FDOT has a FY 2024 budget of more than $15 billion, making it the state’s second-largest department. Its mission is to maintain a safe transportation system that promotes mobility, economic growth and environmental preservation across the state. FDOT oversees highways, airways, railways, seaports, spaceports, transit and expanding facilities for cyclists and pedestrians.
The Florida Gaming Control Commission, comprising five members, regulates all forms of gambling in the state except for the lottery. This includes overseeing parimutuel wagering, cardrooms, slot machine facilities and gaming compacts, as authorized by state law and the constitution. It was created through legislation in 2021, with the commission’s CIO calling it the first government startup in Florida in more than two decades.
Below are key takeaways from the briefing from FDOT CIO Glendora Fortune:
- Staff: “We have approximately 6,000 full-time equivalent employees and over 10,000 consultants. This number varies, with some consultants external and others serving as embedded staff augmentations, supporting daily operations and extensive project needs.”
- Cloud infrastructure: FDOT is currently in the midst of modernizing its legacy systems. According to Fortune, “One of our top priorities is the data infrastructure migration and modernization project. We’re gearing up to begin phase five of this initiative.”
- Innovation: Fortune emphasized the importance of “identifying suitable use cases for initiating small-scale pilots before full-scale implementation” to sustain AI strategy discussions and policies.
- Staff: As a new agency, the commission has a smaller staff of about 250 members. Whitmire noted, “It has been a fascinating two years establishing an agency with such an important mission.”
- Cloud infrastructure: The Gaming Control Commission operates entirely in the cloud and did not need to migrate any data, having started fresh as a new department. This posed challenges, as most vendors are experienced in modernizing legacy systems rather than setting up entirely new cloud infrastructures. Whitmire explained, “Managing cloud networking and computing from the ground up has been uniquely challenging, unlike the data migration processes typical for other agencies.”
- Innovation: When discussing AI, Whitmire acknowledged that it dominates conversations about future projects. However, she pointed out the challenges due to a lack of understanding and clear policies. “While the industry is heavily focused on AI, we are still at the foundational stage. Our goal is to educate people on what AI entails, its boundaries and best practices.”
*e.Republic is Industry Insider — Florida’s parent company.
