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Theo Douglas

Contributing Writer

Theo Douglas is news editor for Government Technology. He was previously assistant managing editor for Industry Insider — California. His reporting experience includes covering municipal, county and state governments, business and breaking news.

Artificial Intelligence

California Wants to Improve State Call Centers With AI

The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration is looking for a solution capable of using generative AI to generate potential responses to taxpayers via telephone and live chat.

January 19, 2024
· Theo Douglas
Budget & Finance

What Newsom’s Sweeping Budget Cuts Could Mean for IT

California Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a $291.5 billion budget this week that proposed resolving a roughly $37.8 billion shortfall with cuts, delayed and deferred funding and by withdrawing $13 billion from state reserves.

January 12, 2024
· Theo Douglas
Workforce & People

San Francisco CIO Linda Gerull Announces Retirement

City and county of San Francisco CIO Linda Gerull has set her retirement for Dec. 29. Chief Information Security Officer Michael Makstman will serve as the interim director of the Department of Technology.

December 11, 2023
· Theo Douglas
Workforce & People

Long Beach Utility CIO Opts to Stay on Post-Cyber Attack

Long Beach Utilities Department CIO Paula Crowell was set to take over as Santa Monica’s CIO Dec. 18, but the far-reaching impacts of a November cyber attack prompted her to reconsider the transition.

December 05, 2023
· Theo Douglas
Artificial Intelligence

California AI Report Tempers Benefits With Potential Risks

The Newsom administration's new examination of generative artificial intelligence tools in state government identified significant areas of potential risk, including privacy, security and several others.

November 28, 2023
· Theo Douglas
Artificial Intelligence

California Report Offers Glimpse at AI Use in State Government

How might California government make use of generative artificial intelligence? Officials suggest several ways that the technology could be introduced to state government functions.

November 21, 2023
· Theo Douglas
Workforce & People

Veteran Southern California Technologist to Lead Santa Monica IT

The city of Santa Monica has named southern California technologist Paula Crowell as its new chief information officer and head of its Information Services Department, after a national recruitment.

November 07, 2023
· Theo Douglas
Cloud & Computing

Los Angeles Budget Includes $17.3M for Tech Projects

The newly adopted city budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year includes millions for a variety of technology projects. These projects include communications systems upgrades, replatforming the MyLA311 system and more.

September 08, 2023
· Theo Douglas
Budget & Finance

IT Projects, Broadband to Benefit from California’s $310B Budget

Gov. Gavin Newsom this week signed Senate Bill 101 omnibus, formalizing the approval of the $310.8 billion state budget. The legislation outlines hundreds of millions for broadband expansion and IT efforts in the state.

June 29, 2023
· Theo Douglas
Budget & Finance

California Budget Lists Millions for IT as Deadline Looms

The state published the 2023-2024 Budget Act earlier this week and, if approved by lawmakers, it will fund IT projects at the Department of Social Services, the Department of Motor Vehicles and other state entities.

June 14, 2023
· Theo Douglas