I’m honored to have been confirmed by the City Councilmembers and sworn in this week as the new Chief Technology Officer for the City of Seattle. As part of Mayor Durkan’s team, I will be leading a dedicated team of public servants contributing towards Seattle’s success.
Six weeks ago, I moved to Seattle and I hit the ground running – and listening. Most of my time so far has been spent meeting with my Seattle Information Technology (IT) colleagues, as well as staff in other departments. The idea is to influence my approach based on what my fellow colleagues have to say about their work and how technology can help with their passion for improving how the City functions. Hundreds of conversations later, I’ve collected some great ideas all pointing to a strong desire to reimagine how we run a complex IT service – which is fitting since technology evolves at a rapid pace.
Municipalities and particularly large urban centers like Seattle are increasingly getting into the technology management business. We are not just enabling business solutions using a piece of software, but in fact redefining the way we run operations, interact with our citizens and deliver our services. I believe having an open mind to how we leverage technological innovations, being extremely nimble in our approach and building strategic partnerships with both big and small private sector firms will move the City of Seattle to a place of digital leadership amongst its peers.
I’m truly excited to begin my Seattle journey and especially at this time – a city recognized globally for its innovation, creativity, and progressive drive. I plan to continue to cultivate this unique Seattle energy to make lasting positive changes while keeping the internal IT talent as my focus to drive a multitude of technology modernizations. Seattle residents might not notice most of the work that we’re doing – but it is my hope that you all will notice the results. Most of the work we do is behind the scenes, but that work is critical to make sure that the city keeps running smoothly and efficiently. It is not something that I take lightly.
If you’d like to learn more about the Seattle Information Technology Department, I invite you to explore our website and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. This way you can be sure to stay up-to-date with our programs and see how we are making innovative changes through technology to the city we call home.
Watch a video of the complete swearing in ceremony on the Seattle Channel.