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John Roussel, the driving force behind the California Department of Public Health’s IT operations, is retiring at the end of April. His departure punctuates a more than two-decade career in state IT.
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A new chatbot is being used to answer routine, non-emergency calls immediately. The system has already diverted nearly 20 percent of non-emergency traffic from busy dispatchers, officials say.
The California Department of Technology and the Franchise Tax Board are both looking for leadership for critical technology programs.
The push to streamline the city's "broken" and "bloated" charter has Mayor Daniel Lurie eyeing changes to contracting.
What to Know:
- Mike Robbins has joined Ivanti as regional vice president for U.S. SLED, where he will lead the company’s state, local and education market efforts.
- Robbins previously spent close to four years at NetApp, most recently serving as district sales manager for SLED Midwest Atlantic.
- Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles in supply chain and procurement.
What to Know:
- Officials from the California Public Employees’ Retirement System and State Teachers’ Retirement System shared their priorities during an exclusive briefing Thursday.
- Both agencies are working to modernize and perfect critical systems, while keeping an eye on where new technologies can be integrated.
- Officials say they need vendor partners who understand the mission and the security sensitivity surrounding their work.
City leaders unanimously voted in an ordinance to limit Battery Energy Storage Systems, even as state permitting could override the local restrictions.
Dean Gialamas, a familiar face in Southern California IT circles, has been tapped as the next IT bureau chief and CIO for the Los Angeles Police Department.
A group of technology companies is seeking permits for a fiber-optic hub near the beach that would link California with New Zealand and Australia through a 7,000-mile subsea system.
Sacramento International Airport is using AI-enabled technology to better manage its busy curbs and enforce the rules across millions of visitors each year.
Christine Harada, who replaced Sarah Soto-Taylor as Government Operations undersecretary in August, is leaving the role for a position on the California Public Utilities Commission.
When he led the California Department of General Services, Daniel C. Kim got a look at all kinds of procurement. Here's one tool from the construction world, he argues, that could help tackle a prominent problem in IT purchasing.
Early permitting portal work shows departments need more than just software — they need better processes, better outreach and proof that the new systems reduce friction.
The California Department of Technology has partnered with Gartner to better prepare incoming department-level CIOs for the job ahead of them. The inaugural run of the invitation-only program will host 25 IT leaders from 24 departments.
Lea Eriksen, who has served as the director of the Technology and Innovation Department since June 2018, has taken an assistant city manager position with Culver City.
The city of Salinas is in the early stages of upgrading its building permitting system. According to its Capital Improvement Plan, the project will cost just more than $2.3 million during the next six fiscal years.
Industry Insider — California is pleased to welcome Cornerstone OnDemand to the Insider family. The Santa Monica-based firm’s AI-enabled workforce agility solutions — like its Galaxy platform — help organizations manage their personnel through an all-in-one platform. Galaxy allows users across a broad range of industries to identify skills gaps and development opportunities, retain and engage top talent, and provide multimodal learning experiences to meet the diverse needs of the modern workforce.
Lloyd, who has served in technology leadership positions in San Jose, Seattle and beyond, will be joining the Center for Digital Government as its executive director.
In early February, Tong announced that she was stepping away from her role as senior counselor to Gov. Gavin Newsom. Now, she’s been appointed to the state’s Racial Equity Commission.
The Legislative Analyst’s Office has raised concerns about unanswered questions, cost overruns and lack of oversight as the California Office of Emergency Services moves ahead with statewide transition to a next-generation 911 system.
What to Know:
- The Department of Cannabis Control is asking the Legislature for money to support IT enhancements and comply with recently signed legislation.
- Assembly Bill 8 created new oversight and enforcement mandates for the department that will require funding and resources.
- The department has also issued an RFP for a new Laboratory Information Management System Replacement project, with bids due in March.
Police Chief Paul Joseph voiced support for the automated license plate readers, calling them a crime-fighting "linchpin," even as civil rights groups say proposed reforms don’t go far enough.
Contributed
The public workforce system stands at a crossroads. Career services professionals are increasingly tasked with serving harder-to-reach jobseekers under programs like Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA). These front-line staff must juggle verifying unemployment benefits eligibility and providing personalized reemployment coaching, often with limited time and resources. It’s a daunting challenge that raises a critical question: How can we scale support for those who need it most? The answer may lie in Agentic AI and AI-powered agents designed to work autonomously alongside humans which could be a game-changer for workforce development.
AI is helping governments and enterprises modernize aging systems faster while strengthening cybersecurity — an approach reflected in initiatives like Kosmic Eye supporting California’s digital infrastructure.
Insights from A1M Solutions on low-cost, low-risk ways to implement AI today
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