In 2018, through a partnership with Verizon, Sacramento became one of a few cities to begin deploying wireless 5G broadband. Based on that, Sacramento now offers free Wi-Fi in three of 27 city parks, with more coming. Corridor-length traffic management is also on the way.
The CIO has also led consolidation of city IT, helped forge a digital strategy and scrutinized process improvement, including for the city’s 311 system. A new customer resource management system and mobile app for 311 is imminent, but a focus on operations and organization has helped lower call wait times by more than 56 percent.
MacGunigal is also taking aim at diversity, equity and inclusion. Sacramento debuted a gender and ethnic diversity dashboard in December that showcases efforts to employ a workforce more reflective of city demographics. A degree completion program for the estimated 65,000 Sacramento-area residents within 15 units of a college degree is, she said, in the talking stages — and a passion project for the CIO.
“I’m the first person in my family to go to a university and get a degree; and I see in my own life, looking at it, that there were 100 points at which I could have easily been in the same boat,” MacGunigal said.
