TAG You’re IT

SCOTT JOYCE
Director of Information Technology, City of Euless

What is the size of your team? 

We have a team of 7, including myself, divided up as follows:

• Infrastructure – 2
• GIS – 1
• ERP – 1
• Helpdesk – 1
• Application support / Analyst – 1
• Director and Chili Connoisseur – 1

Are there any upcoming initiatives you are excited about? 

We are adding network redundancy to our critical sites this next year.  In the event of a fiber cut, those buildings will failover to a site-to-site VPN via a cellular provider. Super excited to have redundancy!

Combine that with adding badge access, finishing a fiber optic buildout, three major building renovations, and a new ERP, we have a busy year!

What is the one thing you now understand better about public sector IT?

It is truly a thankless job - but the relationships and camaraderie between TAGITM members and agencies are unmatched.  The private sector folks don't have this same community to use as a resource.

What is the best thing about working for your Agency? 

The City of Euless truly takes care of our employees.  Everyone is valued and respected and has opportunities to grow.

Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself, your agency, or your co-workers?

We have a solid team!  Depending on how you look at it, negative or positive, working in a smaller department like ours means that everyone gets to do a little bit of everything.  It keeps each day interesting for sure.

TAGITM OG

SID HUDSON
Director of Strategy and Innovation, CIty of Melissa

What inspired you to pursue a career in public sector IT? 
I'm not sure if it was inspiration as much as it was dumb luck for me. I was in the private sector for a very large technology firm when an opportunity came up with the City of Allen. I applied and was blessed to get the chance to be part of an incredible Team in Allen. From that point on, when I found how it felt to be supporting people that were passionate about their career and serving the public, I was hooked. Then I found out what it felt like to be part of supporting Police and Fire and how proud it made me feel when I felt like I was helping people who were saving lives. Although, to be honest, I think I enjoyed the Public Safety staff much more than they did me. Ha! Anyway, I'm simply blessed to be a part of public sector in so many ways.

What role has mentorship played in your career? 
I was lucky to have had a wonderful mentor in Peter Vargas as a young person growing not only into their career, but also into a management role. I'm sure it will shock some of you to know that I can be pretty stubborn. Yeah, it's true, so even though I had a great mentor, I still had to make my own mistakes and learn my own ways. But there is not time or enough words allowed for this answer to cover all the things that Peter taught me.

If you could offer one piece of advice to other public sector IT professionals, what would it be?
I don't know that I can narrow it down to just one, but first, find what your passionate about within IT and learn all you can about that specific topic. There can be so many paths you can take to find rewards each and every day of your life if you find that passion. Always grow, try to learn something from someone every day. Doesn't have to be job related but just learn something that you feel will help you along the way.  Maybe its patience, maybe it's something techie, maybe it something that makes you think about another career path either within IT or local government in general. 

Lastly, from someone who has been around a while, TMRS has to be the best form of saving for the future and having a retirement at the end of a hopefully enjoyable career. I can't begin to explain how the Cities I have worked for and TMRS are going to allow me to retire one day and provide me with a very comfortable life after work. This may seem trivial to some that are early in their career, it was to me too, but now that I'm staring retirement in the face, I'm again incredibly lucky to have found this career and been allowed to serve.

Additional Commentary 
Kat asked me to answer one last question. How long have I been part of TAGITM. I joined TAG in 1998, so I have been a part of this community for 26 or 27 years. It's been incredible to watch this organization grow.

Let’s Hear IT

August Question of the Month: What’s one tech gadget you can’t live without?

• "I guess it has become my phone. But there are days I just want to go back to the old brick phones.
  – Sunny Patel
  
  
• "My Android Audio/Bluetooth in my vehicle. I am a multi-tasker (we can debate if that is really even a thing, but I digress) so being able to make phone calls, listen to podcasts, record a Marco Polo, all while driving is a must have.  I drove a vehicle for many years after this technology came out without it and now it is a life changer for me. :) – Shannon Mejia
  
  
• "As a Cyber guy, it has to be my sandbox. The ability to inspect suspect URLs in a safe (mostly safe) environment is so valuable. – Kevin Joyner
  
  
• "My mechanical keyboard — because if my coworkers can’t hear me typing, am I even working? It’s basically my stress ball, only louder. – Jason Power
  
  
• "My iPhone: a Swiss Army knife for the modern tech professional; maps, emails, memes, and everything in between. – Neil Rose
  
  
• "The easy answer is Smartphone, but more specifically - it’s the GPS. In DFW without it, one wrong turn and you'll be routed through the construction zones and two toll roads you didn't know existed.
  – Robert Schneider
  
  
• "A flashlight. Seriously, I can't see anything these days with my old eyes unless there is sufficient illumination. – Leigh Johnson
  
  
• My Inspector Gadget smart phone. We have our whole Rolodex of life captured within it from photos, phone numbers and directions to the next best restaurant. – James O’Brien
  
  
• "...I could live without it. But I don't want to and life is easier with it. My smartphone. – Fay Young
  
  
• "It's got to be my phone. Phones have become a one-stop-shop and with access to email and documents on our phones I can do things from anywhere.  The bad news is the older I get the bigger screen I need. – Anonymous
  
  
• "Depends on where you are talking about... I got three for you for different locations:
  1. In my truck, the huge screen in my RAM truck, I think it's 14+ inches, is AMAZING. Google Maps on the top half. Audio and/or Phone stuff on the bottom half. Just makes the drive MUCH more pleasant. It's overkill, but dang it's become invaluable.
  2. At work... It's the large TV in my office. I use it multiple times a day with customers and or Team Members...Reviewing spreadsheets, demoing Quickbase applications, working on Budget, virtual demos with vendors, etc. It frees up a meeting room, which are at a premium and make work life easier. (and the occasional MAJOR sporting event during the day that I can keep on in the background. Think US Open golf, day MLB playoff games, British Open, the Masters, European Soccer, etc.)
  3. At home, the humble Google Home. The ability to play music of choice by speaking to it, getting reminders, creating to do lists, grocery lists, etc. It's the Jetsons coming to us. I know it's considered simple now, but it's indispensable to me." – Gonzo