#221: Lisa Kent, Melissa Kraft, Derek Williams - 2026 World Cup, Fusion Teams, AI Wins, Leading Well

Featuring

Lisa Kent is the CIO & Director, City of Houston leading IT for America’s fourth-largest city as she prepares for the World Cup, consolidates Houston Police Department IT, and navigates the delicate balance between innovation and risk.

Melissa Kraft is the CIO, City of Frisco managing IT for one of America’s fastest-growing cities (30% population growth) while experimenting with AI deployments on a municipal budget and timeline.

Derek Williams is the Chief Technology and Innovation Strategist at Dell & former Louisiana State CIO who spent two decades in Louisiana state government culminating as State CIO, now bringing his battle tested public sector insights to help State & Local Governments navigate technology decisions—with real empathy for the scrutiny CIOs face daily.

Timestamps

(04:00) How Houston’s network transformation is preparing for the World Cup

(10:15) Fusion teams in action — how Lisa’s approach to embedding IT with business units delivers measurable wins

(12:00) Building systems that last — Derek’s cost allocation model Louisiana still uses a decade later

(14:00) 40% efficiency gains with AI — Frisco’s wins in 911 training and traffic processing

(18:00) The CIO role is transforming — all three guests discuss the shift from control to consultation and what it means for the next decade

(24:00) Why 95% of AI projects fail — and the three critical stumbling blocks Derek sees everywhere

(27:45) What NASA’s 23-year-old moon landing engineer teaches us about trusting younger technologists

(38:45) What public sector teams deserve credit for — Derek’s defense of the hardest working people few appreciate

(41:30) Small bets, big trust — Melissa shares her playbook for incremental innovation that wins department buy-in

Connect

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#220: From Admin to Youngest CIO — How Curiosity & Collaboration Built Two Public-Sector Leaders

Featuring:

Erica Early, Chief Information Officer, Washington State Office of the State Treasurer

Lisa Faison, Chief Information Officer, City of Goodyear, Arizona

Episode Highlights:

What if the fastest route to becoming a CIO wasn’t a degree or a title — but saying yes to the “one more project” everyone else avoided?

In this episode, two women reveal how curiosity and collaboration turned overtime testing gigs into executive leadership — and what it really takes to modernize 40-year systems, lead six generations of staff, and build careers that outlast every technology trend.

Timestamps

(02:00) Overtime testing that launched a CIO career

(05:00) “Don’t tell me your problems” — building trust through business empathy

(11:00) Six generations, zero left behind — protecting institutional knowledge

(16:00) From low response to 78% engagement — redefining IT as a strategic partner

(22:00) Mom & Pop to Strategic Partner — Goodyear’s IT transformation

(24:00) The 17-year-old intern reviving legacy teams

(29:00) Slowing down to speed up — the 40-year system replacement story

(31:00) Be someone people want to work with — final career advice

Connect

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3. 🤝 The Better Together Series: a virtual podcast series where TechTables partners with leading CXOs and vendor partners for candid conversations that showcase real-world solutions, spark innovation, and drive industry action. Email me at [email protected]

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#219: How Seguin IT Built a 27-Award Culture — And What Port Houston & Flower Mound Teach About Leadership

Featuring:

Shane McDaniel, CIO, City of Seguin & 2025 TAGITM President

James O’Brien, Information Security Officer, Port Houston (& 2026 TAGITM President)

Jose Mendez, IT Director, Town of Flower Mound

Ted Gruenloh, CEO, Nomic Networks

Episode Highlights:

What happens when local IT leaders transform city government through servant leadership, authentic vendor partnerships, and homegrown talent?

Shane McDaniel reveals how Seguin’s investment in people turned 2 new positions into 5 internal promotions and 27 innovation awards.

James O’Brien shares his journey from a 2-person team supporting 450 employees to leading a high-trust, hybrid culture at Port Houston.

Jose Mendez explains how Flower Mound’s “trust but verify” accountability framework drives transparency, measurable outcomes, and stakeholder confidence.

Ted Gruenloh unpacks how authentic vendor partnerships led to 13 of 17 sales deals and why mutual trust is the foundation of sustainable partnerships.

Together, they explore how servant leadership, accountability, and community (like TAG) are fueling Texas’ award-winning IT culture — and why these lessons matter for every public sector leader nationwide.

Timestamps

(00:32) Why Texas IT Leaders Choose Public Service — Finding Purpose and Calling

(07:00) From Keyboard Warrior to Strategic Leader – James O’Brien’s Leadership Evolution

(10:00) Trust Nothing, Verify Everything – Jose Mendez’s Accountability Framework

(15:00) 27 Innovation Awards – How Seguin Built a Winning IT Culture from Within

(19:00) 2 New Positions, 5 Promotions – Shane McDaniel’s Talent Development Strategy

(23:00) 13 of 17 Deals Closed – Ted Gruenloh on Authentic Vendor Partnerships

(30:06) Funny Moment – Justin Cure and Rishma Khimji Bring Some Texas Humor

(32:59) 450 Employees, 2 IT Staff – How TAG Became James O’Brien’s Lifeline

(33:00) Building Trust in Hybrid Work – Port Houston’s Communication Playbook

(40:00) Looking Ahead to TAGITM 2026 – Why Texas Values Drive IT Excellence

Connect

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#218: How 3 State CIOs Cut Through AI Hype to Save Millions with Bill Kehoe, Tim Galluzi, Alan Fuller

Featuring

Bill Kehoe, Chief Information Officer and WaTech Agency Director, State of Washington

Tim Galluzi, Chief Information Officer, State of Nevada

Alan Fuller, Chief Information Officer, State of Utah

Episode Highlights

What if the future of government IT isn’t about the biggest budget—but the courage to ship fast, fail forward, and use AI that actually works?

Three state CIOs share how they’re turning bold ideas into measurable wins:

• Nevada detects wildfires faster and launches aircraft sooner with AI.

• Utah rolled out Gemini statewide—deflecting 70% of help-desk calls.

• Washington uses AI to translate legacy COBOL into plain English, cutting months of manual work.

You’ll also hear Tim Galluzi’s Marine Corps lesson that “speed beats perfection,” Alan Fuller’s vision for cryptographically verifiable credentials (yes, even beekeeping licenses), and Bill Kehoe’s “Coffee with Kehoe” approach that guided teams through a $16B deficit with transparency.

When CIOs put people before platforms, they build systems that truly serve citizens.

Timestamps

(01:00) Coffee with Kehoe: Leading Teams Through $16B Deficit with Transparency

(03:31) Marine Corps to State IT: “Speed Beats Perfection” Leadership Philosophy

(11:00) Utah’s Reality Check: From “Can’t Run Zoom” to Strategic Innovation Partner

(15:00) Data Foundation First: From Spreadsheet Chaos to Customer Experience Insights

(19:36) 3 States, 3 AI Wins: COBOL to English, 70% Deflection, $1M Saved

(30:30) Wildfire AI: Nevada Saving Lives with Early Detection

(36:00) “We Aren’t the Alpha Big Dog”: Learning from the Smallest Counties

(39:00) Digital Identity Revolution: Every Credential Cryptographically Verifiable

(42:00) One Portal, One Identity: Making Government Simple for Citizens

🔥 Want more from TechTables? Check out these 3 other binge-worthy episodes you can’t miss.

#209: Teena Piccione, J.R. Sloan, Mark Wittenberg, Jonathan Feldman & Joe Durante

#173: Exclusive Interview with the 23rd Governor of Arizona, Doug Ducey

#138: Breaking Burnout with Jim Weaver, CIO, North Carolina & Mandy Crawford, CIO, State of Texas

Connect

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Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways you can connect with TechTables:

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2. 🤝 The Collaboratory: The Exclusive Peer Network for Senior Technology Leaders in Public Sector, nationwide. The Collaboratory is a 100% Public Sector, Vendor-Free Private Community where you can connect, share strategies, and drive innovation alongside peers through monthly virtual meetings and our annual national event.

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3. 🤝 The Better Together Series: a virtual podcast series where TechTables partners with leading CXOs and vendor partners for candid conversations that showcase real-world solutions, spark innovation, and drive industry action. Email me at [email protected]

#217: Supercharging Cyber Resiliency — How Texas Cities Achieve Enterprise-Level Security [2025 TAGITM]

Episode Highlights

What if cybersecurity in government isn’t about buying the newest tools — but trusted relationships, shared intelligence, and grassroots innovation?

In this episode, four Texas public sector leaders share how local governments are building enterprise-level resilience without enterprise budgets. From 27 innovation awards in the City of Seguin (and counting — Shane scored #27 mid-interview), to mutual aid agreements replacing $40K emergency response contracts, to AI solutions that collapse months of compliance work into hours — this is a masterclass in trust-powered transformation.

You’ll hear how the TAGITM community launched a secure statewide Data Collective (don’t worry — Eric double-checked the security for everyone), how a Cohesity box landed in a city office just two days after the PO was signed (Jody may or may not have had it ready in the trunk), and why the best IT decisions aren’t always about cost — but collaboration, community, and a few Hawaiian shirts.

(00:45) “We’re Calling on you, Rishma!” — Shane’s Shoutout to Las Vegas Airport CIO

(03:00) 27 Innovation Awards (and Counting): How Shane’s Rural Team Built Big-City Security

(06:00) Data vs. Cyber Resiliency: The 2016 Shift That Changed Everything

(11:00) Degrees & Certs: From Zero to 13 Degrees and 27 Certs in a Small Texas Team

(13:00) Data Collective: How Texas Cities Built a Secure, Peer-Driven Vendor Intelligence Platform

(17:00) Mutual Aid Agreements: How 15+ Cities Replaced $40K Emergency Contracts

(34:00) RAG in Action: How AI Cut Compliance Work From Months to Hours

(43:00) No-Brainer Decisions: When User Experience Beats Price

Featuring

Shane McDaniel, Chief Information Officer & TAGITM President, City of Seguin

Tony Gonzalez, IT Director & Past TAGITM President, City of New Braunfels

Eric Matthews, Chief Information Officer, City of Allen

Marlin McFate, CTO & CISO for Public Sector, Cohesity

Links Mentioned

TAGITM - Serving as the premier organization for government technology professionals in Texas

Cohesity - Modern data security and management for local government. Protect against ransomware and other cyber threats. Manage local government agency data securely and effectively.

🔥 Want more from the 2025 TAGITM Podcast Tour? Check out 2 other binge-worthy episodes you can’t miss.

#213: How TxDOT's AI Cut Crashes 29% — Plus Austin's Multi-Agency Crisis Response

#215: CapMetro Built AI So Human Callers Can’t Tell + How Austin Put Data Stewardship Before AI Hype + UTSA’s “Humble, Hungry, Kind” Culture

Brought to you by:

SentinelOne—Learn how SentinelOne empowers this state to stay secure.

Verizon Frontline—The advanced network that keeps first responders connected when it matters most.

Carahsoft—The Trusted Public Sector IT Solutions Provider™, supports government agencies and education/healthcare markets. Contact your Carahsoft rep today to access special discount pricing exclusively through the TechTables + Carahsoft partnership!

Connect

🤝 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtoste/

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Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways you can connect with TechTables:

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2. 🤝 The Collaboratory: The Exclusive Peer Network for Senior Technology Leaders in Public Sector, nationwide. The Collaboratory is a 100% Public Sector, Vendor-Free Private Community where you can connect, share strategies, and drive innovation alongside peers through monthly virtual meetings and our annual national event.

CXOs Only Join Now: The Collaboratory: https://www.techtables.com/collaboratory

3. 🤝 The Better Together Series: a virtual podcast series where TechTables partners with leading CXOs and vendor partners for candid conversations that showcase real-world solutions, spark innovation, and drive industry action. Email me at [email protected]

#216: From Coast Guard to CIO — Craig Hopkins on Purpose-Driven Leadership in San Antonio

Episode Highlights

What if the secret to transformational leadership isn’t being the smartest person in the room, but being the “humble gardener” who grows others? In this episode, San Antonio CIO Craig Hopkins shares why “we’re not IT professionals, we’re operational leaders,” how small behaviors compound into culture, and what it really means to build teams with purpose. From Team of Teams to One Mission, this episode is packed with practical frameworks — a true masterclass in purpose-driven leadership.

(02:00) From Coast Guard to CIO: Finding Purpose in Service

(04:00) USAA’s 20-Year Leadership Lab: Five Careers, One Company

(08:00) A Costly Lesson at Sea: How Tragedy Shaped Craig’s View of Leadership

(14:00) Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World

(16:00) One Mission: How Leaders Unite a Team of Teams

(19:00) Behaviors → Character → Culture: How Small Actions Shape Organizations (for Better or Worse)

(25:00) The Humble Gardener: Why Great CIOs Cultivate People, Not Control Them

Links Mentioned

Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World by General Stanley McChrystal

One Mission: How Leaders Build a Team of Teams by Chris Fussell

🔥 Want more from the 2024 Houston Podcast Tour? Check out four binge-worthy episodes you can’t miss.

#208: Texas County Women Leading 6M+ Residents: From Flooded Data Centers to AI Innovation Lab to Building Unbreakable Teams

#205: From Hurricane Harvey to Beryl: Houston's "One Family" Emergency Response

#204: Why Texas DMV Chose $6M in Planning Over $150M (Plus TDLR's 25-Program Modernization)

#203: UHCL's 6-Week Leadership Pivot + AI Student Concierge + NASA Innovation Culture

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways you can connect with TechTables:

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3. 🤝 The Better Together Virtual Series: Where CXOs and partners solve real challenges, share lessons learned, and spark innovation — together.

Join companies like Dell, SentinelOne, Polimorphic, and more that are joining the conversation.

📧 Interested? Email Joe at ⁠[email protected]

Brought to you by:

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Connect

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#215: CapMetro Built AI So Human Callers Can’t Tell + How Austin Put Data Stewardship Before AI Hype + UTSA’s “Humble, Hungry, Kind” Culture — All With Limited Resources [2025 TAGITM]

Brought to you by:

SentinelOne—Learn how SentinelOne empowers this state to stay secure.

Verizon Frontline—The advanced network that keeps first responders connected when it matters most.

Carahsoft—The Trusted Public Sector IT Solutions Provider™, supports government agencies and education/healthcare markets. Contact your Carahsoft rep today to access special discount pricing exclusively through the TechTables + Carahsoft partnership!

Featuring:

Tanya Acevedo, Senior Vice President and CIO, CapMetro

Kendra Ketchum, VP for Information Management & Technology, The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA)

Kerrica Laake, Chief Information Officer, City of Austin

Chris Stewart, Chief Technology Officer, Freeit Data Solutions (former CIO, City of Austin)

What You’ll Learn:

How Austin's CIO built career pathways from college intern to executive leadership over 33 years, creating high school Shark Tank programs and veteran transition pipelines that solve the government talent crisis

Why CapMetro's paratransit AI agent sounds so human that special needs riders can't tell the difference—and how it already knows their eligibility and service history before they finish speaking

How a simple homeless services app discovered 40% hidden capacity in existing lockers, helping vulnerable citizens store belongings safely during job interviews instead of hiding them in bushes

UTSA's "hungry, humble, kind" framework that transformed 9 out of 11 frustrated leaders into collaborative innovators using Working Genius assessments and intentional failure policies

Why Tanya's team failed twice on the same project before breakthrough success, and how transparent budget conversations about declining sales tax revenue actually strengthened team creativity and resource optimization

How FreeIT Data partners with resource-constrained counties and cities to deliver the same technology solutions that large organizations require, but with creative collaboration that leverages vendor partnerships when budgets are tight

Timestamps

(03:00) From College Intern to CIO: Kerrica's 33-Year Austin Journey

(05:00) Integrity and Accountability Crisis: Rebuilding Trust in Government IT

(08:00) High School Shark Tank: Building Tomorrow's Government Tech Talent

(11:00) Hungry, Humble, Kind: UTSA's Team Transformation Framework

(16:00) 9 of 11 Leaders Frustrated: Working Genius Assessment Breakthrough

(23:00) Austin's First Technology Conference: Breaking Down 30-Year Silos

(26:00) Data Stewardship Before AI: Why Foundation Matters More Than Hype

(33:00) Breaking "Always Done It This Way": Culture vs. Strategy Battle

(36:00) AI Factory Framework: UTSA's Governance-First Automation Approach

(39:00) AI So Human You Can't Tell: CapMetro's Mind-Blowing Paratransit Agent

(44:00) Resource-Constrained Partners: FreeIT Data's Creative Government Solutions

Connect

🤝 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtoste/

🐦 Connect on Twitter: https://x.com/thejoetoste

🏛️ Follow on LinkedIn Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/techtables/

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Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways you can connect with TechTables:

1. 📬 The TechTables Newsletter: Get early access to new episodes, insights, and event updates — straight to your inbox.

Join now: https://www.techtables.com/

2. 🤝 The Collaboratory: The Exclusive Peer Network for Senior Technology Leaders in Public Sector, nationwide. The Collaboratory is a 100% Public Sector, Vendor-Free Private Community where you can connect, share strategies, and drive innovation alongside peers through monthly virtual meetings and our annual national event.

CXOs Only Join Now: The Collaboratory: https://www.techtables.com/collaboratory

3. 🤝 The Better Together Series: a virtual podcast series where TechTables partners with leading CXOs and vendor partners for candid conversations that showcase real-world solutions, spark innovation, and drive industry action. Email me at [email protected]

#213: How 3 Texas Women CIOs Orchestrate Change — From TxDOT's 29% Crash-Reducing AI to CapMetro & Austin Breaking Silos [2025 TAGITM Live Podcast Tour]

Brought to you by:

SentinelOne—Learn how SentinelOne empowers this state to stay secure.

Verizon Frontline—The advanced network that keeps first responders connected when it matters most.

Carahsoft—The Trusted Public Sector IT Solutions Provider™, supports government agencies and education/healthcare markets. Contact your Carahsoft rep today to access special discount pricing exclusively through the TechTables + Carahsoft partnership!

Featuring:

Kerrica Laake, Chief Information Officer, City of Austin

Anh Selissen, Chief Information Officer, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)

Tanya Acevedo, Senior Vice President and CIO, CapMetro

Stephanie Weber, Industry Leader, State and Local Government and Higher Ed Appian

What You’ll Learn:

Breaking Silos from the Inside Out — How Kerrica's 33-year climb from city intern to CIO taught her that real transformation starts with asking "why" at every level, and why pairing IT with city executives through Austin's Business Relationship Program rewired decades of entrenched silos.

Triple-Crisis Leadership at TxDOT — How Anh navigated a reorg, COVID, and ransomware attacks while launching crash-predictive AI that spots stranded vehicles before secondary collisions occur — delivering a 29% statewide reduction in secondary crashes across construction zones.

Turning Financial Crisis into Transit Innovation — How Tanya's transparent leadership during a sales tax shortfall inspired cross-training initiatives that birthed $1.75 fully integrated trip planning — allowing CapMetro to directly compete with expensive, unreliable rideshare.

Unified Emergency Response in Action — How Austin's women CIOs orchestrated city, state, and transit agencies in one CTEC center, creating a coordinated crisis response model.

How Appian-Powered Orchestration Connects Human Services End-to-End — Linking housing assistance, food programs, and job services so no resident falls through the cracks.

Why Leading Agencies Choose Process Improvement Over "Efficiency" — How component-driven approaches help departments work smarter with existing systems instead of costly rip-and-replace projects that disrupt operations.

Timestamps

(01:00) 33-Year Orchestration: From City Intern to Silo-Breaking CIO Leadership

(02:00) Breaking Departmental Silos: Business Relationship Program Pairs IT with City Executives

(04:00) Crisis as Catalyst: CapMetro's Transparent Response to Sales Tax Decline

(06:00) Triple Crisis Orchestration: Surviving Reorg + COVID + Ransomware at TxDOT

(13:00) Crash-Reducing AI in Action: 29% Secondary Crash Reduction Through Predictive Analytics

(17:00) Transit Orchestration: $1.75 Multi-Mode Integration That Competes with Uber

(21:00) CTEC Center Model: Orchestrating City, State & Transit for Emergency Response

(24:00) Change Management Strategy: Applying "Weakest Link" Principles Across Organizations

(28:00) AI Orchestration Framework: Ethical Pilot Programs Over Shiny Technology

(32:00) Legacy System Orchestration: Innovation Labs That Modernize While Preserving Function

Connect

🤝 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtoste/

🐦 Connect on Twitter: https://x.com/thejoetoste

🏛️ Follow on LinkedIn Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/techtables/

📽️ Subscribe here: ‪ https://www.youtube.com/@techtables

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways you can connect with TechTables:

1. 📬 The TechTables Newsletter: Join our thriving community of senior technology leaders by subscribing to the TechTables Newsletter. Gain early access to the latest episodes, industry insights, and exclusive event updates.

Join now: https://www.techtables.com/

2. 🤝 The Collaboratory: The Exclusive Peer Network for Senior Technology Leaders in Public Sector, nationwide. The Collaboratory is a 100% Public Sector, Vendor-Free Private Community where you can connect, share strategies, and drive innovation alongside peers through monthly virtual meetings and our annual national event.

CXOs Only Join Now: The Collaboratory: https://www.techtables.com/collaboratory

3. 🤝 The Better Together Series: a virtual podcast series where TechTables partners with leading CXOs and vendor partners for candid conversations that showcase real-world solutions, spark innovation, and drive industry action. Email me at [email protected]

#212: From COBOL to Salesforce: Washington State Liquor Board’s 9-Year, Multi-Million Modernization + Army Leadership Lessons

Brought to you by:

SentinelOne—Learn how SentinelOne empowers this state to stay secure.

Verizon Frontline—The advanced network that keeps first responders connected when it matters most.

Carahsoft—The Trusted Public Sector IT Solutions Provider™, supports government agencies and education/healthcare markets. Contact your Carahsoft rep today to access special discount pricing exclusively through the TechTables + Carahsoft partnership!

Featuring:

George Williams, CIO, Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board

What You’ll Learn:

How a 42-year-old COBOL system from 1983 finally got retired — and why a 70-year-old contractor stayed on just to see it die

Why George paused the entire project for a year and restructured the whole team — and how that bold move led to a successful go-live after two failed attempts spanning nine years

The critical moment George stopped outsourcing ownership to contractors and put actual agency employees in charge

How battlefield leadership lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan shaped George's approach to managing massive licensing operation

Why “success” nearly broke the system — and how the agency handled 30,000+ phone calls in just three months post-launch

How George built a cross-division data governance team to prevent inaccurate AI answers — and what every CIO should learn from it

Why Salesforce developers are solid gold — and how George is fighting to keep them in the public sector with training budgets and team loyalty

The one job George believes every CIO must do: take the heat round so their team can thrive

Timestamps

(00:35) From Army Combat Vet to Cannabis & Liquor Board CIO

(03:00) Basketball to Military: “Too Slow for Forward, Too Short for Center”

(06:00) Iraq 2004: Getting Blown Up and Building Resilient Teams

(12:00) 9-Year Project Nightmare: Firing Teams and Rebuilding from Scratch

(16:00) 42-Year-Old COBOL System: The 1983 Legacy That Wouldn’t Die

(23:00) 7 Legacy Systems to Salesforce: The Technical Transformation

(26:30) 20,000 Liquor + 1,900 Cannabis Licenses: Managing Complex Customer Operations

(33:00) CIO as Translator: Making Tech Make Sense to Non-Tech Leaders

(38:00) 30,000 Phone Calls Post-Launch: When Success Creates New Problems

(44:00) Leadership Lessons: Taking the Heat and Supporting Your Team

Connect

🤝 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtoste/

🐦 Connect on Twitter: https://x.com/thejoetoste

🏛️ Follow on LinkedIn Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/techtables/

📽️ Subscribe here: ‪ https://www.youtube.com/@techtables

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways you can connect with TechTables:

1. 📬 The TechTables Newsletter: Join our thriving community of senior technology leaders by subscribing to the TechTables Newsletter. Gain early access to the latest episodes, industry insights, and exclusive event updates.

Join now: https://www.techtables.com/

2. 🤝 The Collaboratory: The Exclusive Peer Network for Senior Technology Leaders in Public Sector, nationwide. The Collaboratory is a 100% Public Sector, Vendor-Free Private Community where you can connect, share strategies, and drive innovation alongside peers through monthly virtual meetings and our annual national event.

CXOs Only Join Now: The Collaboratory: https://www.techtables.com/collaboratory

3. 🤝 The Better Together Series: a virtual podcast series where TechTables partners with leading CXOs and vendor partners for candid conversations that showcase real-world solutions, spark innovation, and drive industry action. Email me at [email protected]

#211: South Florida CIO Roundtable: 1,000+ Sensor Network, Centennial Celebration, Miami Beach's AI Agents & More

Brought to you by:

SentinelOne—Learn how SentinelOne empowers this state to stay secure.

Verizon Frontline—The advanced network that keeps first responders connected when it matters most.

Carahsoft—The Trusted Public Sector IT Solutions Provider™, supports government agencies and education/healthcare markets. Contact your Carahsoft rep today to access special discount pricing exclusively through the TechTables + Carahsoft partnership!

Featuring:

Frank Quintana, CIO, City of Miami Beach

Ricardo Castillo, CIO, City of North Miami Beach

Raimundo Rodulfo, CIO, City of Coral Gables

Kyle Patel, VP of Engineering, Polimorphic

What You’ll Learn:

How Miami Beach serves millions of international tourists with 6 AI agents instead of expanding staff in their 7-square-mile destination

Why Coral Gables found a missing child in 2 minutes during a 50,000-person event using computer vision from 1,000+ sensors

The leadership story behind "hand the marker" - how South Florida CIOs transform interns into teachers who build better teams

How Polimorphic's AI pre-screens applications in 30 seconds, catching 90% of errors before staff review (25 languages expanding to 70)

Why North Miami Beach turned a 6-year permitting system failure into breakthrough collaboration across 14 departments

The governance strategy that blocks shadow AI while enabling department self-service: Miami-Dade College education + centralized licensing + technology controls

Timestamps

(03:00) 7 Square Miles, Millions of Tourists: Miami Beach's AI-First Customer Service Strategy

(08:00) 1,000+ Sensors to 2-Minute Rescue: Coral Gables' Smart City Emergency Response Evolution

(16:00) 30-Second Application Pre-Review: Polimorphic's AI Catches 90% of Errors before staff review (25 languages expanding to 70)

(22:00) Shadow AI Governance: Miami-Dade College Education + Centralized Licensing Strategy

(30:00) 6-Year Permitting Failure Becomes Collaboration: Breaking Down North Miami Beach's 14-Department Silos

(34:00) Hand the Marker Leadership: How Interns Become Teachers Who Build Better Teams

(42:00) Human Capital as Competitive Advantage: Coral Gables' Private Sector Mindset in Government

(47:00) 25 Languages to 70: Polimorphic's Multilingual Government Access Transformation

(50:00) The Next Decade CIO: From Keep-the-Lights-On to Strategic Problem-Solving Partner

Connect

🤝 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtoste/

🐦 Connect on Twitter: https://x.com/thejoetoste

🏛️ Follow on LinkedIn Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/techtables/

📽️ Subscribe here: ‪ https://www.youtube.com/@techtables

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways you can connect with TechTables:

1. 📬 The TechTables Newsletter: Join our thriving community of senior technology leaders by subscribing to the TechTables Newsletter. Gain early access to the latest episodes, industry insights, and exclusive event updates.

Join now: https://www.techtables.com/

2. 🤝 The Collaboratory: The Exclusive Peer Network for Senior Technology Leaders in Public Sector, nationwide. The Collaboratory is a 100% Public Sector, Vendor-Free Private Community where you can connect, share strategies, and drive innovation alongside peers through monthly virtual meetings and our annual national event.

CXOs Only Join Now: The Collaboratory: https://www.techtables.com/collaboratory

3. 🤝 The Better Together Series: a virtual podcast series where TechTables partners with leading CXOs and vendor partners for candid conversations that showcase real-world solutions, spark innovation, and drive industry action. Email me at [email protected]