GTA Update - Jul-Aug 2021

Update newsletter

Jul-Aug 2021 | Vol. 13, Issue 4

New GTA leaders face changed IT demands on state government

GTA opens the new fiscal year not just with novel challenges sprouted from a changed world and changing demands on government. FY 22 begins with new leaders whose considerable task is to guide GTA in helping state agencies serve Georgians.

Governor Brian Kemp has appointed Shawnzia Thomas to serve as GTA Executive Director and the state's Chief Information Officer. He also appointed Jessica Simmons to a new role of Deputy Chief Information Officer for Broadband and Special Projects at GTA. Shawnzia arrived at GTA July 1, and Jessica is expected July 15.

Of the appointees (including Robyn Crittenden as Department of Revenue Commissioner) announced June 17, Gov. Kemp said the leaders bring “a wealth of knowledge and experience that will allow Georgia to remain a leader in combatting wasteful spending, streamlining government, keeping Georgia the top state for business, and creating new opportunities for hardworking Georgians."

Shawnzia has served in Georgia state government for more than 13 years, most recently as assistant deputy commissioner of the Georgia Department of Human Services. She was previously executive director of the Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity and director of the Georgia Secretary of State’s corporations division. She is also a commissioner on the Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity’s advisory board. A Georgia native from Macon, Shawnzia holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of West Georgia.

In the Deputy Chief Information Officer role, Jessica Simmons will oversee broadband development and other projects. She comes to GTA from Georgia’s Department of Revenue where she has served as a deputy commissioner overseeing divisions including legal affairs and tax policy, law enforcement, and communications and legislative programs. She earlier served as chief of staff in the Secretary of State’s Office, as well as assistant director of the Georgia Elections Division. Another Georgia native, Jessica is originally from Marietta and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Georgia.

Shawnzia takes over after the departure of Calvin Rhodes, who left state service June 30 after 10 years as GTA Executive Director and state CIO. (See article below.)

Calvin Rhodes departs after decade as Georgia's CIO

Long-serving state CIOs are of highly select vintage. For a bit more than a decade since early 2011, Georgia has enjoyed the fruits of having one of them in Calvin Rhodes. As Georgia Chief Information Officer and GTA Executive Director over those years, Calvin built quite a record. And before he departed state service June 30, he ranked as the most tenured active state CIO in the nation.

Calvin blended keen business sense with an appreciation for how technology can enable more efficient government. Throughout his leadership of GTA, that pairing succeeded. He led the state's public/private partnership to transform and modernize Georgia’s IT enterprise. He guided the evolution of the state’s shared IT services program, GETS. He prioritized cybersecurity and maturing strategic use of agencies' digital presence (e.g., websites, social media).

Calvin directed GTA's oversight of construction of the state-of-the-art Georgia Cyber Center in Augusta and its 2018 debut. More recently, he oversaw GTA’s contributions to the state's broadband deployment initiative, and creation of the first-of-its-kind Georgia Broadband Map, in particular.

"Under Calvin's leadership, Georgia led the way in modernizing our technology to ensure that our data is secure and our state remains competitive,” said Governor Brian Kemp.

During Calvin’s tenure, Georgia improved to an A grade (the highest possible) in the closely-watched Digital States Survey administered by the Center for Digital Government. Georgia won several prestigious NASCIO State IT Recognition Awards from the National Association of Chief Information Officers. And in 2020, Calvin himself received NASCIO’s Decade of Leadership Award.

Innovation prized even more during challenged times

Nearly as much as it was defined by pandemic, the last year and more has been framed by pressing need for innovation. In medical research and healthcare, sure. But that need has been felt just as acutely in delivery of government services.

In so many instances, technology and its innovative use have been key to unlocking the needed service capabilities. In Georgia, that kind of work is recognized via the GTA-sponsored Technology Innovation Showcase. The 2021 showcase honorees illustrate innovation has thrived in Georgia state and local government.

From the 17 impressive entries received, the following projects are being honored for the exemplary IT efforts they're built on:

Ag Inputs Division Electronic Inspection Platform -- Georgia Department of Agriculture
Contract Management and Vendor Connect -- Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities
Intelligent Mail Bar Code -- Georgia Department of Driver Services
The Dual Enrollment Funding Application -- Georgia Student Finance Commission
Identification Authentication -- Georgia Department of Labor
Perceptive Content -- Georgia Department of Transportation
Economic Development Systems, Student and Industry Management ERP -- Technical College System of Georgia

Read more about each of these efforts on GTA’s 2021 showcase projects webpage.

Projects selected for the 2021 showcase will be recognized at the Georgia Digital Government Summit later this year. Projects earning showcase honors will also be highlighted in Georgia's Annual State IT Report and considered for submission to the National Association of State CIOs (NASCIO) State IT Recognition Awards.

Briefly ...

GTA has named a new Chief Operating Officer. Sunil Aluri will now fill that key role in managing the GETS program, the state's shared IT services program. Sunil has long GETS experience stretching to the program's inception in 2009. He has served GTA in several capacities, most recently as GETS Integration and Services Officer. As COO, Sunil now heads GTA's Sourcing Management Organization. His taking the role coincides with the departure of former GTA COO Dean Johnson, who left GTA in June for another opportunity after some 23 years of state service, including a stint with the former Department of Human Resources. GTA also announced another GETS veteran Erica Keller will serve in the newly created role of Deputy COO.

GETS teams recently upgraded administrative tools used in operating the state's IT shared services program. Capping months of preparation, a shift to ServiceNow was completed June 21. The upgrade will bring expanded tool capabilities, greater automation and improved user experience. The smooth transition to ServiceNow was facilitated via careful coordination with agencies served by GETS. In May and June, tool user testing and training sessions were conducted. (Recorded training for tool users continues to be available on the GETS Portal.) Agencies can contact their Agency Relationship Manager for more information.

GTA’s Digital Services Georgia (DSGa) team is building a Moving to Georgia Guide on the state’s official website, Georgia.gov. It’ll be a collection of information new Georgia residents may need as they get situated in their new community -- details on everything from driver’s licenses to Georgia income taxes to state parks. DSGa asks for your help. What services do new Georgians need from your agency? Please take a few minutes to provide that information via a brief survey.

A revised process is newly in place for instances when agencies need to contract for temporary IT staffing services. The Georgia Department of Administrative Services oversees this process, which applies when project requisitions involve amounts of $1M or greater. As part of the process, GTA has approval authority for temporary staffing requests. The process is described on the DOAS Purchasing Division website, as is the statewide contract for temporary IT staffing.

GTA congratulates Department of Public Health CIO Tony McGaughey on winning a StateScoop 50 Award in the state leadership category. Announced in June, the 2021 winners are a collection of leaders exhibiting “the passion and drive to advance the use of digital technology inside state agencies.” Tony displayed nothing less as DPH leaned heavily on technology to address unprecedented demands in 2020. He outfitted more than 2,000 new contact tracers with laptops, in the midst of short supply. He helped mobilize an online system to facilitate COVID-19 testing (scheduling and results reporting). He also facilitated quick server additions when computing demand exploded.