Ed Miranda is the city of Newark’s first chief information officer/IT director, a role he’s held since August in a career that’s spanned 38 years and included leadership roles in both the private and public sectors. As the CIO for the city, situated between San Jose and San Francisco, he oversees a staff of six and an annual IT budget of about $3 million. And since January, he’s held a second high-profile role: president of the Municipal Information Systems Association of California (MISAC).
Miranda’s first stop in his technology career was as a student intern with Douglas Aircraft Co., after which he moved to Boeing Corp. as an engineer/scientist and team lead. After that, he joined government as the Information Services supervisor in Anaheim’s Public Works Department. Miranda subsequently worked in consulting and then as IT Western Region manager for PeopleSoft/Oracle, where he built and managed teams while continuing his hands-on work in technology. He then returned to Boeing, where his role was IT manager in the IT Competency Center, Global Integrated Development Environment Service Center.
In October 2014, Miranda rejoined government as IT manager for the city of Fremont, where he earned the Certified Government Chief Information Officer (CGCIO) certification through Rutgers University Center for Government Services. He assumed his current role as Newark’s inaugural CIO/IT director last summer. (Miranda’s “Insider Takes” interview in October with Industry Insider — California can be found here.)
Miranda was born in Guam and lived in Adak, Alaska, for a time while his father served in the U.S. Navy. He graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a Master of Science in software management, earned a Master of Business Administration/Technology Management from University of Phoenix, and received his Bachelor of Science degree in industrial technology/quality assurance from California State University, Long Beach. The Fremont resident is married and enjoys spending time with his wife and family.
This week, Miranda is presiding over the MISAC conference being held in Lake Tahoe.
Industry Insider — California: As CIO/IT director for the city of Newark, how do you describe your role?
Ed Miranda: As Newark’s inaugural chief information officer and director of information technology, my role was clear. The first task of hiring four team members to support the vision to modernize city technology and services took three months. Following their onboarding, it was a quick acceleration to assess the state of the city’s IT services and implement defenses to protect the cybersecurity landscape. The last several months have been just that: discover and fix. Our team has moved into a strategic planning phase with the kickoff of a Technology Master Plan and Broadband Master Plan, while continuing to support daily operations.
IICA: As president of MISAC, same question: What’s your role as leader?
Miranda: As the current president of MISAC, my role is to promote the four pillars: (1) Relationships, (2) Member Resources, (3) Education and Professional Development, and (4) Advocacy. This is an opportunity to bring together the collective experience of the membership and IT leaders who volunteer their expertise and time serving as board members, chapter officers and committee chairs. In other words, I see myself taking a step back to see the big picture to help provide needed resources and celebrate their successes.
IICA: How do you define “digital transformation?” How far along is Newark’s IT in that process, and how will you know when it’s finished?
Miranda: Digital transformation, as it relates to the public sector, is a journey that includes a fundamental transformation of the way government operates and delivers services securely with efficiency. As a newly established Information Technology Department, it’s been important to align strategies with Newark’s General Plan. As such, Newark’s IT is in its infancy in its journey toward digital transformation. While the first nine months have been filled with recruitment, discovery and “fixing things,” we’re excited as we move forward with engaging with the community on addressing broadband and smart growth needs, in addition to engaging with internal stakeholders on technologies that make sense to deliver services securely and efficiently.
IICA: What are your top priorities for 2023 for Newark’s IT Department? What should vendors be watching for?
Miranda: The top priorities for Newark’s IT Department include:
- Establishing a governance and operations practice: The IT professionals who joined Newark bring their collective experience with them and are creating the needed governance to support IT operations. This includes adjusting and sometimes replacing IT tools and applications. A focus on standing up a GIS infrastructure is in progress.
- Improving the cybersecurity threat landscape: As far as cybersecurity is concerned, this continues to be a top priority to assure an effective cybersecurity program. Vendors can expect us to reach out to learn more about how our cybersecurity goals can be solved by their offerings. Addressing topics such as SOC (security operations center), SIEM (security information and event management), endpoint protection, email protection, cybersecurity training, web security, firewalls, remote connectivity, identity access management, vulnerability/pen testing, and zero trust continue to be areas of interest to many municipalities.
- Improve broadband for the community: The American Rescue Plan Act funding and state funding from AB 179, with legislative support from Assemblyman Alex Lee, is being used to address unserved and underserved areas within Newark to improve broadband infrastructure. Newark IT, in collaboration with Public Works and Economic Development, will lead community engagement to develop a Broadband Master Plan to prioritize the use of available funds.
IICA: What are the challenges of leading a group like MISAC, with member cities ranging from small to large? How do you prioritize the member cities’ needs?
Miranda: With 1,600 members representing cities and special districts of varying sizes through the state, the biggest challenge is collaboration and communication. There are so many opportunities for members to get involved, and it’s communicated through the three chapters (Central, Northern and Southern) and the MISAC State Board of Directors that manages the direction of the association as a whole via our state bylaws. No matter the size of the city or special district, there is always value to be gained at the various meetings, whether the format is webinar, classroom, conference or networking. Priorities focus on all cities, whether small or large. An example includes opportunities for grants (broadband, cybersecurity, etc.) or legislation that may affect cities (such as the migration to a .gov domain, required pen testing, or a move to zero trust).
IICA: What is Newark’s estimated annual IT budget, and how many employees does your IT team have? What is the city’s estimated overall budget?
Miranda: Since the city of Newark’s IT department is new, it was created in the middle of a biennial budget cycle. The current annual budget is approximately $3 million; that includes six FTEs (full-time equivalents). Total annual operating budget is approximately $75 million.
IICA: How do you prefer to be contacted by vendors, including via social media such as LinkedIn? How might vendors best educate themselves before meeting with you?
Miranda: Vendors can maximize their chances of engaging in meaningful discussions and potentially forming successful partnerships by following a few guidelines:
- While I am open to various communication channels, I prefer initial contact from vendors to be through email. This allows me to review information at my convenience and prioritize requests effectively. Sharing relevant details of your offerings, especially value propositions and specific challenges you can address, is helpful. Of course, meeting and chatting at conferences (such as the upcoming MISAC annual conference, Sept. 24-27 in Palm Springs) or at events, is always welcome.
- Connecting via LinkedIn is acceptable, and I especially appreciate it when the invitation clearly articulates how the product or service aligns with our organization’s goals (whether city or MISAC). Please note that I prefer that you refrain from immediately pitching your offerings upon connecting.
- Vendors that take the time to research our organization and the specific IT requirements before reaching out are more likely to grab my attention. Understanding our existing technology landscape, ongoing projects and pain points shows a genuine interest in meeting our needs. References and use cases that demonstrate previous success, especially from local municipalities, help build trust and confidence in vendor offerings.
- Finally, I appreciate vendors who propose brief introductory calls (no longer than 30 minutes) or meetings to discuss potential collaboration rather than immediately requesting extensive time commitments. Please know that I receive numerous inquiries, and responding to each one takes time.
IICA: Your experience includes a deep background in both industry and government. What’s one thing they each can learn from the other, in terms of technology?
Miranda: Over my career, there are some noticeable differences between private industry and government, in terms of technology. Cross-pollination of ideas and experiences within the private and public sectors can foster collaboration and lead to improvements in both sectors. A potential lesson that can be learned includes this: Agility and innovation are often emphasized in private industry as they need to stay competitive in the market. Public-sector IT can learn from private industry’s approaches to adapt quickly to changing technology landscapes and adopt innovative solutions.
IICA: Putting on your MISAC president’s hat, what are the one or two biggest challenges facing California’s municipalities in terms of technology?
Miranda: There are limited workforce resources available to meet the operational needs of municipalities. Traditionally, municipalities are managed with a lean IT workforce. Municipalities often have robust security and compliance requirements due to the sensitivity of the data they handle. Meeting the demands from security measures and ... maintaining compliance with regulations and standards is challenging.
IICA: What do you read to stay abreast of developments in the gov tech/SLED sector?
Miranda: While there are a number of resources specifically tailored for the SLED sector (Government Technology* magazine, NASCIO publications, Public CIO magazine, Education Technology magazine, GovLoop, webinars and conferences), I also focus on government-specific research reports, white papers, and publications from technology consulting firms, think tanks, and research organizations. Other affiliations that prove helpful include: Esri, IACP (International Association of Chiefs of Police), ICMA (International City/County Management Association), MMANC (Municipal Management Association of Northern California), and local colleges.
IICA: What are your hobbies, and what do you enjoy reading?
Miranda: As a lifelong martial artist, I began my training at the age of 9. Having earned black belts in both Taekwondo and formal training in the Japan Karate Association, I’ve both been a student and instructor. Other hobbies include a general exercise regimen of walking/running, bicycling (both road and mountain biking), gardening, and anything hands-on that includes construction and automobile maintenance. As far as recreational reading is concerned, my interests are in the subjects of my hobbies.
*Government Technology magazine is a publication of e.Republic, which also produces Industry Insider — California.
Editor’s note: This interview has been lightly edited for style and brevity.
