State Agencies Honored for Tech Excellence at 2025 Best of Texas Awards

Public-sector technology innovation took center stage at this year's Texas Digital Government Summit as state and local agencies across Texas were recognized at the 2025 Best of Texas Awards.

The ceremony highlighted projects that demonstrated excellence in service delivery, collaboration, data analytics and workforce transformation. Winners were selected for initiatives that have modernized outdated systems, expanded digital accessibility and elevated service to constituents.

The following are this year’s awardees recognized by Government Technology* across multiple categories:

Best Application Serving an Agency’s Business Needs

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality was recognized for its Permit Search Portal Expansion and Modernization. The map-based platform improves transparency by enabling the public to easily access environmental permit and investigation data using keyword search or geolocation. With Google Maps integration and a mobile-first design, the project replaces a legacy process with a scalable, user-friendly system built in collaboration with Technology Solution Services and the Department of Information Resources (DIR) Shared Technology Services program.

Travis County IT Services earned recognition for enhancing the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) through a redesigned system that automates student-employer matching. The SYEP 2.0 platform replaces spreadsheet-heavy processes with dynamic job match scoring, searchable databases and automated communications, reducing staff workload while improving outcomes for participants.

Best Application Serving the Public

The Office of the Attorney General was honored for launching the Texas Consumer Complaint Portal in response to the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act. The portal allows residents to file data privacy complaints through an accessible, secure interface that supports case tracking, business responses and internal workflows.

DIR and the Department of Public Safety received recognition for the Third-Party Skills Testing Portals and TxT Driver License Upgrade. The initiative enables online upgrades from learner to provisional driver's licenses through the TxT digital assistant and third-party testing infrastructure. More than 20,000 upgrades have been completed, supported by a statewide outreach campaign.

Also recognized in this category was the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) for its launch of the Texas Child-Centered Care System (T3C). The initiative replaces a 30-year-old model with a child-focused framework that uses universal assessment tools and new funding structures. More than 1,300 children have received services through T3C to date.

The Texas Workforce Commission was honored for its modernization of the Vocational Rehabilitation Case Management System. Known as the ReHabWorks Renovation, the project consolidated legacy platforms into a cloud-based system with integrated AI support, real-time dashboards and increased automation. The system has expanded service capacity and earned national recognition.

Best IT Collaboration

Multiple state agencies were awarded for their partnership on the Search Engine for Multi-Agency Reportable Conduct (SEMARC). DIR, DFPS, the Health and Human Services Commission, the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Juvenile Justice Department collaborated to launch a shared system that helps prevent individuals with substantiated misconduct from transferring between care settings. SEMARC offers real-time identity authentication and cross-agency record access.

Best Workforce/Workplace Initiative

The city of Fort Worth received recognition for its retrofit and move to a new city hall. By converting an existing office building, the city saved significant costs while delivering a modern, technology-enabled workspace that includes upgraded connectivity, audiovisual infrastructure and mobile support for more than 1,600 staff.

The Lower Colorado River Authority was also honored for its enterprisewide Data Governance Initiative. The program established retention policies, labeling protocols and data stewardship standards across the organization. The initiative retired more than 350,000 documents and supports compliance with standards from agencies including the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the FBI.

Innovative Use of Data Analytics

The city of Grand Prairie’s IT Department was recognized for developing a centralized Department Technology Dashboard that tracks KPIs, project statuses, asset management and cybersecurity metrics. The tool supports strategic planning and has helped reduce redundant software spending.

TWC’s Performance Analytics Team earned honors for the Post-Implementation Review of Business Outcomes (PIRBO) Dashboard, which provides insight into post-implementation outcomes of agency IT projects. Built using Power BI and other tools, the dashboard helps leaders assess operational impacts, cost savings and service improvements.

Excellence in Project Management

Sandra Landers of TWC was recognized for her leadership of the Wage and Hour Modernization and Migration project. Her work included the creation of new tracking and analysis tools and helped stabilize a complex modernization effort involving automation of labor law investigations.

*The Texas Digital Government Summit is hosted by Government Technology, the sister publication of Industry Insider — Texas. Both are part of e.Republic.