Building Relationships Through Live Events

Happy Friday, everyone. It's Joe Morris here. Dustin Haisler speaking at an event today, but I'm happy to bring you an action-packed episode of In Case You Missed It. We're going to be getting into the mind of the CIO. We're going to be joined by Kim Lagrue, the CIO for the City of New Orleans, and our own SVP Phil Bertolini. I'm going to be talking about what's on the horizon in events and some action-packed insights for you all in terms of making the most of your event experience. So without any further delays, I want to welcome Kim to the show. Kim, thanks for joining me.

Thanks, Joe. Glad to be here today.

So I know this is your first In Case You Missed It episode. Can you start by sharing with us a little bit more information on your background and your role as CIO for New Orleans?

Sure thing. I'm Kim Legrue. I'm the Chief Information Officer of the City of New Orleans. I consider myself a career government employee. I've worked in the private sector for about a third of my career, but I started in government and I've come back to government. So I've been here again about 10 years. I love operations, IT, and technology. That's kind of where I started. I've been a telecommunications engineer. Communications is really near and dear to my heart. Networking is my true profession. So this and IT operations is something that I've done for a long time. A lot, a lot part of my job and my career has been spent at the City of New Orleans specifically. So building networks and rebuilding networks, modernizing government, I've kind of seen some of those cycles.

Mm-hmm.

I've been on the before and after of my private sector time doing those, those things. So I really love the work. I'm passionate about it. The City of New Orleans has about 400,000 residents. and 4,500 city employees. So our role is to support them all, and that does include our police and fire departments, so public safety, as well as the city offices, legislative and administrative side of government. And serving the mayor and her priorities are tantamount for me and my team.

That's great. You know, so I'm a self-professed GovTech geek, and one of the benefits of my role is frequently getting the opportunity to moderate panels and attend our events. And a few months ago, we actually held the Louisiana Digital Government Summit.

Yes.

I didn't, I didn't get to go there, but I was hoping maybe you could share with us what some of the standout themes or topics of the conversation were from that event. What were the things that stuck with you that maybe you brought back to your team?

Well, so I am, like I mentioned, I am a technologist and a nerd. And one of the things that I find probably the most challenging in my job as the CIO is to stay above the technology, to think about the business, to think about service delivery and areas that are not my strengths. The cool thing about the GovTech conference is I got to kind of nerd out. I got to be with my peers and people who talk about things that I love, the technology approach. Good, good information there about cybersecurity. I really enjoyed talking about identity management. I mean, we were really talking about the nuts and bolts in the operation of IT. That was so cool to me. On the other side of that was the stuff I really needed to hear. I needed somebody to be talking to me and really helping me develop, and that was things like workforce development and retention, retaining recruitment and retention of IT professionals. our employees. The great thing was being in a room of my peers, having some perspective, some vendor perspective, but really talking about things that were going to help us deliver services to our residents and talking to other people who were doing the very same things. Like whether it was a different way of doing that or not, that— I just found the conversations really useful. But I think the standouts for me were about cybersecurity and identity services management. Those were just really important as we move our infrastructure from the premise to the cloud. Many organizations are in hybrid environments. Government really doesn't have the flexibility to make moves at one time. You know, we don't really get to rip off the Band-Aid with a sizable capital investment as private sector can do, banking and other financial— and financial industries. they really can do those things even though they can be methodical in their planning. Ours has to be long-term planning. So hybrid environments are really, really the thing right now. And to talk so much about that was very helpful to me as well.

You mentioned workforce, you've mentioned cyber, you mentioned identity. If you were to maybe share with the audience, what are some of your current priorities or those items that are of increasing importance to you As you look forward in guiding your strategy?

Those things.

So maintaining continuity of service. The pandemic has taught us a lot, but New Orleans is a disaster-prone, I have to say, city, meaning we can be affected by so many things. And we do a lot of crisis management, but we put on a lot of events here. So continuity of operations and New Orleans being on the forefront and front and center in a lot of large events and large operations means our services just have to stay up. We do heavily support our public safety teams. So reliability is really important. So right now we're looking at how best to continue our services and deliver a great user experience to our residents. That has to also be important. Because they too are challenged with the, the many things that affect life here in New Orleans. And our responsibility is to, to make sure they are in communication with government and that they have the information and resources that they need to feel safe in their communities and to thrive in their communities.

When you look ahead, whether that's 12 months, 18 months, 24 months, are there any projects on the horizon or initiatives that are exciting you that you're looking forward to getting off the ground?

Yeah, so we're refocusing our website. The pandemic taught us a good bit about the user experience and what was important to residents. And as I mentioned, it's being able to communicate with them. So for us, we learned things about how effective our interface was with our residents, modernizing that or just making it more user-focused. It was— I think it was government-focused, I have to say. say that. We had our website organized by department and what we thought they did, and we found out that was starkly different from what the community and the public thought that they did. So we're taking a more service-oriented approach. So we've got a great new and robust permitting and customer-facing website deployment coming up. We also are modernizing some of our legacy financial systems. Our ERP was implemented in 2019, but tax collection, land management, and just better ways for our residents to interface with the city financially is important. So we're launching a new robust financial management system and user experience for people who pay taxes in the city, collect revenue, and run businesses. Those things are great and really excite me as we just try to do better and be more efficient in the way that we deliver services. And on the nerd side of things, continuity of operations and expanding our data center. So we recently moved our data center off-premise and into some remote facilities. So getting that footprint just the way we like it is going to be a big project that we're undertaking. So we want to move faster. We want to be more reliable. And I'm hoping that we have a year without any weather threats. We are midway through what we consider hurricane season. And that just buys us some time and affords us the opportunity to get that done. And lastly, I have to say I'm just so excited about the investments that are coming from the federal level to cities and local government. Pandemic taught us that our residents need connectivity. And we have some areas where we know our citizens are challenged and they have not adopted broadband and technology and they need more than just an internet connection. So over the past— so over the next 18 to 24 months, we're going to be looking closely at how we can put those federal funds to good use to expand our digital footprint into the community and give people what they need where they need it. So in some areas, that's going to mean more diverse services, and in other areas it's going to mean the most basic services and some education. So we're ramping up our teams to do that kind of work, and I think everyone's excited right now. This is an unprecedented time, and IT gets to lead something, and that's kind of fun to us.

Absolutely. You're saying exactly what I'm seeing across the country. IT leading an exciting time. You outlined a healthy, you know, amount of IT projects that are sizable in scope and obviously impact. You know, and I think it's happening at a very fast pace, very different than maybe what we saw 2, 2 and a half, 3 years ago. How do you kind of keep up with that pace and keep up to speed in all the rapid changes that are happening in the market? You talked about when we kicked this off trying to stay ahead of the technology. So how do you do that?

I rely heavily on my peers and places where I can go that are highlighting the work. that my peers are doing. There's a city my size somewhere. There's a CIO who's implementing many of the things I'm doing. There's a city with the same challenges as mine. So I rely a good bit on the work that my peers are doing. For instance, I just came back from Miami and went to one of the operations centers in that area and learned about digital twins. So my peers in places that represent the work that my peers are doing is really important to me. GovTech, that summit was so helpful. The information and the learning that came out of those experiences was really helpful. So I also like publications that feature the work that they're doing. GovTech is— I look on the COVID and there's a person that sat next to me at the summit, right? That is really great to see. And I like places that represent that work well and give a fair share to vendors who are doing the work and delivering solutions that are really important to government. Everything doesn't fit our models, but I usually can find something there that's, that's useful to me. So that's kind of where I go. It's my go-tos.

Well, great. That brings me to my last question. That's a perfect segue for agencies that are looking to replicate your successes or maybe steal your good ideas. And those industry partners that are looking to learn more about how they can work with you, where's the best place for them to go?

I think when you're talking about New Orleans in particular, right, I think our website reflects, and I've always taken the position that we want to be solving problems, and the problems are not just the internal ones. They really are the things that are happening in our cities. So our website really highlights the work that we're doing. It usually highlights the mayor's priority and her agenda. Right now, because there's so much investment, federal investment and local levels, I'd say go look at what the grant opportunities are and where the investments are going. That's the work that we're going to be focusing on because that's what really makes sense and those are our real needs. Really feel seen and heard at this point. So looking there is great. And lastly, IT departments are usually aligned in budget and spending with the priorities of a city. So we feature our budgeting for priorities in our community meetings and the things that have been happening as we plan for the next year's budget cycle. So it's also great to just look and see what we spent last year, what we're proposing for this year. We have a great amount of presentation about our accomplishments for 2022 and what we're headed to in 2023. So right, right here in our city, nola.gov is where you'll find me and all the work that we're doing here.

All right, well, we'll drop that in the show notes. And I want to thank you for taking a little bit of time out of your day, especially coming off the travel that you mentioned, to share the great work that's happening in the city of New Orleans.

Really appreciate it. Thanks, Joe.

Thank you. Take care. All right, now I want to bring to the show a past guest of the show, but so happy to have him back. Phil Bertolini. Phil, since you've been on the show, you're now in a new role, and every time we have you on the show, I think you're in a different location. So why don't you kick us off by telling us a little bit about your new role and what you're up to today?

Joe, happy to be here as always, and thank you for having me on. And I think you should have a cardboard cutout of Dustin just, just in case he's going to do a cameo. Just a thought. But yeah, Joe, so my role has changed. You know, I've been honored to be— this month is actually my 3rd anniversary here at eRepublic and government technology, and I started in the Center for Digital Government working with Terry on the Digital Communities program and got to work with so many great local CIOs like Kim and all the great work that they're doing. I'm actually now the Senior Vice President in charge of events for eRepublic, so that means Digital government summits, IT leadership forums, technology forums, you name it. The team that I work with now is putting those sessions on and those events on nationwide. It's been a great transition, Joe, and I just want to say thank you, you know, to you and Dustin and everybody on the team that has made this transition work for me. And we're going to do great things coming up in the next year.

Well, it's been a, it's been a fun 3 years, and like you said, exciting time looking forward. As we look forward, this year for you has been filled with a lot of air miles. You've been traveling the country, you've been attending these events across the nation. One of my favorite things is to identify those trends that you see at the events. What are the things that are common? What are the things that are standing out that are a little bit different? So what are you seeing in the trenches?

First, I'm seeing that air travel is not real easy right now. So just as an FYI, it's been a little bit of a struggle, but I can say that when we get to these events, people are so excited to be there in person. Joe, being live again is incredible, the energy that you get from the people in the room. And what we've done this year is we've really made these events something you have to be at. You know, it's an experience that you're going to come away with that is going to be second to none. But what am I hearing out there? So we're talking a lot about cybersecurity, Joe. It's the top priority in all of our surveys. It's been the number one priority for many years. Cybersecurity is still going to be a high priority, but right up there with it, we're starting to see more workforce issues and the workplace issues. What do we do with remote work? How do we handle not having people in the office every day to be able to deliver services? And It's a bit of a struggle out there, and so they definitely want to hear about that. But some of the other unique things that are coming up, Joe, and we're seeing a real trend here too, is they want to know more about AI. You know, emerging technologies tend to get sprung on government in many ways, and you know, you think about the cloud in 2010 and '11, no one really knew what it was. AI, this is a great new technology, but what are we going to use it for? It's getting much more traction today. People are starting to wonder, well, what are we going to use it for? But it's also becoming part of things that we're already using. We better have a better understanding. And the other aspect that I think has been really cool is the whole people side of things from a user perspective. So in other words, human-centered design has been something that people have been talking about. They've been talking more about the impact on people from these technologies and, and what's going to happen longer term. So the government experience Is big. And then last thing I'll mention is, you know, this whole intertwined issue of the cloud and modernization. You know, how do we take those old legacy technologies and make them new again? There's been so many great panelists that we've had at these events, and we have incredible keynotes and some really thought-provoking discussions. What we're getting feedback is that people are walking away with something they can tangibly use. That's what we want. We want them to get the ideas they need, and the knowledge they need to go back and make government better. It's been very exciting.

Yeah, it's probably an unfair question, but, you know, all the events that you've attended this year, has there been a speaker, a moment, a learning, a connection, anything that inspired you that you could share with the audience?

You know, it's tough, Joe, because every event I go to, I walk away and say, wow, to, you know, some of our keynote discussions have been incredible to where, you know, people have just been engaged in there and, you know, they're really enthused about what they're hearing. The breakout sessions, I think one of the best things, without naming an individual, what I will say though is this combination of private sector and public sector taking an issue and kind of building on it, ripping it apart, talking about it, has been really super popular. So I, I have to give big kudos to the public sector folks and the government folks in every state we've been in have been right on the mark. They're moderating, they're speaking, they're doing incredible work. And at the same time, we have our private sector partners at the same discussion really knocking it out of the park. So I think the breakout sessions have been something that have been very exciting for me to be part of, and I know that this new moderated panel format has been a big winner. So if I had to pick a winner, something that really really set me on the path of wanting to do more. It's this coming together of the public sector government and private sector coming together to really take an issue, tear it apart, and come up with solutions. Yeah, so you could try trying to pin me down on a person. Way to go, Joe. You know, you got me in trouble.

Just doing my job. Just doing my job. Yeah. You know, you mentioned your 3-year anniversary. I don't think you've ever fully taken off the CIO CIO hat, and that's benefited us here at Eddie Republic. But we also just heard from Kimberly. She had a very ambitious IT modernization agenda, and I think that's a common thread that we go in state by state or city by city. When, you know, as a former CIO, how, you know, with so much going on, how are you seeing agencies, CIOs, leaders prioritize what they tackle?

Yeah, this is a tough one. The issue of prioritization and management of projects and programs has always been difficult. And it's a special skill set that many people in government IT are starting to get more of today. But the ability to say, okay, I have these 5 things, which one's the most important? That actually shifted, Joe, during this crisis. If you think about what was in priority prior, then during, and then after, those priorities shifted multiple times. So what government technology leaders are trying to do is they're trying to say, okay, what are the big things that I need to do? What's above the radar? In other words, what are people seeing out there that we can show, hey, we did these great things like digital services and all the other aspects of it? Then there's these things that are under the radar, which are your modernization of your infrastructure, all the components and foundational things that need to be done. So to prioritize those, it's tough. So If I walk in front of a city council or a township board or a county commission or a state legislature, how do I say that that bridge you want to put up is less important than this network that I need to modernize? So what government IT leaders are doing is they're being very careful how they prioritize. And they also are looking at sustainability and resiliency as they're doing that. So the things that they can do now that are foundational, they're doing those now. And they're prioritizing those high, where probably prior to the crisis of the pandemic might not have been as high on the burner. So I think this is an interesting time. It's, you know, the value of technology has risen, money is being applied to the problem. Now you have to execute. And I believe governments are figuring this out, that I need to maybe take this in winnable chunks, even more so today, to make sure that I have those early successes so I can build on those and go forward. So they're working hard at it. They're gaining more expertise in project and portfolio management, and they're also managing the expectations of their elected leaders at the same time. So they're doing a great job.

You know, you look at the market right now, we got more money, you know, the federal money, pandemic infrastructure, you know, Kimberly mentioned it as well. You've got the initiatives that were accelerated as a result of the pandemic or even coming out of the pandemic. And you still have the same hours in the day, right? If you're a CIO, if you're industry, how— maybe what advice would you have for industry partners? What's the best way for them to cut through the noise? And then how do they stand out at an event? We're still maybe shaking off a little bit of that rust in terms of coming back to in-person. So what advice would you have?

It's interesting, Joe, because prior to the pandemic, I met with a number of CIOs when I first came on board And I started interviewing, what do they need? What do they need? What do they need? And they all said, hey, we need partners in the room. We need to understand what's happening. But take that and put it on steroids today. There's a pitched battle for IT resources. There's a struggle to get the people they need to deliver on all these high expectations. They need partners now more than they ever did. So as a partner, one of the things that I would be doing is, one, getting to that strategic plan. Finding out what they're working on, try to get some sort of idea of what those priorities we just talked about a little while ago are. Is it infrastructure? Is it applications? Is it security? What is it? And then I would build my arguments around that, and I would enter the room as an evangelist. I wouldn't enter it as a salesperson. I'd say, hey, here, I know you have these problems. I know what you're trying to solve. These are the things I would do to solve that. Now, if I have things that can help do that, Mm-hmm. then that's great. Now, our events though provide this incredible opportunity to get that common knowledge. So when people are attending our events and our private sector partners are attending our events, if you're at a level of sponsorship where you have our badge scanning app, scan the badges.

Mm-hmm.

I mean, there are people that are walking up to you and they're asking questions and they have this wonderful badge with a QR code on it. Scan that badge. Why is that important? Because they're telling you by, by having you scan that badge, They're interested in what you do. They want to talk more about what you do. So that conversation becomes much more natural. And then after the event, when you reach out, it's like, I remember you, you scanned my badge at the event. We can have that conversation. Relationships are never totally easy, and I get it. And relationships change over time. But if you can go ahead and be in person, shake their hand, scan their badge, or give them an elbow bump, you know, some people are still a little concerned about shaking hands. But then, then, then exchange information. That's at the beginning of a potentially long relationship where they're going to understand what you do. You're going to understand what they need. You can evangelize it and you can solve their problems. It's a new day out there for government. State and local governments are working together now more than they ever have. So how do you, how do you get in the middle of that relationship and make sure you're delivering value that they need so dearly?

All right, what's coming in 2023? What can we expect?

Yeah, 2023 is going to be a big year, Joe. It's a big year. We have all of our events that we have this year that are live, but we're adding 10 new events. We're adding 5 new IT Leadership Forums in states around the country in the spring. Stay tuned, we'll be releasing that very soon. We also have 5 new Digital Government Summits in states that we weren't in before. So we were in 38 states, now we're going to be in 43. Next year, Joe, believe this or not, this is a number that just floored me. We're going to have over 60 events next year.

Wow.

Over 60 events across the country, and we're growing that footprint. And the main reason we're doing that is we want our government friends to be able to engage with each other. We want our private sector partners to be able to engage with each other and our government friends. And in the end, the goal is to help make government better. We're going to do that. We're going to provide the content, provide the engagement, provide the expertise to make that happen. We're excited about 2023.

As am I. So where are you going next?

I am— I'm actually headed to the state of New York for the New York Digital Government Summit. I'll come back and do Michigan. And Joe, I get to go do the event in Hawaii. So I'm not complaining at all about the travel. I'm going to be excited about that.

Someone's going to do it, Phil. It might as well be you.

Might as well be me. That's right.

Where does it—

where does our audience go to learn about our events?

Go right to govtech.com/events. You can actually go there, you can see what's happening in all of our events. We have our upcoming events and our current— you can even go back into past events to see what we've covered and where we've covered it. But yeah, that slate of events is out there and it's ready, and our agendas are on there to show you exactly the types of sessions we're going to cover.

Well, great, Bill. Thanks again for taking time out of your busy travel schedule to share a little bit with our audience.

Happy to do it, Joe. Good to see you as always.

Again, everyone, happy Friday. Thanks to Kim. Thanks to Phil for joining us. And we'll see you next week on another episode of In Case You Missed It.