Dear TAGITM Members,

Now that I’m a month into this role, I believe I’ve come up with a satisfactory communication strategy. I want to be transparent, communicative, and authentic through this journey. I’d like to leverage this medium to share how TAGITM progresses each month. I know Ms. Kat will be happy because she’s always after content as our Communications Chair. I’ve known Kat for many years. She’s a dear friend, but she does not put up with my nonsense, y’all. She will tell me if I drop the ball! That said, she’s always looking for more content. If you or your teams have a neato thing you’d like to share in the newsletter, please do reach out to Kat. The newsletter is an easy place to brag about your team and share the cool things y’all get yourselves into!

What I’m most proud of accomplishing this first month is lining up changes on the board and locking in the dates for our first in-person meeting (aka our strategic planning session for 2024-25). First, I want to thank the board members for their years serving this great organization. TAGITM would not be what it is today had it not been for your diligent efforts. Thank you for being you!

I would also like to welcome the new folks: Lana Spiess (Conference), Jose Mendez (Marketing), and Angie Wright (Education). I very much look forward to working with y’all. I’ve always felt it was a privilege to serve, but it’s never been lost on me that we are all volunteers. Thank you for committing your time and energy. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. One of the things I wanted to accomplish as president was to get more folks involved with the board, and we did that! (Side note: anyone looking to contribute by joining these awesome folks’ committees, please give them a shout!)

Scheduling the strategic planning session worked out well. The board is going to meet in June at our 2026 conference site, JW Marriot Hill Country. There has often been a lull immediately following the conference, which is understandable as we go home and get back to our routines. I asked CMP if we could jump on the week following the conference as scheduling the in-person meeting has always been challenging. Thankfully, we got that locked in, and I am stoked!

Not a ton of communication transpired over the past month, but one thing I likely didn’t do well was being amiable across the spectrum. There were a couple of non-partner sales types I felt were trying to lean on TAGITM a bit aggressively. I was probably a little direct on those. That’s not exactly how I want to roll, but I find those tactics disrespectful. Good or bad, that’s who I am. It’s never personal. Maybe one of these days I’ll figure out this whole adult thing and learn to communicate with fluidity. Maybe not, but never say never!

On a final update, I had lunch with my man Gonzo last week, and as always, it was a great conversation. As a former president, he offered helpful advice for the next year. I also shared a few texts with TX local gov “OG” Sid Hudson who offered his own advice. He’s that guy that will sanity check anything and give me a straight answer. I’ve always felt the true power of TAGITM was access to peers across our great organization. There’s an incredible depth of knowledge floating within our community. Picking Gonzo’s brain was just another example. That son of a gun did make me pay for lunch, but I enjoy hanging with him, so it’s all good! I’m totally kidding, he tried to pay but I wouldn’t let him. True story, we shared a cinnamon roll for dessert. I imagine that was quite the site at the little rural diner we met up at.

That’s it for my first month as president. The ship is still afloat. We moved forward a bit and got some stuff done, so I’m calling it a success! Thank you so much to everyone who assisted in these first few weeks. You are all very much appreciated! I hope everyone is out there getting after it and lining their budgets up for another year of incredible innovation and growth. Best of luck to all of you. Until next time, thank you for reading!

Shane McDaniel

TAGITM President

By Jennifer Frescaz, Chief Information Officer | Managing Director, City of Midland

I am deeply honored to have been selected as the recipient of the Beth Ann Unger Women in Technology Award. Beth Ann was not only a mentor and a friend to me but also a guiding light when I first joined the TAGITM board. Her insight and guidance were invaluable, and what I loved most about Beth Ann was that she extended her support and wisdom to many others as well. Countless stories testify to her role as an advisor, mentor, and friend within the TAGITM community.

Seeing her legacy continue through awards and scholarships is truly inspiring. Being a recipient of the inaugural WIT award is a profound honor. I hope we can collectively uphold and further the legacy of promoting Women in Technology within TAGITM in the name of Beth Ann and the many others who have tirelessly pursued excellence. Let’s go, girls!