Features Region: West

Sports fans, the game is on here in Modesto today. Taking to the field—or rather, the air—are drones piloted by middle schoolers. And these middle schoolers came to play, showing dexterity and poise throughout this scoreless tie. But wait! There’s a breakaway—just look at the No. 33 drone swoop down the right side—bobbing, weaving—soaring up […]

Science- and logic-minded since boyhood, Shawn Miller figures he made the right choice long ago by opting for technology instead of, say, chemistry.  “Chemistry doesn’t change anywhere near the pace of infotech,” Miller muses. “H2O is always water, H2SO4 is always sulfuric acid, but there’s always something new in our field. It’s constantly evolving and […]

A padlock may be the perfect security system for a bicycle—but would be rather impractical for a phone that fits in a pocket. As far as Bob Schlotfelt is concerned, the same idea applies to organizations which, like your phone, need the right security for the right circumstances.   So, when he started working for an […]

High-tech as the world may be, there’s still much need for old-school printed material. Someone shopping for a house might peruse online listings but still appreciate a detailed brochure from the realtor. Professional as a contractor’s website might be, there’s still much to gain from mailing postcards to homeowners in need of reroofing or window […]

While it’s relatively easy to learn the outcome of a criminal case, everything that precedes the verdict isn’t so transparent—unless you’re in the courtroom. That’s changing in Washington’s Snohomish County, where a progressive-minded IT leader collaborates with the prosecutor’s office to create a public-facing dashboard that will trace cases from arrest to adjudication. Such tools […]

In 2017, the leadership at Tualatin Valley Water District decided it was time to have a dedicated information technology department and someone at the helm of that team. To carry out their ambitions, they created a director role. After learning about the position from someone in his network, Tim Boylan applied and became TVWD’s first […]

Kwame Fields sees it all the time, but it still surprises him. As the chief information security officer and chief diversity officer for FHLBank San Francisco, he cannot believe how many people still use passwords that don’t meet even the basic standard for security. “You can have every piece of cybersecurity infrastructure in place, but […]

When Jill Ibeck joined Jeffco Public Schools in July 2021 as its chief information officer, the COVID-19 pandemic was still in full swing, and the district’s IT strategy was more reactive than proactive. Staff continued following local public health orders and struggled to bring students back into the classroom. Recently, circumstances have been shifting. “We […]

According to the K12 Security Information eXchange, student data is one of the top commodities on the dark web. That’s because it’s not monitored as closely as data generated by adults, giving criminals more time to exploit information including social security numbers and medical histories.  “Students don’t have established credit, so we need to do […]

Even under the best of circumstances, a cloud migration might consume the efforts of 30 to 40 technologists for at least three months. Testing, feedback and collaboration are just a few parts of the process, and shortcomings anywhere stand to jeopardize the result. Alan McMillan had to do this remotely when he undertook what he […]