Tech X News - May 2025

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From the Desk of Rita Reynolds

NACo AI Regional Forums

These past two weeks have been incredibly rewarding, and I would like to share some reflections with all of you. It started on April 28-29, with the AI Northeast Regional Forum in Pennsylvania. What a great group of folks that attended and spent a half day participating in a cyber tabletop that focused on AI, GenAI, deepfakes and more. Everyone came away with increased awareness of the changing cyber landscape. The second whole day was focused on AI education, hands-on exercises creating genAI content, photos, videos and music. During lunch we heard from MetroLab and the work they have done in AI, as well as data. We transitioned into an afternoon of table discussion around AI and GenAI use cases as well as policy and guideline development. The County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania hosted this event, while CAI was the host corporate sponsor.

Moving on, this past week on May 6-7, we recreated the event as the AI South Regional Forum in Austin at the Texas Association of Counties. There were a few variations, including Microsoft as the host corporate sponsor and a fireside chat with Amanda Crawford, CIO for the State of Texas. We learned all about the regional SOC’s that the state is partnering with universities to provide security operations centers for local government. I do believe it could be a great model for other states.

Two AI Regional Forums remain: the first will be held September 17–18 in Hennepin County, Minnesota, and the second on November 13–14 in Utah County, Utah. More information is located here

NACo Central Region Forum
- September 17-18, 2025 | Hennepin County, Minn. | Learn more and register
NACo West Region Forum
- November 13-14, 2025 | Utah County, Utah | Learn more and register

Attendees sit at round tables as Hon. Andy Brown delivers opening remarks

Hon. Andy Brown, County Judge of Travis County, Texas, delivered opening remarks at last week’s AI South Regional Forum.

Amanda Crawford and Commissioner Shinica Thomas sit down for a fireside chat

Amanda Crawford, Chief Information Officer for the State of Texas, joined Commissioner Thomas for a fireside chat.

NACo Challenge

The County Technology Advisory Council (C-TAC) has approved a new initiative designed to aid counties in retiring legacy systems and moving legacy systems from “antiquated and risky” to “innovative and secure.” This challenge, called the NACo “Upgrade Ready Challenge: Legacy Liftoff to Innovation”, will be explained in more detail at a webinar on June 16th at 2:00 p.m. ET.

Is your county's legacy system holding you back? Is it a threat to the operations as well as security of your county? Is it ready to go to the software application graveyard?

Learn more about this upcoming NACo challenge where you can pitch your modernization strategy to a panel of experts for a chance to win resources and recognition!

Submission requirements, form to submit and timelines will be shared. To register for this informational webinar, click here.

ADA Technology Guide

Tech Xchange Members, the NACo Accessibility (ADA) Technology Guide is ready for distribution! This guide was developed with the input from the NACo County Technology Advisory Council, our CIO Reservists, and several individual counties that have made significant progress in ADA compliance. It is divided into sections including background, considerations, roadmap, best practices and resources.

We welcome your feedback, which can be sent to rreynolds@naco.org.

👉 Access the new guide:

NACo Accessibility (ADA) and Technology Guide

Upcoming Webinars & Events

Chart Your Course: Real Stories of Counties Advancing with AI Online Learning

May 29, 2025 | 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. ET

A continuation of our "Chart Your Course" digital learning program, this webinar will highlight how counties are leveraging the Microsoft online learning platform to upskill their workforce in artificial intelligence and related technologies. Hear directly from county representatives as they share real-world examples, practical strategies, and lessons learned from integrating digital learning into their staff development efforts. Whether you're just getting started or looking to strengthen existing programs, this session will offer valuable insights to support your journey.

NACo Technology & Tech Xchange Partners

We would like to showcase our Tech Xchange sponsors. Each partner offers a platform which helps local government understand what citizens in your county need and want, which in turn leads to more informed county decision making.

Through the Fog: Resilience Amid Uncertainty

In a digital landscape shaped by sophisticated threats and geopolitical affairs, local government stands on the front lines of cybersecurity. Long gone are the days of cybersecurity being just an IT issue; it’s now a core function of modern governance. Frankly, cybersecurity is not optional - it’s essential.

Amidst the shifting landscape of available public sector support for election security and other critical infrastructure services, the path forward may seem murky and uncertain. Over the course of this year, we will dive deeper into the shifting support for election security, the evolving risk vs reward in using AI in elections, and governance to manage potential risk, such as supply chain risk, to ensure elections remain free from interference and disruption.

🚀 Read the article

The Time is Now: Leveraging AI & ML to Transform Public Services

County IT leaders are under pressure to modernize infrastructure, reduce manual workloads, and improve service delivery—all without increasing budgets. This guide explores how AI and machine learning are helping counties streamline operations, unlock insights, and better serve residents.

🔗 Download the guide

Help safeguard remote workers, applications and data with SASE

In a work-anywhere world, users need secure connections to data and applications, no matter where they are located. Today, your IT staff must securely connect people anywhere, anytime, with streamlined access to data and applications from any device. The evolution of network models and the adoption of cloud technologies has enabled organizations to embrace work from anywhere. Learn how Spectrum Business® can enhance and simplify security across your cloud environment and for your on-premises and distributed users.

👉 Dive In

Leveraging AI Technology for Community Supervision Caseloads

Officers dedicate their lives to helping other people, and the most successful outcomes are built on quality relationships, interactions, and commitment. AI is a tool to empower officers to do their job more effectively, while also reducing stress. It’s a tool that fills the productivity gap and reroutes officers’ focus toward delivering the human touch that’s needed, and deserved, in community supervision.

🔍 Explore More

Alexandria, VA: Transforming data into intelligence for a stronger justice system

Explore how Alexandria integrated data stored across various departments and in the city’s legacy justice information system. Through partnership with Peregrine, Alexandria was able to merge similar person records and draw connections among related incidents and individuals to provide a holistic view of each person’s journey through the justice system. This ultimately saves time and resources with streamlined data access, robust search capabilities, and automated entity resolution in Peregrine.

✨ Read the full story