TechTables
The Public Sector Show by TechTables
#208: Texas County Women Leading 6M+ Residents: From Flooded Data Centers to AI Innovation Lab to Building Unbreakable Teams
0:00
-42:43

#208: Texas County Women Leading 6M+ Residents: From Flooded Data Centers to AI Innovation Lab to Building Unbreakable Teams

Featuring: Sindhu Menon, CIO, Harris County, Robyn Doughtie, CIO, Fort Bend County, Misty Witmer, CIO, Galveston County, Mani Nagothu, Field CISO, SentinelOne

Listen now: YouTube x Apple x Spotify

Brought to you by:

SentinelOne—Learn how SentinelOne empowers this state to stay secure.

Verizon FrontlineThe advanced network that keeps first responders connected when it matters most.

Carahsoft—The Trusted Public Sector IT Solutions Provider™, supports government agencies and education/healthcare markets. Contact your Carahsoft rep today to access special discount pricing exclusively through the TechTables + Carahsoft partnership!

Featuring:

What You’ll Learn:

  • How Harris County's innovation lab is testing AI and emerging technologies while building nimble, resident-centric, and resilient operations

  • Why Fort Bend County successfully processed 30,000 ServiceNow tickets while reducing active projects from 200 to 86 through strategic prioritization

  • Galveston County's approach to coastal resilience, including data center failover systems and business continuity planning for hurricane seasons

  • The strategic evolution of cybersecurity leadership from technical expertise to enterprise risk management integration

  • How county CIOs are building the next generation through customer experience academies, with one leader surprising her team with new leadership training objectives

Key Takeaway

As Rob Lloyd noted, "The best CIOs lift each other up as they rise" - this episode perfectly demonstrates how Texas county leaders are building resilient organizations while developing the next generation of public sector technology leaders.

Timestamps

  • (01:00) Meet the Texas County Women: 6M+ Residents Served

  • (03:00) Building Nimble, Resident-Centric Organizations During Transformation

  • (07:00) Strategic Leadership Team Development: CTO, Justice Technology Leaders

  • (09:00) From Pennsylvania to Texas Coast: Modernization in Hurricane Territory

  • (12:00) ServiceNow and Workday Implementation: Balancing Resources and Priorities

  • (14:00) Data Center Flooding Lessons: "Basements in Houston Area, Not a Good Idea"

  • (17:00) Emergency Preparedness: Raleigh vs Houston Regional Differences

  • (20:00) Coastal Resilience: Building Continuity Systems That Never Go Offline

  • (26:00) Digital Equity and Broadband: Beyond Infrastructure to Digital Literacy

  • (30:00) Court System Modernization: Business Intelligence Transforming Resident Services

  • (36:00) Lifting Teams Up: Leadership Development and Internal Promotion Strategies

Standout Moments

  • Why Robyn's response to "which flood?" perfectly captures the reality of Texas county IT

  • The networking serendipity that connected three CIOs at the same conference table

  • Misty's birthday celebration with German chocolate cake (and why timing matters in leadership)

Connect

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways you can connect with TechTables:

1. 📬 The TechTables Newsletter: Join our thriving community of senior technology leaders by subscribing to the TechTables Newsletter. Gain early access to the latest episodes, industry insights, and exclusive event updates.

Join now: https://www.techtables.com/

2. 🤝 The Collaboratory: The Exclusive Peer Network for Senior Technology Leaders in Public Sector, nationwide. The Collaboratory is a 100% Public Sector, Vendor-Free Private Community where you can connect, share strategies, and drive innovation alongside peers through monthly virtual meetings and our annual national event.

3. 🤝 The Better Together Series: a virtual podcast series where TechTables partners with leading CXOs and vendor partners for candid conversations that showcase real-world solutions, spark innovation, and drive industry action. Email me at joe@techtables.com


Join our thriving community of senior technology leaders by subscribing to the TechTables Newsletter. Gain early access to the latest episodes, industry insights, and exclusive event updates.