As the CIO for one of the fastest growing areas in the U.S., Tanya Acevedo is working to meet the increasing demand for IT services in Travis County, Texas. One way to keep up with the need for tech-driven solutions is through shared services, which she said have become the “go-to way of doing things.”
One recent example is Travis County’s partnership with three other Texas counties to establish a Web-based case management system for law enforcement to directly upload digital evidence into a platform accessible by both prosecutors and defense attorneys. The need was born out of the growing amount of data from devices like in-car video systems and body-worn cameras. Travis County went live with the system in November 2016, and it’s now being piloted by local law enforcement agencies. “It’s already seen some quick wins and will really help automate and speed up this process,” Acevedo said, estimating that it will used to its full capacity by May.
Acevedo was named the county’s CIO in 2013 after serving as its interim IT chief. She previously worked for the CIO of Orange County, Calif., in the private sector as a consultant, and got her start in IT working with casino systems for an Indian reservation. “We joke that we’re all sales support in the private sector, but in government you’re really focused on being a public servant first,” she said. “That means you’re making sure you’re finding the best use of our limited technology resources and investments.”
Her focus spans all areas of IT, looking at where tech can make the biggest impact while keeping an eye out for what’s next. From a paperless ticketing process that integrates with the court system to connected sprinkler systems that detect rain and adjust watering schedules, the combination of these efforts creates real change. Acevedo called the sprinkler example a “small yet big thing” — one that illustrates the thinking that will propel Travis County to its next tech-driven innovation.
