private sector and the city's partnership that will bring air taxis to Arlington!
NASCIO has a brand new report on data literacy and NASCIO's Eric Sweden joins Alex and Amy to talk about the topic which has been highlighted with the emergence of generative AI.
Learn more here: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/resources/data-literacy-within-state-government-building-a-knowledgeable-workforce-that-knows-how-to-use-data-for-better-decisions/
Alex and Amy talk with Nevada CIO Timothy Galluzi about his newly elevated state CIO role in the governor's cabinet, generative AI, projects in 2024 and how his time in the Marine Corps prepared him for the role of state CIO. We also learn a surprising fact about him, his ideal vacation and where you should visit if you are coming to Nevada (that's not Las Vegas).
Find the transcript on our podcast hosting site here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/704052/14586439
Alex and Amy talk with Heather Morton, director of financial services, technology and communications at the National Conference of State Legislatures. We talk with Heather about trends in AI legislation, how states are legislating deepfakes and the surge in privacy bills. We also learn about Heather's first job. Hint: it involved Blizzards.
Find the transcript here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/704052/14496873
Alex and Amy talk with Arizona state CIO J.R. Sloan about AZ's journey into the cloud, priorities for 2024, his recent visit to D.C. and what what sport he's most likely to be watching.
Amy and Alex talk about NASCIO's 2024 federal advocacy priorities the day before they are released, why we have them and what's brand new this year. We also talk about why Alex is not technically a lobbyist and listen to a few minutes of a radio interview Amy did on artificial intelligence.
Alex and Amy talk with North Carolina state CIO and NASCIO's new president Jim Weaver on serving in three different state IT offices, his plans for 2024 and the most important traits of a state CIO.
It's that time of year again! Alex and Amy talk with NASCIO's Program Director for Enterprise Architecture and Governance, Eric Sweden about the NASCIO Top Ten lists for 2024. These lists are what state CIOs are most focused on for the year ahead. Find out the big surprises for the year (like a tie for first place!) and what's on the list for the first time ever.
Find the list here once it's released: nascio.org/resource-center
Find transcript to episode here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/704052/14136522
Alex and Amy talk with NASCIO's most recent past president about her president's initiative report on the digital citizen experience. She also reflects on her term as president this past year.
Find the report here: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/resources/creating-a-citizen-centric-digital-experience-how-far-have-we-come/
You can find the transcript to this episode here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/704052/14051184
During the NASCIO Annual Conference in Minneapolis Amy and Alex interviewed nine attendees about what they think is the most exciting thing happening in technology right now. And of course we asked a fun question as well. Special thanks to Dan Wolf, Karen Sorady, Denis Goulet, Katrina Flory, Katy Ruckle, Ken Weeks, Matt Pincus, Steve Pier and Torry Crass.
You can find the transcript here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/704052/13928412
Alex and Amy talk with Teri Takai of the Center for Digital Government and Dan Chenok of the IBM Center for the Business of Government about a report that they, along with NASCIO, recently authored entitled Preparing for Future Shocks in State Government: State CIOs Play an Important and Expanding Role in Resilience. The report is intended to help frame what future disruptions may look like for state CIOs and how they can effectively tackle them. In this episode, Dan and Teri give us a brief overview of the report findings.
You can find the transcript on our podcast webpage here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/704052/13836791
Amy and Alex are joined by NASCIO executive director Doug Robinson who is giving us an overview of what's on the just-released NASCIO 2023 State CIO Survey. Hear how state CIOs are thinking about everything from cybersecurity and workforce to financial models and the future of the role.
Find the transcript of this episode here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/704052/13729009
You can find the survey here: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/
Episode on drones in North Carolina: https://www.buzzsprout.com/704052/5985103
Alex and Amy are joined by NASCIO's director of experience and engagement, Emily Lane. Emily gives us an over view of conference programming and all we have to look forward to in Minneapolis!
Find a transcript of the episode here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/704052/13667370
See transcript of this episode here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/704052/13577144
Alex and Amy talk with Cara Woodson Welch, Executive Director for the Public Sector HR Association about the latest 2023 survey on State and Local Workforce. We learn about trends in attracting and retaining workers, recruitment, DEI and more!
See the report here:
https://slge.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2023workforce.pdf
Find PSHRA's podcast here: https://pshra.org/news-resources/public-eye-podcast/
Alex and Amy talk with Jay Wyant, who serves as chief information accessibility officer for the state of Minnesota. We talk with Jay about how state organizations can improve accessibility in technology and procurement as well as best practices within the state to be more inclusive.
Episode 102 -- Jay Wyant
Mon, Aug 21, 2023 12:50PM • 16:08
SPEAKERS
Alex Whitaker, Jay Wyant, Amy Glasscock
Amy Glasscock 00:05
Hi, and welcome to NASCIO voices where we talk all things state IT. I'm Amy Glasscock, in Lexington, Kentucky.
Alex Whitaker 00:12
And I'm Alex Whitaker in Washington, DC. Today we're talking with Jay Wyatt, who serves as Chief Information Accessibility Officer for the State of Minnesota.
Amy Glasscock 00:20
About a dozen or so states have a role like this, but it's still somewhat unique. So today we're talking with Jay about what he does and what other state IT agencies can do to be more accessible. Jay, welcome to NASCIO voices, and thanks so much for joining us.
Jay Wyant 00:34
Thank you for having me here. I really appreciate the opportunity to have a chat with you all this morning.
Alex Whitaker 00:39
Yeah, Jay, welcome. So tell us about your role as Chief Information Accessibility Officer and what you do.
Jay Wyant 00:46
Well, I was lucky, first of all when I was hired to do the job, it was my opportunity to build a job they had not had before, so it was like, here's your job, you figure it out. And basically, my role is to work with agencies and employees to embed accessibility into the culture of the state. One of the ways we did that was by seeding agencies with digital accessibility coordinators throughout all the agencies and the IT partners and to empower them with effective sustainable policies, processes, tools and procedures to basically get everybody to own accessibility in one way or another.
Alex Whitaker 01:29
Got it? Yeah, that's, that's really fascinating. And so, you know, based on our sort of basic research on you, we've seen that you have a long history of working in accessibility and technology, can you tell us a little bit about your professional background, and kind of how you came to the role?
Jay Wyant 01:44
Sure. My career had been a very winding path, which is actually not uncommon for people with disabilities. So, after being a very passionate, but not a great teacher in high school history, I fell into creating on-demand technology training for the telecommunications industries. That was in the 1980s, the 1990s, so really, you know, the ground floor of how the internet had been developed, but I was providing training on how the building blocks and the Internet work. Then, after that, I became a marketing manager for a software startup that was kind of the precursor to cloud-based computing. Which was a lot of fun--it didn't go anywhere, but it was a lot of fun. I also became the marketing director for one of the nation's largest ? companies. And the way I got into that was that on the side, as a volunteer I served on boards of non-profits, both local and national boards and part of my role is that I wrote a column and articles for magazines on how to make technology work, how to basically hack technology for accessibility, to kind of build my accessibility credentials by what I did on my own in addition to the work that we were doing. So, combining my technology work, and working with people to figure out how to hack thing to make things work for people who are deaf, or otherwise, kind of led to where I am today.
Alex Whitaker 03:25
Yeah, that's, that's really fascinating and further proof that no one has a linear path to stat
Alex and Amy talk with Montana CIO and co-chair of the new NASCIO Generative AI Working Group, Kevin Gilbertson. We talk about how he's discussing generative AI with his team, state agencies and other CIOs, the benefits, challenges and things to keep in mind. He also answers the age old question: Star Wars or Star Trek?
NASCIO Voices celebrates 100 episodes with special guests. Meredith Ward interviews Alex and Amy about the podcast and former co-host Matt Pincus returns to ask all of the lightening round questions! We also hear from a couple of loyal listeners.
Amy and Alex talk with new Maryland CIO Katie Savage about her background, her priorities in Maryland and how her Peace Corps Service influenced her thinking around user-centered design.
Amy and Alex discuss her recent Op-ed in GovTech about why every state needs a chief privacy officer. Amy also explains how the chief privacy officer community came about at NASCIO and how the role is evolving. Don't miss the lightening round to hear what our favorite Taylor Swift album is and for Amy's favorite power tool for the minimalist builder.
Op-ed: https://www.govtech.com/opinion/5-reasons-your-state-needs-a-chief-privacy-officer-now
Survey: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/resources/privacy-progressing-how-the-state-chief-privacy-officer-role-is-growing-and-evolving/
Alex and Amy talk with New York Chief Privacy Officer Michele Jones about her role in New York state government, why the role is important, why privacy is more important now than ever before and what she's working on right now.
Amy and Alex sit down with NASCIO Corporate Leadership Counsel Chair and Vice Chair Stu Davis and Paul Baltzell to talk about their years as state CIOs in Ohio and Indiana and why they believe in being involved in NASCIO while on the corporate side. We also talked about what makes a good night out in Columbus and Indianapolis and what they wanted to be when they were kids.
You can see Stu's favorite NASCIO moment at the end of this awards video from Mississippi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsGLho539PI&list=PL6c5-pFa0fmZlUDS0HWjnUlBOKwiGWA3G&index=8
What does the role of the chief operating officer to a governor look like? Alex and Amy talk with Brandon Gibson about her role as Governor Lee's COO, what she does and her close relationship with CIO Stephanie Dedmon.
Alex and Amy talk with Emily Lane, NASCIO's Director of Experience & Engagement about the upcoming NASCIO Midyear Conference and what we can expect from a programming perspective. Learn what's new, what's returning and what we aren't doing again!
Alex and Amy talk with Indiana State CIO Tracy Barnes about his whole of state approach to cybersecurity, visiting all the counties in Indiana, partnering with universities, identity and access management, workforce and more.
Alex talks with Amy about the new NASCIO report she authored called Navigating the Metaverse: Potential Applications and Implications for State Government.
Then Amy gets some help from her 7-year-old daughter to explain what the metaverse actually is.
Report: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/
Episode on VR for social work job applicants: https://www.buzzsprout.com/704052/3605425
Pictures of your hosts wearing VR goggles: https://twitter.com/NASCIO/status/1570109872615690242
Alex and Amy talk with Meredith Ward, NASCIO's director of policy and research, and Casey Dolan, senior policy analyst with the National Governor's Association. Meredith and Casey are co-author's on a new publication called Securing States: Modernizing to Attract and Retain Cyber Talent. The publication is full of recommendations which come from a joint association roundtable held in December.
Learn more here: http://NASCIO.org/cyberworkforce
Alex and Amy chat with Mike Watson, chief information security officer for the Commonwealth of Virginia all about his background, the whole-of-state approach to cybersecurity, predicting costs for cyber incidents, baking cybersecurity into the procurement process, how VA is handling the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant program and the new technology that is his biggest cybersecurity concern these days.
Alex and Amy sit down with colleagues Julie Ellis (NASCIO's digital communications coordinator) and Emily Lane (NASCIO's programming and brand director) to talk about all the ways NASCIO members (and non-members) can get involved with NASCIO via in-person events, virtual events, forums, committees, resources and more. We even save a little time at the end to learn some new things about each other!
The Indiana Department of Information Technology realized that 70% of potential applicants weren't applying to jobs that mentioned a preference for a four-year degree even when one wasn't required. They decided to try something new. Jon Rogers, Director of Strategic Workforce Planning at the Indiana Office of Technology joins Amy and Alex to talk all about the State Earn and Learn Program where new associates from other careers can learn on the job and take certification courses to move into the rewarding career of government technology.
Jon talks about how the program works, how successful it's been and what he's feeling grateful for right now.
Alex Whitaker and Amy Glasscock talk with with Brandon Hirsch. Brandon has a unique role as Director of Government Relations for Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) and he sits down with us to tell us all about it. Find out how and why MNIT has a trusting relationship with a key bipartisan group of legislators, what his biggest challenges and successes have been and why he and Alex are sometimes rivals when it comes to their favorite sport.
Amy interviews Alex about NASCIO's 2023 Federal Advocacy Priorities. What has changed and what has stayed the same? Find out in our latest episode.
You can find the list here: https://www.nascio.org/government-affairs/federal-advocacy-priorities/
Alex and Amy are talking with NASCIO's own program director for enterprise architecture and governance, Eric Sweden, on the NASCIO Top Ten policy and technology lists for 2023. Find out what issues and technologies are moving up, moving down and staying the same. Stay for Eric's beautiful holiday medley on the guitar!
You can find the NASCIO Top Ten here: https://www.nascio.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/NASCIO_CIOTopTenPriorities_2023.pdf
Alex and Amy sit down for two interviews (and two lightening rounds!) on the customer experience. First with NASCIO award winner and chief experience officer for Maryland, Ashley Laymon who talks with us all about the work she's doing to improve the agency customer experience in the Maryland Department of Information Technology.
Next we talk with Kunal Modi and Ashka Dave from McKinsey all about a new report on the citizen experience with government. Learn more here: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-and-social-sector/our-insights/governments-can-deliver-exceptional-customer-experiences-heres-how
Alex and Amy talk with new NASCIO President and Tennessee State CIO Stephanie Dedmon about her background, why she wanted to serve as NASCIO President, what she thinks are the most pressing issues for her colleagues, her plans for the program year, top priorities in TN and the best advice she's ever received.
Amy and Alex are joined by Meredith Ward, NASCIO Director of Policy and Research and Srini Subramanian, Deloitte Principal, who are the co-authors of the new 2022 Deloitte-NASCIO Cybersecurity Study.
Learn the big takeaways from the latest report, biggest surprises and trends. Stick around to find out how their knowledge of cybersecurity has influenced their personal lives and what music they have on repeat right now.
Alex and Amy talk with CISA's Cameron Dixon about the dot gov domain, why it's important for governments to have it, recent updates to the program and how states can encourage local governments to adopt dot gov.
Here is a link to the blog post mentioned in the episode: https://home.dotgov.gov/updates/2022/9/14/making-infrastructure-less-invisible/
It's National Podcast Day! Amy talks with Alex about The State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program that came out earlier this month and what states need to know about it.
Resources:
- Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) (the full NOFO can be found under the "related documents" tab)
- SLCGP Overview
- SLCGP FAQs
- SLCGP Fact Sheet
The NASCIO 2022 Annual Conference in Louisville is right around the corner, and NASCIO's Program and Brand Director, Emily Lane is back to give us the full rundown of programming, the thinking behind branding this year, our giveback recipient (and give back drinks!) and more.
Registration closes October 3, 2022.
Alex and Amy ask the NASCIO staff about their most frequently asked questions (and answers). Today we are talking about everything from how we choose conference speakers, what the average state IT spend is, how to post on our NASCIO community, how many states have cyber insurance and MORE!
Here's the 2017 CLC video on what to expect at a NASCIO Conference that was mentioned in the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1lVGo5ywPM
Alex and Amy talk with FirstNet's Director of Legislative Affairs, Tom Shull about some of FirstNet's accomplishments over their first decade, some background on the platform, what they are looking for in a new executive director and possible reauthorization from Congress.
Learn more here: https://www.firstnet.com/
Check out the FirstNet podcast here: https://firstnet.gov/newsroom/podcast
Alex and Amy talk with New York state CIO Tony Riddick about how his time in Iraq and hurricane response in the Virgin Islands shaped his philosophy as a CIO, the new Joint Security Operations Center in Brooklyn, how New York is preparing for the cybersecurity grant, and what the new work from home expectation of employees means for New York state government.
Alex and Amy talk with Pokey Harris, Executive Director of the North Carolina 911 Board about North Carolina's next generation 911 project which won a NASCIO award in 2021. We hear all about why the change was needed, how it works, funding, lessons learned, and the power of a good group selfie!
Project: https://it.nc.gov/about/boards-commissions/nc-911-board/next-generation-911
NASCIO Award Submission: https://www.nascio.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/NG911-NASCIO-Nomination-2021-enterprise-IT-management.pdf
Alex and Amy talk with Karen Sorady, former NY state CISO and Vice President of Multi State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) Member Engagement at the Center for Internet Security. She talks all about the work MS-ISAC is doing and the publication she wrote recently on how states can prepare for the cybersecurity grant program. We also find out what she's reading this summer!
You can find the paper we mentioned in the episode here: https://learn.cisecurity.org/8-Ways-to-Prepare-for-Cybersecurity-Grant-Funding
Alex and Amy discuss NASCIO's new report all about the state chief privacy officer role, why states are continuing to put more of a focus on privacy, how the role is maturing, challenges and resources needed by state CPOs and NASCIO's three recommendations for states when structuring the chief privacy officer role.
You can find the report here: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/resources/privacy-progressing-how-the-state-chief-privacy-officer-role-is-growing-and-evolving/
Alex and Amy talk with Ohio state CIO Katrina Flory about broadband, their recent NASCIO award, collaborating with agencies, top priorities and the best advice she's ever received.
You can see more about Ohio's award here: https://www.nascio.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/NASCIO-2021-Cybersecurity-OHID-Next.pdf
Alex and Amy talk with North Carolina state CIO Jim Weaver about how is state is expanding broadband for low-income North Carolinians, why Jim made privacy a priority in his state, how they are preparing for the cybersecurity grant program and his favorite vacation spot in North Carolina.
Alex and Matt talk with Nebraska state CIO Ed Toner about his emphasis on IT governance, recruiting from local colleges and universities, mentoring young technologists, streamlining how citizens access services, blogging and lobster fishing.
You can find Ed's blog posts here: https://cio.nebraska.gov/blog/index.html
NASCIO's Midyear Conference is back in person! And NASCIO program and brand director Emily Lane is here to give us a preview of the programming, protocols and schedule for the four days of the conference.
Still have questions? Check out our FAQs and other info at our event page: https://www.nascio.org/conferences-events/2022midyear/
Alex and Amy talk with NASCIO's director of policy and research, Meredith Ward about a new publication entitled "Diversity and Inclusion: An Essential Element to the State IT Workforce." Meredith talks about what prompted the survey and report, findings and recommendations.
You can find the report here: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/
You can find the NASCIO award submission for Tennessee mentioned in the episode here: https://www.nascio.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/NASCIO-Award-Category-State-CIO-Office-Special-Recognition-STS-Diversity-Inclusion-Council.pdf
Alex and Amy talk with acting Illinois state CIO Jennifer Ricker about her government background and how it led to her current role, plus her top priorities in her state, lessons learned from the pandemic and advice to new CIOs.
Amy and Alex talk with Alex Allain (CTO and Co-Founder) and Tina Walha (Director of Public Digital) of US Digital Response. US Digital Response was founded in March of 2020 as a group of temporary volunteers to assist governments with the pandemic crisis. Over the last two years the organization has grown. Listen to hear about how they have assisted governments, what they offer and how they hope to grow.
Find out more at https://www.usdigitalresponse.org/.
Amy talks with Alex Whitaker, NASCIO's new director of government affairs (and new NASCIO Voices podcast co-host!) about his recent position with the National Governor's Association, why he wanted to work for another state association, the challenges and opportunities facing states right now, and what's been keeping him occupied over the last couple of weeks
Amy Glasscock and (guest co-host) Meredith Ward talk with Pennsylvania chief information security officer Erik Avakian all about his work in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. We touch on state and local collaboration, identity and access management, the changes he's seen after twelve years on the job, and how his rock and roll background prepared him for his career in cybersecurity.
This one is for the NASCIO corporate members! Amy, along with guest co-host Meredith Ward, talk with NASCIO's Membership and Sponsorship Manager Lori Rempe about her tips for snagging a popular Midyear Conference sponsorship, what makes NASCIO different and how to get the most out of membership.
Midyear Conference
Sponsorship
Involvement
For Matt's last episode of NASCIO Voices, he and Amy talk with NASCIO's Program Director of Enterprise Architecture and Governance, Eric Sweden, about what's on and what's off the NASCIO Top Ten Policy and Technology lists for 2022. Stick around for some of Eric's guitar playing!
Matt and Amy talk with West Virginia's state CIO Josh Spence about his background in the National Guard and as WV CISO, how his role was modernized along with his title change from CTO to CIO, his thoughts on the cybersecurity grant program, and his main focus for 2022.
Matt and Amy talk with Katy Ruckle who serves as the chief privacy officer for the state of Washington. We discuss her background, her work, the status of privacy legislation in Washington, the intersection of security and privacy, her privacy goals for 2022 and her privacy tips for parents.
Learn more about privacy in Washington here: https://watech.wa.gov/Privacy
Amy and Matt talk with NASCIO's new President Michael Leahy, state CIO of Maryland, all about why he took on the role of president, what he plans to focus on as a presidential priority, what his priorities are in his state for the next year and much more.
Amy and Matt talk with NASCIO Executive Director, Doug Robinson, and Grant Thornton Principal for the Public Sector Advisory, Graeme Finley about the findings from the 2021 State CIO Survey. We discuss main takeaways, how they chose the title (and every title), how state CIOs are thinking about the pandemic a year and a half into it, emerging technologies, broadband, IAM, prognostications for 2022, favorite podcasts and what has kept each of them busy in 2021 outside of work.
Survey link: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/resources/the-2021-state-cio-survey/
Matt and Amy talk with Bruce Tyler of IBM and Joe Morris of e.Republic all about a new joint publication between NASCIO, IBM and the Center for Digital Government about how the pandemic influenced the way state governments are using artificial intelligence.
Link to the publication: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/resources/ai-meets-the-moment/
Amy and Matt talk with iUrban Teen founder Deena Pierott all about her work in STEM education, diversity and inclusion and public service. iUrban Teen was NASCIO's Giveback partner at our recent NASCIO Annual Conference in Seattle.
Learn more here: https://iurbanteen.org/
Amy and Matt share the recording from the Leadership Lessons Learned live session at NASCIO's Annual Conference in Seattle. Five NASCIO members, shared their five-minute Ignite-style talks on their leadership lessons learned outside the office.
The speakers included Michele Hovet from SAP, Brian Eagle from Unisys, Nathan Buckwalter with the Michigan Dept of Health and Human Services, Mike Tosh at Guidehouse and Mere Work from ID.me. They covered everything from horses, parenthood, relationships, fitness and military service!
We are having a real in-person event! Matt and Amy sit down with NASCIO's Program and Brand Director Emily Lane again to talk about our NASCIO Annual Conference in Seattle. We talk about programming, COVID-19 protocols, what to wear, our NASCIO Give Back partner and more of your FAQs. This episode is full of useful information if you are a NASCIO member planning to attend (or thinking of attending) the conference.
Registration is open until October 1 (NASCIO members only): https://www.nascio.org/conferences-events/2021-annual-conference/#register
Amy and Matt talk with NASCIO's program director for enterprise architecture and governance about the new NASCIO publication "Making the Case for Insight Enabling Analytics." Eric gives us a rundown of the inspiration for the report, what's in it and some of the takeaways. We also talk about working from home, the lack of Kansas-specific foods, music and at the end Eric treats us to a song on his guitar!
Report: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/resources/making-the-case-for-insight-enabling-analytics/
Music: Traditional American folk song Wildwood Flower performed by Eric Sweden
Amy and Matt talk with Rick Webb who is NASCIO's current Corporate Leadership Council Chair about his background as a former state CIO in North Carolina in the late 1990s, his long career in the private sector, how the CIO role has changed and hasn't changed, chairing the CLC through the pandemic, his advice for new state CIOs and the importance of legacy building.
Matt and Amy talk with NASCIO President and Commissioner for the New Hampshire Department of Information Technology, Denis Goulet. We talk with Denis about his NASCIO Presidential Initiative on Business Relationship Management and why he wanted to focus on this topic. We also discuss federal action on cybersecurity issues for states, what's he's most proud of during his extra long term and what he thinks CIOs will be focused on over the next several years.
NASCIO Publication on BRM: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/resources/evolving-relationships-business-relationship-management-and-the-new-cio-operating-model/
Amy and Matt talk about how NASCIO Voices started, what the podcast has covered, how the pandemic affected the content and life at home, episodes you may have missed, best blooper and much more.
Amy and Matt talk with Lexington, Kentucky CIO Aldona Valicenti about her career, her years as Kentucky's first CIO, her time as NASCIO president and her role in the organization's name change from NASIRE to NASCIO in 2001. Alonda has been deeply involved with NASICO for 25 years and her insight and experience with the organization is closely tied to NASCIO history.
Amy and Matt talk with Texas Department of Information Resources Executive Director and state CIO, Mandy Crawford about a whole of state approach to cybersecurity, the Texas ransomware attack, digital services, the pandemic, the future of work, and her best parenting advice as the mom of triplets!
Amy and Matt talk with Norm Farley, the Chief of Public Safety Communications at the Maryland Department of Information Technology about their NASCIO award winning project, the Maryland First Responder Radio System Team.
Learn more about the project here: https://www.nascio.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Maryland-FiRST-NASCIO-Submission.pdf
Maryland FiRST Website: https://doit.maryland.gov/support/Pages/Maryland-FiRST.aspx
Matt and Amy talk with Connecticut state CIO Mark Raymond who just passed the 10-year mark in his role. We discuss technology changes over the last decade (and last 30 years), initiatives he is proud of, challenges in cybersecurity, the future of IT in Connecticut and why DIY isn't always the best idea when it comes to home repairs.
Amy and Matt talk with NASCIO Program and Brand Director Emily Lane about what to expect from the 2021 NASCIO Midyear Conference.
Amy and Matt talk with Arizona's state CIO and CISO, JR Sloan and Tim Roemer all about the election, StateRamp, their careers, the American Rescue Plan Act and of course the pandemic!
What steps should state governments take to integrate cybersecurity into the acquisition process? Matt and Amy talk with NASCIO Director of Policy and Research, Meredith Ward, about a new joint NASCIO publication (along with the National Association of State Procurement Officials and the Center for Internet Security). Meredith talks about how the report came about, key take-aways and the current state of acquisition in state government. You can find the report on NASCIO's website here: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/resources/buyer-be-aware-integrating-cybersecurity-into-the-acquisition-process/
Imagine being able to drive your car, board a plane and show that you are over 21 at a restaurant all with only your smart phone. This is becoming a reality in Colorado. Amy and Matt talk with Russell Castagnaro, Director of Digital Transformation at the Colorado Governor’s Office of Information Technology about the MyColorado app, the digital ID component and plans for expanding the capabilities of the app.
Learn more here: https://mycolorado.gov/
NASCIO Award Submission: https://www.nascio.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FINAL-2020-NASCIO-Award-Submission-myColorado.pdf
Amy and Matt talk with Lisa Kissler, Director of the Paid Family and Medical Leave Division for the Washington State Employment Security Department about their program which was the nation's first built-from-scratch state paid family and medical leave program. The program won an award from NASCIO in 2020.
https://paidleave.wa.gov/
https://www.nascio.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Bill-to-Benefits-in-30-months_PMFL_State-CIO.pdf
Matt and Amy talk with Vermont Secretary of Digital Services and state CIO John Quinn about his unique role in both the policy and technology side of Vermont's vaccine distribution efforts, how the role of state IT has been elevated, pandemic silver linings and we find out his favorite flavor of Ben & Jerry's ice cream.
See Vermont's vaccination dashboard here: https://www.healthvermont.gov/covid-19/vaccine/covid-19-vaccine-dashboard
StateRAMP executive director, Leah McGrath joins us to talk all about this new program to verify the cybersecurity of cloud service providers for state and local governments. Leah discusses the timeline, how it works and how StateRAMP can benefit providers, governments and procurement officials.
Matt and Amy have Ohio CIO Ervan Rodgers back on the podcast to talk about concrete steps he's taken to hire more women and minorities, the importance he places on mentorship, and his approach to responding to challenges in his career.
Amy and Matt talk with Shawn Crane who is the manager for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT)’s Maintenance Management and Reporting Systems. We discuss their award-winning Maintenance-IQ project, why they needed it, the successes, and Shawn's favorite thing about living in Pennsylvania.
You can find the Maintenance-IQ award submission here: https://www.nascio.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/NASCIO-2020-PA-Data-Management-Maintenance-IQ-FINAL.pdf
Amy and Matt discuss the new Congress and administration in the context of NASCIO's federal advocacy priorities. Matt shares updates on NASCIO's top federal issues, insights and predictions for 2021.
NASCIO's Federal Advocacy Priorities: https://www.nascio.org/government-affairs/federal-advocacy-priorities/
GAO Report on harmonization of federal cybersecurity regulations for states: https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-20-123?mobile_opt_out=1#summary_recommend
With a median current tenure of 22 months, for a state CIO to make it to ten years is rare and remarkable. Amy and Matt talk with Georgia state CIO Calvin Rhodes on his 10th anniversary in the role. We find out how Calvin found his way into the public sector, his advice for other CIOs and what he thinks the future holds.
See NASCIO's publications on chatbots featuring Georgia here: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/resources/chat-with-us-how-states-are-using-chatbots-to-respond-to-the-demands-of-covid-19/
Matt and Amy have a conversation with Kansas Chief Technology Officer about her years in corporate America, what she's most proud of from her role in the pandemic response for the state, her passion for mentoring women in technology, and the advice she would have given herself one year ago.
See our conference sessions on remote work here: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/?selectedYear=2020&selectedTopic=technology-workforce&selectedResourceType=conference-session
Amy and Matt talk with NASCIO's executive director, Doug Robinson about his perspective on the events of 2020, virtual conferences, leading an association and a staff through the pandemic, what he's looking forward to in 2021 and his thoughts on his favorite bourbon.
Matt and Amy talk with NASCIO's own Eric Sweden once again about the newest NASCIO Top Ten priorities list for 2021. Listen to find out how the pandemic shaped state CIO's top priorities, what has stayed the same, what has changed and what Eric hopes won't change back to normal after the pandemic ends.
Find the list here: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/resources/state-cio-top-ten-policy-and-technology-priorities-for-2021/
Amy and Matt talk with Tarek Tomes, the Commissioner of Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) and the State of Minnesota’s Chief Information Officer. We cover his fascinating personal and professional background, his priorities, the culture he is creating at his organization and how he's leading his staff through the unique challenges his state has faced this year.
You can find NASCIO's 2020 conference sessions on our website and on YouTube!
https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/?selectedYear=2020&selectedResourceType=conference-session
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6c5-pFa0fma2eQqgHXkOnK6KJFrw8eYm
Amy and Matt talk with Lindsey Forson, Director of Cybersecurity Programs at the National Association of Secretaries of States or NASS to talk about the successes and challenges of the 2020 elections, the importance of state and local government collaboration, and how election security has evolved in a short amount of time.
Link to NASCO Annual Conference Recordings: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/?selectedYear=2020&selectedResourceType=conference-session
Amy and Matt talk with Virginia's Chief Data Officer, Carlos Rivero, about their recent NASCIO Award on their "Framework for Addiction Analysis and Community Transformation (FAACT).
More information on the award here: https://www.nascio.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/NASCIO_FAACT_Entry_2020_FINAL.pdf
Amy and Matt talk with Pennsylvania CIO John MacMillan about his role in the 2020 election in one of the most watched states, the influence of the pandemic on state government, his advice for new CIOs after five and a half years, and the importance of music in creating shared experiences.
Find NASCIO's 2020 Annual Conference Sessions here: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/?selectedResourceType=conference-session
For the emerging technology governance session featuring John MacMillan, click here: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/resources/emerging-technology-governance-survey/
Amy and Matt are joined by Mike Griffin and Mike Ware with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. We discuss the project that won them a State IT Recognition Award at the NASCIO 2020 Annual Conference and all the things that NCDEQ is able to do with drones as well as the efficiencies gained. See more about their award here: https://www.nascio.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/North-Carolina-2020-Business-Process-Innovations.pdf
Matt and Amy talk with NASCIO's own program and brand director, Emily Lane about what attendees can expect from NASCIO's 2020 (virtual) annual conference. We talk about session topics, networking events, themes, our give back partner and the challenges of planning a virtual conference.
Matt and Amy talk with MeriTalk reporter Gail Emery who has been researching and writing about how state and local governments have been spending money from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.We discuss the legislation in general, state examples, helpful changes in future legislation and Gail's list of famous people who are invited to her dinner party.
You can find her recent article here: https://www.meritalkslg.com/articles/prioritize-navigate-execute-state-and-local-governments-invest-cares-act-monies-in-critical-it-initiatives/
Amy and Matt talk with Anna Read, research officer with the Pew Charitable Trust's broadband research initiative. We talk about Pew's report on state broadband offices, five promising practices of state broadband offices, how the offices are defining success, and how COVID-19 has highlighted the problems with broadband expansion.
You can find Pew's report here: https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/reports/2020/02/how-states-are-expanding-broadband-access
Amy and Matt have a conversation with Colorado Chief Customer Officer William Chumley. We discuss why Colorado hired for this position, what he does, why agencies are really strategic partners and how the pandemic has affected his work.
You can find NASCIO's publication on CRM here: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/resources/relationships-matter-most/
Amy and Matt are joined by Nick Leiserson, Legislative Director for Rhode Island Congressman Jim Langevin (arguably the leading voice for cybersecurity efforts on Capitol Hill). Nick works on cybersecurity issues for the congressman. We discuss how Congressman Langevin has focused on cybersecurity, the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, election security and Nick's new pandemic hobby.
Amy and Matt talk with Maryland Secretary of Information Technology, Michael Leahy on how he became the state's technology leader, the importance of data privacy, Maryland's One-Stop Business Portal, legacy modernization, cybersecurity and giving work-from-home employees the best possible experience.
Amy and Matt talk with Indiana's State Chief Privacy Officer Ted Cotterill, who works in the Indiana Management Performance Hub. We discuss how data-driven decision making is assisting in Indiana's COVID-19 response, how the chief privacy officer role works with the state CIO and CISO and why Ted is living out his childhood career dreams.
Mentioned in the episode
NASCIO's publication on state chief privacy officers: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/resources/perspectives-on-privacy-a-survey-and-snapshot-of-the-growing-state-chief-privacy-officer-role/
Indiana's COVID-19 website: https://www.coronavirus.in.gov/
Indiana's "Back on Track" website: https://backontrack.in.gov/
Amy and Matt talk with Montana Chief Information Security Officer Andy Hanks about his work developing the cybersecurity workforce in Montana, cybersecurity legislation, differences and similarities between the private and public sectors and what's he's learned about himself since the pandemic started.
This publication is mentioned in the podcast: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/resources/stronger-together-state-local-cybersecurity-collaboration/
Amy and Matt talk with Virginia CIO Nelson Moe about his time in the Navy on a nuclear submarine, his last five years as CIO, his work for the U.S. House of Representatives, Virginia's outsourcing model, his predictions for the future of state government workforce in Virginia and his very specific criteria for time travel.
Amy and Matt talk with Wisconsin state CIO David Cagigal about his long tenure as CIO, how he survived a party change in state government, why upgrading legacy systems is a huge hurdle, his priorities right now and how technology has changed since he started working in state government. David also shares advice for new CIOs and tells us what he's been up to on the weekends while staying safe at home.
Amy and Matt talk with Tennessee state CIO Stephanie Dedmon about current events (including the two back to back disasters that hit Teneessee), her work around workforce development for IT in Tennessee and her advice for new state CIOs.
Amy and Matt talk with Kevin Jones, CIO of the Indiana Department of Child Services about his award winning work, using virtual reality in social work, and how being a father of eight inspired his career in public service.
NASCIO's Midyear Webcast Series will be held Monday and Tuesday May 4-5. NASCIO's Program and Brand Director Emily Lane joins Amy and Matt with a preview of the series and discusses how NASCIO decided on the best format to replace our cancelled conference, some of her top branding tips and the key things that are getting her through these unusual times.
Matt and Amy talk with Massachusetts CIO Curtis Wood about his extensive background in government and public safety. We also discuss his work navigating the COVID-19 pandemic in MA.
Matt and Amy talk with Colorado CIO Dr. Theresa Szczurek about her role in the COVID-19 response in her state, how to pursue your passionate purpose, finding success, women in technology and her overall work in Colorado state government.
Amy and Matt talk with Delaware CIO James Collins about how Delaware's government is responding to COVID-19, aspects of government work that may never be the same again, and the importance of customer relationship management right now.
Link to the Governing Article mentioned in the episode: https://www.governing.com/next/Coronavirus-Has-Potential-to-Reshape-Government-Technology.html
Amy and Matt discuss COVID-19 with Ohio state CIO Ervan Rodgers. They discuss Ohio's approach to remote work, additional cybersecurity threats, working with partners and boosting moral.
NASCIO recorded and published an extra episode of NASCIO Voices this week in response to COVID-19. Because Washington State was hit early by the virus, we talked with that state's CIO, Jim Weaver about how his team has responded to the technology needs of the state, unique cybersecurity issues, working with private sector partners, and some of the issues that come up when the majority of your workforce is sent home to work remotely.
Amy and Matt talk with new NASCIO President and New Hampshire CIO Denis Goulet on his surprise rise to the NASCIO Presidency, COVID-19, his priorities in his state and the "magic" of building relationships within state government. You can find NASCIO's COVID-19 Planning and Response Guidance for State CIOs on NASCIO's website here: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/resources/covid-19-planning-and-response-guidance-for-state-cios/
Amy and Matt talk with Dr. Steve Nichols, Chief Technology Officer for the State of Georgia about cybersecurity, cloud, outsourcing and lessons learned working for four CIOs and four governors over 18 years.
Amy and Matt talk with Utah state CIO Mike Hussey about creating a culture that fosters innovation and emerging technology in state government and how the state is preparing to secure the 2020 elections.
Amy and Matt interview Maine CIO Fred Brittain about his first year on the job, the differences between state government and the university system, his priorities as CIO, recent meetings on Capitol Hill, and why you should come to Maine in the winter.
In the first part of the episode, Amy talks with Matt about NASCIO's newly-released federal advocacy priorities. Then Matt and Amy talk with Mary Catherine Ott who is the Legislative Director for Homeland Security and Public Safety for the National Governors Association about how the governors of the states are dealing with cybersecurity issues and NGA priorities around this issue.
You can find NASCIO's advocacy priorities here: https://www.nascio.org/government-affairs.
You can find the joint NGA/NASCIO publication "Stronger Together: State and Local Cybersecurity Collaboration here: https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/resources/stronger-together-state-and-local-cybersecurity-collaboration/
In our first episode of 2020 we interview Texas CIO Todd Kimbriel and Texas CISO Nancy Rainosek about how they handled the 2019 ransomware attacks on municipalities in their state. Todd and Nancy discuss how the state responded, the importance of planning for disasters and their top tips for cyber hygiene.
A week after NASCIO released the 2020 Top Ten Priorities list, Matt and Amy interview NASCIO's Eric Sweden. They discuss the current top ten list, why he doesn't think cybersecurity will ever drop off the list, historic trends and favorite foods for the holidays! You can find the top ten list at https://nascio.org/TopTen.
In our inaugural episode we interview Eric Boyette who is the newly elected NASCIO president and Secretary and Chief Information Officer for the North Carolina Department of Information Technology. We talk to Eric about his priorities as NASCIO President and state CIO, how his office works with the national guard, election security, and customer relationship management.