GMIS is a platform for networking with peers, collaboration with sponsors, and industry relevant education, but four days of conference only opens the doors to a career of opportunity and solutions. I have been very fortunate to have great mentors and peers who have guided me, and so that I may guide others through their GMIS trek.

Two past GMIS International treasurers, emeritus members and long-time GMIS stalwarts were recently sighted together in Yakutat, Alaska, near Hubbard Bay. Accomplished fishermen as the photos well illustrate, Brad is shown holding his 25 lb. king salmon, and Sam is holding his 19 lb. king salmon. On the same trip, Brad also caught a 141 lb. halibut, and we have a picture of him trying not to be pulled overboard!

The ALGIM Conference has become world famous for networking and professional development. This year's conference is November 24-26 in Auckland, New Zealand. This event will provide delegates with an invaluable opportunity to network with their peers on an international level, learning about what is happening in Local Government ICT around the world.

Rob Petty, CIO
GMIS member since: 2009
Number of IT staff: 7
Population: 56,000
IT budget: $775,000

Even as the federal government warms to some of the benefits of mobile technologies in the workplace, movement has been slower at the state and local levels, where officials say security concerns and budget constraints, among other factors, keep them on the sidelines. (CIO)

We are entering a new era where at least three trends will lower costs and improve the quality of the solutions for the government: Software solutions are unbundling; new platforms are lowering costs; and Application Programming Interfaces, Open Source Software and the communities that form around them are initiating an era of continuous improvement. (Government Executive)

The Chicago Police Department, by embracing connectivity though technological advancements, has become one of the most data-driven crime fighting forces in the country. (American City & County)

In Bexar County, Texas, Judge Nelson R. Wolff is overseeing a technology experiment that seeks to recreate a struggling American icon: the public library. (Next City)

If the government is to realize its goal of running an agile, largely cloud-based technology operation, it will require buy-in from all corners of the agency, senior technology executives said at a government IT conference on Wednesday. (CIO)

According to Patty Hatter, when it comes to driving transformation in IT, the CIO must be the change agent. Wearing the two hats of Senior Vice President of Operations and Chief Information Officer, Hatter is responsible for innovating and executing a sustainable transformation of McAfee's operational processes and infrastructure across the global organization. (Huffington Post)

Small federal agencies, which typically consist of 6,000 or fewer employees, have been in the spotlight lately when it comes to data security. Similar to small businesses, criminals tend to look at small agencies as low-hanging fruit, mainly because they typically lack the manpower and resources required to sufficiently protect all of their attack vectors. (Government CIO Magazine)

The White House hosted a demonstration day July 29 to showcase new technologies and tools being developed to empower local and state first responders, agencies, and citizens to respond to natural disasters and other emergencies. (Information Week)

With more than 80 percent of Americans using their cellphones to send and receive text messages, it only makes sense we should be able to text 911 in an emergency. But that ability is only now just coming online and there's still a lot of work to do before it's universal: Only 100 call centers out of more than 6,000 across the country are capable of receiving and responding to text messages. (Governing)