As summer winds down and many of our communities send students and educators back to school, August offers us a reminder of new beginnings, fresh routines, and renewed energy. For many of us in the public sector IT, this season also marks the start of new projects, renewed initiatives, and preparations for the busy months ahead. What does your IT Master Plan (ITMP) have in store for you to do? I have a laundry list myself and looking forward to continuing the efforts that strengthen our cybersecurity posture, cybersecurity program, and cybersecurity culture.
Fittingly, August was recognized nationally as Wellness Month, and I encourage each of us to pause and consider what wellness means in our daily lives. As IT professionals, we are often focused on securing systems, supporting operations, and enabling innovation, but it’s equally important to make sure we care for ourselves and those around us.

It’s time to begin preparing for our 2026 Annual Conference! A few important updates as we get started:

• Committee Invitations – Watch for an email from me soon to confirm whether you’d like to serve on the conference committee again this year.
• Planning Timeline – Our committee meetings will kick off in September, so mark your calendars!
• Conference Dates – The Annual Conference will be held April 7–10, 2026.
• Exciting New Venue – This will be our first year at the JW Marriott Resort in San Antonio—a beautiful setting that will make this year’s event extra special.

I’m looking forward to working with you all again to make this another successful and memorable conference.

Lana Spiess
Annual Conference Chair

Chad Williamson is the Sr. Systems Engineer at Texas Health Benefits Pool, bringing over 27 years of experience in the IT field. He began his career at IBM, where he designed and configured token ring networks for various labs at the Austin, TX campus.

With a strong foundation in the financial industry and more than 16 years in the healthcare sector, Chad specializes in implementing security-based solutions in compliance with federal regulations and in designing networks and systems that adhere to industry standards.

Chad was introduced to TAGITM in 2019, attended his first conference in 2021, and joined the Education Committee in 2022.

 

Steve Leblond is the Enterprise Technology Officer for the City of Frisco. Before assuming this role, he was the MIS Manager. Steve's career with the city began as a Technical Support Specialist. Prior to joining the city, he worked for a school district in the metroplex, where he held the position of Network Manager.

Steve's professional journey started in desktop support, progressing through various technical roles and eventually incorporating business aspects as his career advanced. In addition to his current role with the city, he completed his bachelor’s degree from UNT a year ago and is now pursuing an MBA in Information Technology at the same institution. His educational objective is to complete his PhD within the next 3-4 years.

He is also dedicated to educating others about technology, both within the city and externally. As part of this commitment, he serves as a Regional Leader for Microsoft’s Global Community Initiative program.

Steve's involvement with TAGITM began approximately 3-4 years ago, initiated by the city's participation in the program. In his first year, he presented at the annual conference. Since then, he has been a member of the Education Committee, which aligns with his passion for helping people with technology and promoting the city's technological advancements. Being on the Education Committee allows him to contribute to shaping and developing content for the annual conferences and regional summits. It gives him the opportunity to cross many paths and impact some many areas that help him be able to give back in a way that does not seem or feel like work. "Put simply," says Steve, "I love what I do."

Keshnel Penny is the Chief Information Officer for the City of Grand Prairie, Texas. His career began with service in the U.S. Army, where he built a strong foundation in discipline, technology, and leadership. He later joined the City as a Software Developer, advanced to Manager of Public Safety Technology, and now serves as CIO.

Keshnel became involved with TAGITM shortly after stepping into the CIO role, seeking opportunities to grow his knowledge and professional network. What started with conference attendance quickly turned into active engagement. He has since served on the Cybersecurity Committee, the Education Committee, and participates in data sharing initiatives and the Listserv community.

Passionate about leveraging technology to enhance municipal services, Keshnel is proud to support TAGITM’s mission of collaboration and professional growth.

TAGITM Members,

We have three new features coming to the TAGITM Newsletter, and we need YOUR help to collect content for them! The features are TAG You’re IT, OG TAGITM, and Let’s Hear IT! They are listed below with additional information and links to answer the questions yourself or share with your co-workers! 

TAG You’re IT!  (Member Spotlight) – Do you or someone you know want to be showcased in the newsletter? 

1. What is the size of your team and how do you divide responsibilities?
2. Are there any upcoming initiatives you are excited about?
3. What is the one thing you now understood better about public sector IT?
4. What is the best thing about working for your Agency?

OG TAGITM – Do you or someone you know have wisdom from being a long time TAGITM Member?

1. What inspired you to pursue a career in public sector IT?
2. What role has mentorship played in your career?
3. If you could offer one piece of advice to other public sector IT professionals, what would it be?

Let’s Hear IT – There will be a new question each month for membership to answer!

This month’s question: What's one tech gadget you can't live without?

Submit your answers for one of our TAGITM Newsletter Features HERE!

Government Technology
GA new National Academies report advises that governments should prioritize accountability, transparency, and risk management when considering AI adoption – focusing first on solving real problems for communities.

GovLoop
The aging public workforce is creating a "quiet crisis" of lost institutional memory—without stronger succession planning, structured knowledge transfer, and executive-level attention, agencies risk costly disruptions and repeating past mistakes.

StateScoop
California’s proposed Automated Decisions Safety Act (AB 1018) could cost state and local agencies hundreds of millions annually in audits, staffing, and compliance—supporters call it vital for preventing AI bias, while opponents warn its broad scope could stifle innovation.

CyberScoop
Google is launching a cyber "disruption unit" aimed at proactive, legally sanctioned takedowns of malicious campaigns—part of a broader debate over whether the U.S. and private sector should go heavier on offensive cyber operations despite legal, ethical, and escalation concerns.

CIO
Top CIOs say building effective AI teams requires more than data scientists – success comes from combining business domain experts, product managers, engineers, and end users, with strong executive sponsorship and governance to drive real transformation.

CSO
CISOs facing shrinking budgets are improving cybersecurity by maximizing shared resources, consolidating tools, cross-training staff, and cleaning out waste — with AI and stronger governance helping stretch limited funds further.

InfoWorld
Enterprises are shifting from cloud migration to optimization — with 94% of IT leaders struggling to control costs, many are embracing finops, hybrid models, and smarter workload placement to balance innovation with financial sustainability.

I have read quite a few articles discussing vulnerabilities and patch management recently. Anyone doing security on a regular basis knows the importance of patching vulnerabilities and the stories of unpatched vulnerabilities leading to system-wide outages or ransomware events are almost as numerous as the stories of Jerry Jones’ ego getting in the way of the Dallas Cowboys. (Sorry Cowboy fans, I have sworn to only speak the truth here)

An article on ITSecurityGuru (May 2024) referenced a study which found 36% of organizations polled reported 3 or more data breaches in a 24-month time frame. That is staggering and appears to show that certain organizations aren’t able or willing to make the necessary changes to prevent these breaches. Cyentia Institute, a cybersecurity research organization, published its initial study on vulnerabilities and exploits using a scoring system called "Exploit Prediction Scoring System" (EPSS) that is analogous to the CVSS and KEV lists. They claim their model does a better job of predicting exploitation and while the purpose of this newsletter isn’t to dive into that claim, I am using their data to make a more general point: We cannot possibly keep our systems fully patched.