Williamsen has been in the technology field, public and private, for decades, and Techwire thought his insights would be interesting and valuable to our members. The transcript of this email exchange has been only lightly edited.
Techwire: Since you joined the city in 1999, right before Y2K, what have been the two or three changes in technology that have most influenced the city’s digital status, its finances and the way it does business with technology vendors?
Williamsen: 1. The evolution of networking, from cable modem and ISDN to full-on fiber deployment. 2. The transformation of email and sharing from what I might call employee benefit (so rarely used) to now mission- critical.
Techwire: How has the city’s IT relationship with the state changed from 1999 to today?
Williamsen: Become more open, more cooperative. Lots of sharing with the State CIO office. One big item: CalNet for telecommunications purchasing. MISAC has been instrumental in this.
Techwire: You’ve worked in several realms, from the U.S. Defense Department, to Bechtel, to your own business, to municipal government. How is municipal IT different from the federal sector? From the private sector? Who does IT best?
Williamsen: I do! Seriously, most of my previous work was in engineering, not IT. My background in engineering prepared me for IT. And IT didn’t exist “in those days!” It used to be data processing, then MIS. IT has really only been IT for 15 years or so. In the private sector, I think there’s a bit more understanding that tech is vital for efficiency; so many businesses fail if tech fails.
Techwire: As a public servant, what are the one or two achievements in your Petaluma role that you’ve found the most rewarding? Is there one accomplishment that you’d like to call your legacy?
Williamsen: Modernized the network to deploy fiber and VoIP phone systems. And really fast! Migrate/upgrade the finance system the second time, also, very fast!
Techwire: Has Petaluma’s proximity to Silicon Valley helped the city’s technology in any way — through workforce, innovation, networking, visibility or other ways?
Williamsen: Only when we’ve been able to visit high-tech organizations, mostly through MISAC events. We’ve never benefited from a workforce standpoint.
Techwire: What are the top three priorities facing your successor?
Williamsen: Move to paperless (less paper, anyway) processes, in face of staunch reluctance; rapid deployment of new tech, despite efforts to plan and prioritize; extricate IT from burdensome tendencies.
Techwire: What advice will you give him or her?
Williamsen: To constantly watch out for the “legacy tendencies” embedded in the City’s workflows. And just expect the unexpected.
Techwire: How has Petaluma’s digital posture been helped by your long involvement with MISAC, culminating in your presidency in 2018-2019?
Williamsen: MISAC members share so much, it’s easy to query and find that whatever problem you have, it’s likely someone has had it and maybe even solved it. Or you can solve it with all that advice and wisdom, or co-solve it. I’ve told some management the City always realized 100x in benefit the effort I put into MISAC. As the old adage goes, “You get out of it what you put into it.” So it’s been with MISAC, only we got 100x.
Techwire: Managing government technology in a time of crisis is always a challenge, whether that’s from Y2K, the terror attacks on 9/11, the Great Recession of 2008-2009, or now COVID-19. Is there a philosophy or an attitude that’s helped you weather those headwinds? Any overarching principles? Any advice for other State and Local IT leaders as they grapple with remote work, slowdowns in the supply chain, and budgetary uncertainty?
Williamsen: You left out the (now yearly) wildfires. A problem is always an opportunity in disguise. I’ve been fortunate to have a high sense of clarity in the face of chaos — the more chaotic, the better clarity I’ve had. And I’ve always been lucky to be able to see things other people don’t.
Techwire: Under your presidency, MISAC had a 50 percent increase in membership and a much broader involvement in committees by members. What did you to do increase the organization’s breadth and depth?
Williamsen: I looked at our strategic planning session, decided we needed member involvement. To me, that means more participation. To get that, it was sensible to create and stimulate committees or task forces. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t easy! It took a fair amount of cajoling. That benefited membership growth and the quality of MISAC programs.
Techwire: Give us a ballpark by-the-numbers for Petaluma: From 1999, how many people were in Petaluma’s IT Department, and what was its approximate budget? What are those numbers 20 years later?
Williamsen: In 1999, four of us; $700,000. Now, the budget staffing is seven, and almost $2 million. Note: We have a lot not covered by the IT budget. But neither budget nor staffing have kept up with the growth and coverage of technology; every process, every employee is touched by tech here.
Techwire: You’ve said you’ll remain active in MISAC after you retire. What else will you do in retirement?
Williamsen: My wife and I need to catch up on visiting and traveling -- once this pandemic subsides. Maybe golf, music. I think I mentioned more than once the temptation to stick my toes in the consulting pool, maybe while I’m still relevant. My mind needs to be challenged and to grow.
The executive director of MISAC, Brad Walker, published this profile of Williamsen in a recent edition of the MISAC Matters newsletter.
