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Chandler Treon

Chandler Treon is an Austin-based staff writer. He has a bachelor’s degree in English, a master’s degree in literature and a master’s degree in technical communication, all from Texas State University.

  • The columns and edge of the roof of a court building as seen from below.
    News
    Texas Indigent Defense Commission Floats Tech, AI Modernization Request
    What to Know:
    • TIDC’s proposal identifies possible tools for legal research, drafting, discovery review, trial preparation, case management and client administration.
    • The technology component is part of a broader $64.1 million proposal to stabilize and modernize public defense systems.
    • The posted document lists conflicting cost figures for the technology component, so the final request amount remains unclear.
    Insider
    July 16, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
  • Aerial view of San Marcos on a sunny day.
    News
    Hays County Names Chris Ulibarri IT Director
    What to Know:
    • Ulibarri joins after nine years as a division director within Travis County IT
      Services.
    • His priorities include the county’s strategic technology initiatives, cybersecurity and departmental support.
    • He previously spent 12 years directing technology implementation at the University of Texas at El Paso.
    Insider
    July 16, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
  • A beige-sided building with the words "Texas Workforce Commission" above the entrance.
    News
    TWC CIO Heather Hall Retires, Jeff Peden Named Interim
    What to Know:
    • Hall had led the agency’s IT organization since 2019.
    • Peden has served as deputy CIO since 2016 and previously led IT at another Texas agency.
    • The transition comes as TWC weighs Sunset recommendations on modernization planning, procurement and data governance.
    Insider
    July 14, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
  • budgeting_shutterstock_522559909
    News
    Agencies May Limit Exceptional Funding Requests in Upcoming Budget
    What to Know:
    • Many Texas agencies are likely to file their next Legislative Appropriations Requests in August for the 2028-29 biennium.
    • The next budget cycle is expected to have less discretionary funding than the last two.
    • Industry Insider has heard discussion that agencies may be discouraged from including exceptional items.
    Insider
    July 14, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
  • An aerial view of downtown Abilene, Texas
    News
    TxDOT Draft Transportation Plan Includes $37.6M in Traffic Technology Projects
    What to Know:
    • Most of the identified traffic technology work is in the Austin District, with projects on I-35 and SH 71.
    • The listed projects are funded through Category 12 Strategic Priority and Category 2 Metropolitan and Urban Corridor Projects.
    • The draft does not guarantee construction; it authorizes TxDOT and local partners to prepare projects based on potential future cash flow.
    Insider
    July 10, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
  • HoustonLightRail
    News
    Harris County Approves $14.7M in Technology Items
    What to Know:
    • The largest approval was an $8.6 million TransCore agreement for roadside toll collection system maintenance.
    • Other approvals covered cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, public safety systems, laboratory automation, workforce software and data management.
    • The Flock surveillance amendment passed on consent without added funding, while an Accenture juvenile justice technology item received no action.
    Insider
    July 10, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
  • A person in a blue business suit working on a laptop with open lock icons floating around it.
    News
    Cyber Command Plan Calls for AI Defense, Faster Procurement
    What to Know:
    • The new agency is scaling from 48 full-time employees toward an anticipated workforce of 122.
    • Proposed functions include threat intelligence, incident response, digital forensics, statewide reporting and 24/7 monitoring.
    • Capital planning areas include managed cybersecurity services and a transition to post-quantum encryption.
    Insider
    July 09, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
  • White icons including a shopping cart, a lock, a star and an envelope, surrounded by circles and connected by lines, also in white. Blurred multicolored background.
    News
    NCTCOG, Alliance for Innovation Expand Cooperative Purchasing Access
    What to Know:
    • Members can use the combined portfolio through Civic Marketplace without signing separate interlocal agreements.
    • Civic Marketplace lists the shared catalog at 279 contracts, 504 vetted suppliers and 14 service areas.
    • The arrangement also extends access to participating COGWORKS agencies through the East Texas Council of Governments’ existing TXShare membership.
    Insider
    July 09, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
  • View of Amarillo, Texas, with baseball diamond in foreground.
    News
    Amarillo Assistant City Manager, Chief Technology Officer Resigns
    What to Know:
    • Amarillo has not announced an interim or permanent replacement for CTO Rich Gagnon.
    • City financial documents and the Texas Municipal League directory list Missy Laird as chief information officer, but neither identifies her as Gagnon’s successor.
    • Gagnon’s work with Amarillo included cybersecurity, broadband modernization, infrastructure security and creation of the city’s digital human employee.
    Insider
    July 07, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
  • shutterstock_AI.jpg
    News
    Brazos County Adopts Artificial Intelligence Use Policy
    What to Know:
    • County users may not submit protected or confidential data to public AI tools.
    • AI tools may not independently make final governmental, legal, personnel, procurement, financial, enforcement or policy decisions.
    • Inputs and outputs may be subject to the Texas Public Information Act and county records retention rules.
    Insider
    July 07, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
  • The Texas Capitol.
    News
    Abbott Appoints Don Huffines as Texas Comptroller
    What to Know:
    • Huffines will replace Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock, with his service scheduled to begin Aug. 1.
    • The appointment fills the vacancy before the November general election, when voters will decide who holds the elected statewide office going forward.
    • Huffines is a Dallas-area businessman and former state senator who represented District 16 from 2015 to 2019.
    Insider
    July 02, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
  • Texas Open Data Platform.png
    News
    Texas Open Data Portal Downloads Top 2M
    What to Know:
    • Use of the Texas Open Data Portal has grown alongside broader demand for centralized digital access to state information and services.
    • Published data assets have grown from 488 to 1,348 since 2022, while participating agencies increased from 26 to 36.
    • DIR says the portal can help reduce routine public information requests by giving users direct access to already published data sets.
    Insider
    July 02, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
  • Top of the capitol building in Washington, D.C., in dual colors communicating color blindness
    News
    Texas Republicans Push Federal AI Oversight Bills
    What to Know:
    • U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran, R-TX 1, introduced a bill to create a federal reporting framework for critical AI incidents involving advanced models.
    • U.S. Rep. Brian Babin, R-TX 36, is backing legislation that would authorize a federal center focused on AI security and innovation.
    • The proposals point to potential new expectations around risk reporting, testing and documentation for AI systems.
    Insider
    July 02, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
  • Urban sprawl along I-35 in Austin
    News
    Texas, Oklahoma Data Agreement Links Traffic Systems Across State Line
    What to Know:
    • Shared information includes camera status, incidents, roadway hazards, closures, work zones, travel times and environmental sensor data.
    • The agencies are considering future additions such as truck parking availability, freight routing data, special event traffic coordination and evacuation route information.
    Insider
    June 30, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
  • Hacker
    News
    Wise County Sheriff’s Office Systems Hit by Hackers
    What to Know:
    • The sheriff’s office filed a catastrophe notice suspending public information request deadlines from June 22 through June 28.
    • The notice said the office could not access records systems.
    • The notice does not say whether personal information was accessed.
    Insider
    June 30, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
  • A bright blue arrow heading upwards across the screen with a golden line in the middle of it. Dark background.
    News
    DIR Plan Highlights AI, Procurement and Cloud Expansion
    What to Know:
    • DIR's latest strategic plan, new this month, calls to expand AI guidance, training, pilot programs and sandbox work.
    • Cloud adoption, website modernization and broader use of texas.gov, TxT and identity access management are listed as priorities.
    • DIR is seeking procurement threshold changes and plans a procurement-as-a-service pilot.
    Insider
    June 26, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
  • TexasCapitol
    News
    Brent Spikes Promoted to VP of Business Development at PMCS Services
    What to Know:
    • Spikes brings nearly 25 years of Texas state government experience, primarily supporting health and human services technology and large-scale transformation initiatives.
    • His background includes enterprise agency consolidation, Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program modernization and early biometric technology pilots.
    • In his expanded role, he will focus on public-sector partnerships, AI, cybersecurity and accessibility solutions.
    Insider
    June 26, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
  • Data Breach
    News
    Alamo Heights ISD Data Breach Affected Nearly 30K
    What to Know:
    • The Texas Office of the Attorney General entry says the affected information included names, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, financial information and medical information.
    • The district provided notice to consumers by U.S. mail, according to the state’s breach reporting site.
    • The disclosure follows the district’s March confirmation that the ransomware incident disrupted systems across the district.
    Insider
    June 26, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
  • The words "Texas Workforce Commission" mounted to the side of a building just above the entrance.
    News
    Sunset Commission Notes TWC Technology Modernization Problems
    What to Know:
    • Sunset staff cited delayed, scaled-back and prematurely deployed systems.
    • Recommended changes include a two-year IT modernization plan, revised procurement framework, program-led launch criteria and a unified data model.
    • The report also flags technology-related needs in multiple areas.
    Insider
    June 25, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
  • AustinCityHall_0907.jpg
    News
    City of Austin Hiring CTO, Deputy CIO for Technology Services
    What to Know:
    • The chief technology officer will oversee more than 130 employees, six direct reports and a technology budget exceeding $60 million.
    • The deputy CIO for customer engagement will lead business relationship management, service portfolio management and the Project/Program Management Office.
    • Both positions are based at the city's Grove Campus, with first review of applications beginning July 20.
    Insider
    June 25, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
  • Livestock cows in a field.
    News
    Texas Launches Central Website for New World Screwworm Information
    What to Know:
    • The governor’s website is intended to serve as Texas’ central online source for New World screwworm information.
    • The portal brings together state and federal resources, including identification guidance, sample collection procedures, case dashboards and zone maps.
    • A separate Texas Department of Agriculture map adds detection and reporting functions.
    Insider
    June 23, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
  • hunter1
    News
    Texas Parks Breach Exposes Data of More Than 3M License Customers
    What to Know:
    • TPWD has not publicly named the vendor involved, though public contract records and Gordon-Darby’s website identify the company as tied to the agency’s license sales system.
    • The agency says Social Security numbers, dates of birth and financial information were not obtained.
    • TPWD has already moved boat registration services onto TxT, but hunting and fishing license sales remain on Texas License Connection.
    Insider
    June 23, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
  • A sign in a storefront window that says "We Accept SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)."
    News
    HHSC Eyes Provider System Redesign, SNAP Automation Work
    What to Know:
    • The commission expects to go live with the redesigned Provider Enrollment and Management System in August 2027.
    • HHSC is using real-time prompts, flags and automation to help eligibility workers reduce common SNAP payment errors, including income-calculation errors.
    • The agency has deployed an AI-supported policy guidance tool for eligibility workers.
    Insider
    June 23, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
  • Downtown Austin and the capitol as seen from Congress Avenue.
    News
    Chad Holmes Named CISO for Texas Attorney General’s Office
    What to Know:
    • Holmes brings more than 25 years of private-sector cybersecurity leadership experience across incident response, threat intelligence, AI and cyber resilience.
    • His new role focuses on cybersecurity, AI-enabled operations, breach response workflows and public-private collaboration.
    • The Texas Office of the Attorney General role is his first in the public sector.
    Insider
    June 18, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
  • University of Texas at Austin campus on a sunny day.
    News
    University of Texas System Hiring Deputy CIO
    What to Know:
    • Public UT System organizational charts and leadership directories currently identify William Huang as deputy chief information officer.
    • The position helps oversee Applications, Client Services and Infrastructure teams and supports IT strategy, governance and service delivery.
    • The role requires a bachelor’s degree and seven years of IT or comparable leadership experience in similar multi-institutional entities.
    Insider
    June 18, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
  • family.png
    News
    DFPS Plan Emphasizes Case Management, AI and Data Governance
    What to Know:
    • The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services plans to modernize case management, statewide intake and contract tracking.
    • AI, cybersecurity and operational continuity are listed as technology priorities.
    • Data sharing and performance monitoring are tied to Community-Based Care expansion.
    Insider
    June 16, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
  • Aerial view of downtown Waco from the Washington Avenue bridge.
    News
    City of Waco, Texas, Seeks a Chief Information Officer
    What to Know:
    • The city currently lists Christie Acosta as interim director of information technology.
    • Mike Searight was identified as CIO in public materials as recently as April 2026.
    • The city is working with Strategic Government Resources to conduct the search, which closes July 12.
    Insider
    June 16, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
  • Rackspace image.jpeg
    News
    DPS Leaders: AI Success Starts With Trusted Data, Clear Use Cases
    What to Know:
    • The Kerr County flooding response showed how quickly communications, geospatial awareness and data-sharing tools become operational necessities during large emergencies.
    • DPS leaders emphasized scalable pilots, proof-of-technology projects and use cases that can deliver mission value before broader deployment.
    • The agency is looking for technology partners that understand public safety operations, bring tested ideas and can help turn fragmented information into actionable insight.
    June 12, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
  • A row of servers in a data center.
    News
    Abbott Directs Utility Regulators to Address Data Center Costs
    What to Know:
    • PUCT and ERCOT must submit a joint memo by July 17 outlining actions taken under existing authority, statutory limits and recommended legislation.
    • PUCT must begin action by July 31 to reduce residential transmission costs.
    • Abbott’s proposed legislative priorities include water-efficient cooling, annual electricity and water reporting, changes to data center incentives and community protections such as setbacks and noise-reduction technology.
    Insider
    June 12, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
  • Closeup of a person stepping over a pothole in a sidewalk.
    News
    Robots to Map Tyler Sidewalks for Accessibility Review
    What to Know:
    • Daxbot and Kimley-Horn will collect accessibility data beginning June 10 to support Tyler’s ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan.
    • The assessment will cover about 94.5 miles of sidewalks and trails, associated curb ramps, 122 signalized intersections and 59 transit stops.
    • Six to eight robots will operate during daylight hours seven days a week, with field collection expected to take about four weeks.
    Insider
    June 12, 2026
     · Chandler Treon
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