Texas CIOs Talk Upcoming IT Projects, AI Implementations

This year’s Industry Insider — Texas State of Technology forum brought agency leaders to the stage to discuss their next wave of major IT modernization projects, covering everything from core system replacements to AI-powered automation fueled by new legislative funding and strategic planning efforts.

Wendy Barron, CIO of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV), said her agency received $125 million from the Legislature to initiate a full replacement of its registration and title system. The project will replace a legacy ecosystem made up of more than 20 applications, including a 30-year-old core platform that has struggled to keep pace with changing vehicle technologies and legislative updates.

“We're really looking at transforming service delivery from the ground up,” Barron said. She noted that implementation would follow a modular structure, with multiple vendor opportunities expected starting this fall. The overhaul will also include re-architecting the agency’s data infrastructure and exploring changes to authorizing statutes to better support digital transactions.

Drew McGrath, CIO at the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), described his agency’s efforts to develop a new Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System. The project, which replaces a fragmented legacy platform running on outdated Java infrastructure, will integrate AI capabilities and serve as a foundation for future innovation. McGrath said the agency has federal approval to move forward with planning, with implementation documents expected by the end of the calendar year.

“We’re looking at about 20 new projects tied to this effort,” he said, including data quality work and system integration efforts that will span multiple fiscal years.

At the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), CIO Heather Hall described an expanding portfolio of AI and automation tools already in use across the agency. TWC has implemented more than 150 use cases to date and is now deploying a new customer relationship management system to unify customer interactions across programs. That platform will include AI-powered chat, live support and workflow enhancements that surfaced as priorities during the pandemic. Other AI initiatives underway include summarization tools for civil rights investigations, automation for legislative analysis and new efforts to digitize paper-based unemployment claims.

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) CIO Jamie McClanahan, the agency is taking a more focused approach, piloting an AI-based image recognition tool that scans tens of thousands of photos from field cameras to identify wildlife. The department is also preparing to implement robotic process automation for accounts payable, with additional plans to explore drone analytics and GIS data processing to support conservation programs.

Agency leaders emphasized the importance of informed vendor engagement, noting that many of the initiatives announced at the forum will involve a combination of internal teams and external support.

“There’s going to be a lot of different vendors involved in these projects,” McGrath said. “Now is the time to engage — but come to the table with a clear understanding of what our agency does.”

As planning efforts accelerate in the second half of 2025, state officials encouraged vendors to monitor agency statements of work, participate in conferences and working groups and ensure their offerings are aligned with evolving agency needs.