Howdy TAGITM!

Here it is another month down and thankfully we have more TAGITM awesomeness to share with y’all! I’m sitting here on day 1 of an 18-day vacation waiting for a flight in a few days to whisk Mrs. Mc and I away to our beach paradise chock full of cold fufu drinks and hopefully no cares to speak of. It’s the longest I’ve taken off since I’ve been in my current role, and I’m stoked because for the first time I’ve delegated as much as possible. No timecards, no req approvals, no p-card stuff, nada. For the first time in over 6 years, I can truly step away and it feels pretty dang good. I wrote about this last month, but as a reminder I encourage all of you to ensure you take advantage of your hard-earned time off. Take care of yourselves, y’all!

That said, we got some stuff done leading up to my taking a step back. A couple weeks back the board met up at JW Marriot Hill Country, TAGITM’s new home come 2026. It was my first time seeing the facility and I want to tell all of you now, y’all will not be disappointed. If you recall I was all happy because we got the strategic planning session on the books earlier than usual. Wouldn’t you know it there was a bit of weather happening in San Antonio over the days we had scheduled that created some concern. Everything worked out at the end though as it tends to do, and we had a great couple of days setting the stage for another awesome year!

Dear TAGITM Members,

I am delighted to share with you that our membership has grown over 6% this year with 282 agency members renewing or joining. This is in line with the over 36% increase in the last 5 years and underscores the value and trust our community places in TAGITM and its offerings.

Steps to Renew Membership

As we celebrate our growing community, it's crucial for each member to ensure uninterrupted access to TAGITM's valuable resources. Here’s how you can renew your membership and continue benefiting from TAGITM:

1. Membership Period: Please note that the TAGITM membership year runs from August 1 through July 31. If your dues were not renewed by December 31, 2024, your membership expires, and you will lose access to several valuable resources.

2. Renewal Process: To renew your membership:

• Ensure you have your User Name and Password for the Agency/Organization Member profile.
• Contact info@tagitm.org if you need assistance with your login information.
• Log into your Agency/Organization Member profile and click on "Manage Profile" in the right-hand navigation.
• Scroll down to "Account History" and click on "Membership" to view your current expiration date and access your invoice for the 2025 membership year.
• Renew your dues online via Credit Card or print the invoice for payment by Purchase Order/Invoice.

3. Spread the Word: I encourage each member to reach out to prospective agencies and share the benefits of TAGITM membership. We offer a special promotion code for new agencies, providing a reduced (or free) first-year membership. This is an excellent opportunity to expand our community and enhance our collective knowledge.

4. Membership Details: Membership Chair Kevin Cameron (kcameron@cityofallen.org, 214-509-4865) is available to provide more details about membership benefits and the promotion code for new agencies.

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to TAGITM. Together, we can ensure that TAGITM fulfills its mission of “serving as the premier organization for government technology professionals in Texas” by remaining a dynamic and involved community offering invaluable resources and networking opportunities to its agency members.

Kevin Cameron
Assistant Chief Information Officer, City of Allen
TAGITM Membership Chair

By James O’Brien, CISSP, CGCIO, Director – Information Security Officer, Port Houston

Submitting your organization for a TAGITM award is an excellent opportunity to showcase you and your team's hard work, innovation, and success. It not only recognizes the talent and dedication within your organization but also can be a showcase for others to be influenced by. When you celebrate your wins, you inspire and motivate your team, attract potential partnerships, and set a benchmark for future achievements. Embrace this moment to highlight your unique organization’s contributions to the IT landscape and share your story of excellence and perseverance with a wider audience.

Utilize the various categories of TAGITM awards. These include the TAGITM Beth Ann Unger Women in Technology Award, TAGITM Excellence Award, TAGITM Rising Star Award, TAGITM Member Emeritus, TAGITM Rick Moore Award, and the TAGITM Industry Partner award.

Check out our website for the award criteria and previous winners! Don’t forget, you can nominate a fellow TAGITM member/organization for outstanding work and projects they have performed.

Winning a TAGITM award is not just an accolade; it's a testament to you and your organization’s commitment to excellence and a catalyst for future growth and success. Work on your award submission TODAY so you can celebrate today and crush tomorrow. Awards will be presented at the TAGITM annual conference in April 2025.

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