Overview

March 15

It’s a tumultuous time for the government workforce. Record numbers of people are quitting their jobs as part of the so-called Great Resignation – and the public sector is no exception. Other generational forces, including the rise of Gen Z and the wave of baby boomer retirements, continue to disrupt the public workforce.

Meanwhile, we’re only just beginning to understand the true impact of the pandemic on the nature of work. Hybrid work environments bring cultural, technological and geographic challenges – and opportunities – for agencies to consider. Automation is helping organizations realize new efficiencies and upskill employees for higher-value work.

To help state and local governments navigate these challenges in 2022 and lay the foundation for a modern public workforce, Governing and Government Technology are launching a new initiative focused on developing a new talent strategy. In a series of virtual conversations, Q&As and other resources, we’ll explore the new rules and best practices for attracting, hiring, onboarding, skilling and motivating the workforce of the future – and the technologies that help support those goals.

Join us March 15 as we launch this initiative with a discussion of the high-level trends and tech that are reshaping the public workforce – and what state and local leaders need to know to modernize their talent strategies.

Speakers

Alex Lawrence

Interim Chief Information Officer City of Boston Department of Innovation and Technology

Alex Lawrence currently serves as interim Chief Information Officer at the City of Boston’s Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT). In this role, she is a member of the Mayor's cabinet and oversees the City of Boston’s central IT organization. Alex empowers a team of over 150 staff to build and maintain the technology tools that improve life for residents and keep the City running. She’s tasked with pushing forward the priorities of her department: building exceptional digital services, bringing data and analytics to all decision making, improving the City’s technology infrastructure, and ensuring that all residents of Boston have access to the technology and digital tools they need to succeed. Alex is currently on leave from her position as Director of Growth and Operations at Bloom Works, a women-owned digital services firm which helps governments and other mission-driven agencies human-centered technology solutions to the communities they serve. Prior to her time at Bloom Works, Alex held various roles within the City of Boston's Department of Innovation and Technology including serving several years as the Department's Chief of Staff. Alex has spent her career in people, program, and project management in both the public and non-profit sectors. She is passionate about organizational capacity building, process improvement, and creating a modern workforce that will produce the next generation’s leaders. Alex holds a Masters in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School and a Bachelor of Arts from Wesleyan University.

Curtis Wood

Secretary and Chief Information Officer, MA

Curt Wood serves as the Cabinet Secretary and Commonwealth’s Chief Information Officer, overseeing the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security (EOTSS), whose mission is to provide secure and quality digital information, services, and tools  to constituents and service providers when and where they need them. Governor Baker created EOTSS, formerly MassIT, in 2017 to standardize, centralize, and secure infrastructure and core services. Before joining EOTSS, Secretary Wood served in the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) as the Undersecretary for Forensic Science and Technology and as Chief Information Officer. At EOPSS, Mr. Wood was responsible for providing strategic leadership and oversight to various EOPSS departments, including the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the State Crime Laboratory, the Office of Technology and Information Services, the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services, and the State 911 Department.

Teri Takai — Moderator

Vice President, Center for Digital Government

Teri Takai is the Vice President of the Center for Digital Government, a national research and advisory institute on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government. She worked for Ford Motor Company for 30 years in global application development and information technology strategic planning. From Ford, she moved to EDS in support of General Motors. A long-time interest in public service led her to the government sector, first as CIO of the State of Michigan, then as CIO of the State of California, and subsequently the CIO of the U.S. Department of Defense, the first woman appointed to this role. She then served as the CIO for Meridian Health Plan. She is a member of several industry advisory boards.

Webinar

The 2022 Workforce Talent Strategy: Building the Public Workforce of the Future