Technology Executives Review® - Hosted by Alex Jarett of Technology Executives Club®

Technology Leader Briefing People-Centered Governance for Local and State Government

Host: Alex Jarett, Founder, Technology Executives Club®
Guest: Jeff Scheetz, CIO, City of Avondale, AZ

Governance has a reputation problem. It is often known as the department that says no. In this briefing, Alex Jarett talks with Jeff Scheetz, CIO of the City of Avondale, about how a people-centered approach to governance can change that.

Instead of holding an organization back, governance becomes the framework that helps it move forward.

In this episode:
* Why governance has traditionally felt restrictive, and how a people-centered approach turns it into something that enables progress
* How the City of Avondale built a cross-functional AI working group instead of shutting AI down while they figured things out
* Why their AI policy became a guide for responsible use rather than a list of rules
* Why guardrails matter more than roadblocks, and how they create space to safely experiment
* A real example involving AI, human review, and summarizing hundreds of pages of internal documentation
* How rethinking project intake reduced competition between departments and improved transparency
* Why long budget cycles in the public sector make early collaboration essential
* Why good governance ends up being a tool for innovation, not just control

Hosted by: Alex Jarett, Founder & CEO, Technology Executives Club® Featured Guest: Jeff Scheetz, CIO, City of Avondale, AZ

➡️ Watch all our Episodes, Leadership Briefings, Spotlight Interviews & Special Reports by joining the TEC Insiders Community: https://www.technologyexecutivesclub.com/insiders Get Weekly AI & Technology Leadership Briefings + Exclusive Invitations

The Technology Talent Market Is Shifting, Not Shrinking with Richard Doran Host: Alex Jarett, Founder, Technology Executives Club® Guest: Richard Doran, Founder, Sierra ITS The layoffs made headlines. The talent shortage never left. In this Technology Leader briefing, Alex Jarett is joined by Richard Doran, Founder of Sierra ITS, to unpack why layoff headlines are giving Technology Leaders the wrong picture of the hiring market — and where the real demand for talent is actually heading. In this episode: Why tech layoff headlines don't tell the full story on hiring demand Why net technology employment has expanded significantly since 2019 How growth is shifting from big tech into healthcare, manufacturing, financial services, and municipalities Why technology hiring has become a "two-track" market — automation pressuring entry-level roles while specialized roles surge Which specializations are seeing the strongest demand: AI/ML, cybersecurity, cloud, data engineering, and ERP Why AI is both slowing and accelerating hiring at the same time Why cybersecurity hiring never really slows down How Venture Capital and board-level pressure are reshaping what Technology Leaders can justify hiring for What separates the companies that will win the talent war from those that won't Hosted by: Alex Jarett, Founder & CEO, Technology Executives Club® Featured Guest: Richard Doran, Founder, Sierra ITS ➡️ Watch all our Episodes, Leadership Briefings, Spotlight Interviews & Special Reports by joining the TEC Insiders Community: https://www.technologyexecutivesclub.com/insiders Get Weekly AI & Technology Leadership Briefings + Exclusive Invitations

Technology Executives Review® July 2026 Month-End Edition Includes Special Report: The Enterprise IT AI Spend Crisis

Host: Alex Jarett, Founder, Technology Executives Club®
Guest Analyst: Tom Drez, former CIO, CISO & CPO, Christian Brothers Services

AI in the Enterprise continues to move quickly, but Technology Leaders are still working through the practical realities of token spend, ROI accountability, shadow AI, and agentic workflows.

In this July 2026 edition of the Technology Executives Review®, Alex Jarett is joined by Tom Drez, former CIO, CISO & CPO of Christian Brothers Services, to review the top headlines in AI in the Enterprise, Advanced Technologies, Technology Leadership and Industry News.

This episode includes a special report, "The Enterprise IT Spend Crisis: Balancing Shadow AI Token Spend with Hard ROI Gains," where Alex and Tom unpack why token costs have become one of the fastest-growing, least-controlled line items in enterprise IT budgets — and how leaders can get ahead of it.

In this episode:
* Why the AI model price war is pushing inference costs to historic lows, even as shadow AI token spend blows through annual budgets
* Why only about 6% of companies using AI report clear, measurable financial returns How surging global AI spend is pressuring CIOs to show hard ROI, not just adoption metrics
* Why investors and boards want fast accountability, with many expecting positive ROI within six months
* Why CEO job security is increasingly tied to AI spending outcomes How change management, not technology, remains the biggest adoption barrier
* Why some organizations unintentionally reward token "activity" over real value How cross-divisional AI councils help CIOs break down silos and lead strategy
* Why open-source models are gaining ground on cost, but still need compliance review How agentic, multi-step architectures are reshaping enterprise software and raising new security concerns

The program also features insights from recent Technology Executives Club® Leadership Briefings, including:
↪Jeff Scheetz, CIO, City of Avondale - Empowering Governance of Local Government Through a People-Centered Strategy
↪Biff Myre, Director of Industry Solutions, CBTS - What Technology Leaders Are Really Concerned About with AI
↪Josh Rose, Founder & CEO, Zagger.ai - How Zagger.ai Turns Unstructured Business Data Into Productive AI Workflows

➡️ Watch all of our Leadership Briefings and get weekly AI & Technology Leadership briefings plus exclusive invitations by joining the TEC Insiders Community: www.technologyexecutivesclub.com

How Technology Leaders Can Retire Equipment Securely While Helping People in Need with Loren Williams

Guest: Loren Williams, Enterprise Partnerships Manager, PCs for People
Host: Alex Jarett, Founder, Technology Executives Club®

In this episode, Loren Williams of PCs for People discusses how Technology Leaders can securely and responsibly dispose of retired computers and electronic equipment while helping people who need access to technology.

Loren explains how PCs for People collects retired equipment at no cost, using its own background-checked drivers and vehicles and a documented chain-of-custody process. The organization securely sanitizes data-bearing devices through a process certified by the National Association for Information Destruction.

Companies can also receive a detailed data sanitization report confirming that proprietary information was removed. Organizations may request a nonprofit donation receipt, while reusable computers are refurbished and provided to low-income households rather than being sent to landfills.

Loren also shares the story of Nia, a high school student who relied on an unreliable computer and sometimes sat outside a library at night to access the internet. After receiving a refurbished laptop and an affordable internet hotspot through PCs for People, she completed high school, applied to college, and was accepted.

Topics Covered:
* Securely disposing of retired computers and electronic equipment Protecting proprietary data during technology disposal
* Using certified data sanitization and chain-of-custody processes
* Receiving nonprofit donation receipts for retired equipment Keeping reusable technology out of landfills
* Refurbishing computers for low-income households Expanding access to computers and internet service Helping students and families gain access to opportunity

➡️ Listen to the full podcast and watch the Spotlight Interview with Loren Williams here: https://www.technologyexecutivesclub.com/blog/loren-williams-spotlight-interview-PCs-For-People
➡️ Watch all of our Leadership Briefings and get weekly AI & Technology Leadership Briefings plus exclusive invitations by joining the TEC Insiders Community: www.technologyexecutivesclub.com

How Augmented AI Turns AI Strategy Into Business Results with Amar Lingam

Guest: Amar Lingam, Founder, Augmented AI, Former Chief Analytics and AI Officer, CDW; Former Chief Data Officer, CA Technologies
Host: Alex Jarett, Founder, Technology Executives Club®

In this episode, Amar Lingam of Augmented AI discusses how organizations can move from AI ideas and technology investments to measurable business results. Amar explains that successful AI initiatives should begin with the business problem, not the technology.

Drawing on more than three decades of experience leading major data, analytics, AI, and digital transformation initiatives, he shares why companies need to align executive, business, and technology stakeholders around shared priorities.

He also discusses a utility company that needed better visibility into field operations and maintenance. After developing a strategy, conducting a stakeholder workshop, prioritizing use cases, and creating an implementation roadmap, the company achieved operational efficiency improvements of more than 50% in some areas, reduced scheduling inefficiencies by approximately 20% to 25%, and generated millions of dollars in strategic value.

The conversation also covers AssetIQ, an Augmented AI solution that helps organizations analyze, organize, search, and generate insights from large collections of digital assets. Amar shares examples of how AssetIQ can help companies identify high-performing marketing content, improve targeted campaigns, and support healthcare professionals by analyzing medical images and comparing them with established benchmarks. He also emphasizes that AI should augment human expertise, while business leaders, radiologists, and physicians remain responsible for final decisions.

Topics Covered:
✳️ Aligning AI strategy with enterprise goals
✳️ Moving from strategy and roadmap development to implementation
✳️ Improving utility operations and preventive maintenance with AI
✳️ Turning digital asset archives into usable intelligence
✳️ Identifying high-performing marketing content
✳️ Supporting healthcare analysis with AI
✳️ The importance of keeping humans in the loop

➡️ Listen to the full podcast and watch the Spotlight Interview with Amar Lingam here: https://www.technologyexecutivesclub.com/blog/amar-lingam-spotlight-interview-ai-and-data-augmented-ai
➡️ Watch all of our Leadership Briefings and get weekly AI & Technology Leadership Briefings plus exclusive invitations by joining the TEC Insiders Community: www.technologyexecutivesclub.com

In this Technology Executives Review® Special Report, Alex Jarett is joined by Jeff Scheetz, CIO of the City of Avondale, AZ, for a discussion on AI use in State and Local Government.

Together, they review recent headlines and discuss how municipalities are approaching 
AI adoption, governance, cybersecurity, permitting, public safety, emergency response, and human oversight.

Topics include:
* AI-assisted permitting and paperwork automation* AI applications in public safety and emergency response
* Cybersecurity and AI risks facing municipalities
* State AI governance, policies, and guardrails Human-in-the-loop decision making Federal funding and AI initiatives for state and local government
* AI adoption trends across municipalities Recent AI headlines impacting state and local government

Whether you're a Technology Leader in government or the private sector, this special report provides practical insights into how organizations are balancing innovation, governance, and responsible AI adoption.

Covering AI & Advanced Technologies, Technology Leadership, and Industry News.

Visit www.technologyexecutivesclub.com for the full video, all of our video briefings and more.

Technology Executives Review® End-of-June 2026 Edition

Includes Special Segment: AI in State and Local Government
Host: Alex Jarett, Founder, Technology Executives Club®
Guest Analyst: Jeff Scheetz, CIO, City of Avondale, AZ

AI in the Enterprise continues to move quickly, but Technology Leaders are still working through the practical realities of adoption, governance, cybersecurity, token costs, workforce readiness, and responsible AI use.

In this End-of-June 2026 edition of the Technology Executives Review®, Alex Jarett is joined by Jeff Scheetz, CIO of the City of Avondale, AZ, for a discussion on the top headlines in AI in the Enterprise, Advanced Technologies, and Industry News.

This episode includes a special segment on AI in State and Local Government, where Alex and Jeff review recent headlines and discuss how government organizations are using AI in practical, citizen-focused ways, including workflow support, cybersecurity, permitting, paperwork-intensive processes, and public service delivery.

In this episode:
* Why AI adoption remains a people and change management challenge
* How workforce readiness is struggling to keep pace with AI technology
* Why AI agents may soon be making more impactful business decisions
* Why trust, oversight, and human escalation remain critical
* Why successful AI initiatives need to begin with a real business problem
* How governance, risk, compliance, and AI asset inventories are becoming more important
* Why token costs and AI usage costs may become a major budget issue
* How State and Local Government leaders are approaching AI in practical, citizen-focused ways
* Why human-in-the-loop governance remains essential in public sector, health, safety, and citizen-facing applications

The program also features insights from recent Technology Executives Club® Leadership Briefings, including:
*️⃣ Biff Myre, Director of Industry Solutions, CBTS What Technology Leaders Are Really Concerned About with AI
*️⃣ Josh Rose, Founder & CEO, Zagger.ai How Zagger.ai Turns Unstructured Business Data Into Productive AI Workflows
*️⃣ Richard Doran, Founder, Sierra ITS The One Fix That Solves Today's Biggest SAP Hiring Challenge
*️⃣ Tim Walter, CIO & VP, Edward Don & Company Lessons Learned from a Successful AI-Powered RFP Project
*️⃣ Tory Bjorklund, Founder & CEO, Victoria Fide Consulting Why Major Technology Projects Fail *️⃣ Jeff Scheetz, CIO, City of Avondale Empowering Governance of Local Government Through a People-Centered Strategy

➡️ Watch all of our Leadership Briefings and get weekly AI & Technology Leadership briefings plus exclusive invitations by joining the TEC Insiders Community: www.technologyexecutivesclub.com

What Technology Leaders Are Really Concerned About with AI | Technology Executives Review® Special Segment

Host: Alex Jarett, Founder, Technology Executives Club®
Guest Analyst: Biff Myre, Director of Industry Solutions, CBTS

AI in the Enterprise is moving quickly, but many Technology Leaders are still working through the practical realities of adoption, governance, cost, cybersecurity, and data readiness.

In this special segment from the Technology Executives Review® Mid-June 2026 Edition, Alex Jarett and Biff Myre discuss what Technology Leaders are actually concerned about as AI moves deeper into organizations.

The discussion includes insights from the Technology Executives Club® AI in the Enterprise Spring Summit and recent CBTS executive roundtables, where Technology Leaders raised real-world concerns about employee adoption, AI sprawl, rising token costs, cybersecurity friction, data governance, and the pressure to identify AI use cases that create measurable business value.

In this episode:

* Why many organizations are still struggling with employee AI adoption
* How AI sprawl is becoming the next form of shadow IT
* Why token costs and AI usage costs may become a bigger budget issue
* Why successful AI initiatives need to start with business problems, not shiny tools
* How cybersecurity teams are being forced to rethink data access and control
* Why data classification, ownership, and readiness remain major barriers to enterprise AI success * How organizations can use AI to support growth, productivity, and better execution

This segment also includes discussion of lessons from Tim Walter, CIO & VP at Edward Don & Company, including why successful AI initiatives must begin with the business problem first, using his company’s AI-powered RFP project as an example.

➡️ Watch all of our Leadership Briefings and get weekly AI & Technology Leadership briefings plus exclusive invitations by joining the TEC Insiders Community: www.technologyexecutivesclub.com

Title: Leadership Briefing: Lessons Learned from a Successful AI Project with Tim Walter Guest: Tim Walter, CIO & VP, Edward Don & Company Host: Alex Jarett, Founder, Technology Executives Club® What separates successful AI projects from the many that fail to deliver meaningful business results? In this Leadership Briefing, Tim Walter shares the lessons learned from Edward Don & Company's successful AI-driven RFP initiative, a project designed to increase throughput, improve customer responsiveness, and create measurable business impact. Rather than focusing on AI hype, Tim explains the practical leadership, project management, change management, and operational principles that helped the project succeed. He discusses the importance of starting with a business problem, setting realistic expectations, engaging the team, capturing tribal knowledge, and building systems that continuously learn and improve. Originally released as a two-part series, this Leadership Briefing is now available as a single combined presentation. Topics Covered: ✳️Why successful AI projects begin with a business problem ✳️How to identify AI opportunities with measurable ROI ✳️Setting realistic expectations for AI initiatives ✳️The role of change management in AI adoption ✳️Reinforcement learning from human interaction ✳️Capturing and scaling tribal knowledge ✳️Why data does not need to be perfect to get started ✳️Building AI systems that improve over time ✳️Lessons learned from a successful enterprise AI deployment ➡️ Learn more about Tim Walter and watch all of his Leadership Briefings here: https://www.technologyexecutivesclub.com/advisory-board-Tim-Walter ➡️ Watch all our Leadership Briefings and get weekly AI & Technology Leadership Briefings plus exclusive invitations by joining the TEC Insiders Community: www.technologyexecutivesclub.com

Technology Executives Review® Mid-June 2026 Edition

Includes Special Segment: What Technology Leaders Are Really Concerned About with AI

Host: Alex Jarett, Founder, Technology Executives Club®
Guest Analyst: Biff Myer, Director of Industry Solutions, CBTS

AI in the Enterprise is moving quickly, but many Technology Leaders are still working through the practical realities of adoption, governance, cost, cybersecurity, and data readiness.

In this segment from the Technology Executives Review® Mid-June 2026 Edition, Alex Jarett and Biff Myer discuss what Technology Leaders are actually concerned about as AI moves deeper into organizations.

The discussion includes insights from the AI in the Enterprise Spring Summit and recent CBTS executive roundtables, where Technology Leaders raised real-world concerns about employee adoption, AI sprawl, rising token costs, cybersecurity friction, data governance, and the pressure to identify AI use cases that create measurable business value.

In this episode:
* Why many organizations are still struggling with employee AI adoption
* How AI sprawl is becoming the next form of shadow IT
* Why token costs and AI usage costs may become a bigger budget issue
* How cybersecurity teams are being forced to rethink data access and control
* Why data readiness remains one of the biggest barriers to enterprise AI success
* Why successful AI initiatives need to start with business problems, not shiny tools

The program also features insights from recent Technology Executives Club® Leadership Briefings, including:

*️⃣ Josh Rose, Co-Founder & CEO, Zagger.ai
How organizations can make messy, unstructured business data accessible to AI and turn tribal knowledge into productive workflows

*️⃣ Richard Doran, Founder & CEO, Sierra ITS
Why SAP and AI hiring require clearer scoping, faster decision-making, and stronger alignment with business outcomes

*️⃣ Tim Walter, CIO & VP, Edward Don & Company
Why successful AI initiatives must begin with the business problem first, using his company’s successful AI-powered RFP project as an example

*️⃣ Tory Bjorklund, Founder, Victoria Fide Consulting
Why large technology projects fail, how big-bang approaches create risk, and why organizations need stronger project success assurance

*️⃣ Dr. Amit Shah, Founder, GNS AI, LLC
AI risks and boundaries in healthcare, where false signals, governance gaps, and execution failures can carry serious consequences

*️⃣ Jeff Scheetz, CIO, City of Avondale
People-centered governance and how Technology Leaders can build support for technology initiatives across the organization

➡️ Watch all of our Leadership Briefings and get weekly AI & Technology Leadership briefings plus exclusive invitations by joining the TEC Insiders Community: www.technologyexecutivesclub.com