Sharkbytes.net

Season 6: Episode 8: Accessibility in the Digital and AI Age A conversation with Don Torrez, principal of Torrez Solutions, and Co-host Mary Frances Coryell, Chief Revenue Officer at CITIBOT. Don has dedicated his expertise to helping organizations build inclusive digital experiences that are accessible to all. ADA compliance is more than a regulation – millions of people depend on it. He has spen...

Season 6: Episode 7: Inside “CIO Leadership for Cities and Counties” new book! A conversation with Darryl Polk, Director of Education, Public Technology Institute (PTI), with Alan Shark. Originally recorded in May 2026 as part of PTI’s Professional Development Series, which can be found on PTI’s YouTube Channel, Darryl and Alan discuss the background of how this book came to be, including the laun...

Season 6, Episode 6: Tech Leadership – Balancing People and Technology A conversation with Angie Wright, CGCIO, Chief Technology Officer at City of Beaumont, Texas, with Co-host Mary Frances Coryell, Chief Revenue Officer, CITIBOT. Angie Wright has been with the City of Beaumont, Texas, for nearly 15 years, with the last 3.5 years serving as Chief Technology Officer. From a sales associate role at...

Season 6: Episode 5: AI, Organizational Leadership, and the Water Sector: The Power, Peril, and Potential of AI for Emerging Leaders A conversation with Alan Shark and Google’s NotebookLM. Why AI matters now in the water sector. In an Emerging Leaders Workshop held a few days ago in Washington, DC, sponsored by the Water and Wastewater Equipment Manufacturers Association (WWEMA), Dr. Alan R. Shark...

Season 6: Episode 4: Overcoming AI Paralysis and the Dangers of Shadow AI A conversation with Alan Shark and Google’s NotebookLM. In a recent interview with AI Data Press, Dr. Shark discusses the growing tension between institutional caution and the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence. He argues that public sector leaders are suffering from governance paralysis, remaining stagnant while wait...

Season 6: Episode 3: An Innovator in Practice – from AI accountability to improving citizen communications. A conversation with Mike Dawisha, CIO of Genesee County (MI), with Co-host Mary Frances Coryell, Chief Revenue Officer, CITIBOT.   Mike Dawisha is a seasoned IT professional leader who is action-oriented and an innovator in practice. He inspires his staff to be innovators themselves and is s...

Season 6: Episode 2: : Leading Change: How Chief Digital & Innovation Officers Are Reshaping Public Service   A conversation with Crosby Burns, Chief Digital and Innovation Officer, County of Marin (CA), with Co-host Mary Frances Coryell, Chief Revenue Officer, CITIBOT.   A relatively new position, Crosby shares how he is navigating the path forward, making Marin County a model of excellence t...

Season 6: Episode 1: AI and the Student Paradox, AI Agent, NotebookLM Explains   A conversation with Alan Shark and Google’s NotebookLM   We begin Season Six with a demonstration of the powerful and inventive AI Agent, NotebookLM. The “student paradox” can be explained as follows: While private and public employers increasingly demand candidates with strong proficiency in AI, higher education inst...

Season 5: Episode 17: Predictions for 2026 and AI A conversation with Alan Shark and cohost Mary Frances Coryell, Chief Revenue Officer at CITIBOT In this concluding episode of Season 5, Alan shares his predictions for 2026, primarily about AI, and Mary Frances discusses changes she has witnessed firsthand in the adoption of AI in state and local government. Together, they discuss what we might ex...

Season 5: Episode 16: Pharr Out Tech Leadership with Passion and Vision A conversation with Jose Peña, Innovation & Technology Director, City of Pharr, TX In this episode, we feature Jose Peña, Innovation & Technology Director for the City of Pharr, Texas, cohosted by Mary Frances Coryell, Chief Revenue Officer at CITIBOT. Joe has done some fantastic things at the City of Pharr, which is n...

Season 5: Episode 15: A Thoughtful Approach to Tech Leadership A conversation with Jeff Scheetz, CGCIO, CISM, Chief Information Officer, City of Avondale, Arizona   In this episode, we feature Mary Frances Coryell from CITIBOT as our co-host. Jeff Scheetz is a well-known and highly regarded tech leader who has served as the CIO of Avondale for over eight years. Join us as we learn how Jeff has led...

Season 5: Episode 14: A Thoughtful Approach to Tech Leadership A conversation with Joe Rivera, Director, Information Services & Telecommunication Administration, City of Laredo, Texas   Having started in the private sector, Joe has demonstrated a steady progression in tech leadership and, more importantly, a track record of success. Join us as we discuss local tech and the numerous challenges...

Season 5: Episode 13: Three Buckets of Concern – The Perils of Federal Data Curation A conversation with Denice Ross, Senior Fellow at the Federation of American Scientists and former U.S. Chief Data Scientist.   Denice was invited to be a guest lecturer on the current state of data risks in an increasingly polarized environment for Alan’s recent MPA class. She was so well-received and did an exce...

Season 5: Episode 12: Policy, AI, and Cybersecurity - Inseparable A conversation with Erica Shoemate, consultant, motivational speaker, and head of the EN Strategy Group.   Erica is a Tech Policy Leader with extensive knowledge in cutting-edge technologies like Generative AI and AdTech. Today, she is a consultant, motivational speaker, and more, and heads the EN Strategy Group. Erica has helped or...

Season 5: Episode 11: State and Local Cybersecurity and Digital Risk: Strategies for Success in the Current Policy Environment A Special rebroadcast from the National Academy of Public Administration, webcast featuring Bobbie Stempfley, Jeff Greene, and Traci Doaks   First aired on September 3 as a NAPA event, we present the audio portion here, given its timeliness and importance.  As state and lo...

Season 5: Episode 10: Looking Back to Moving Forward – A Vision for Future Public Sector Tech Leadership A conversation with Darry Polk, Director of Education, Public Technology Institute   After 36 years of public service, Darryl has assumed a new and highly influential role as Director of Education for the Public Technology Institute. Darryl began his career as a 911 police dispatcher. Having wo...

Season 5: Episode 9: The Intersection of Cybersecurity and AI A conversation with Dr. Elizabeth Di Bene, Chief Information Security Officer, Loudoun County, VA. Elizabeth has demonstrated a deep understanding of cybersecurity, network security, and information security, honed over the 20 years at CACI International Inc., the U.S. Department of Justice, and the United States Marine Corps. Today, sh...

Season 5 Episode 8: GovRamp Five Years Later – Its Mission Has Never Been More Critical A conversation with Leah McGrath, Executive Director of GovRamp. Leah McGrath, recipient of the 2025 Federal 100 Award from GovExec, has served as the executive director of GovRamp (formerly StateRamp) for just over five years, and she last appeared on Sharkbytes. Net in early 2021. Much has changed since then,...

Season 5: Episode 7: Special Edition: Ensuring the Future of Federal Data   A Special rebroadcast from the National Academy of Public Administration, webcast featuring Joel Gurin, Denice Ross, Dr. Steven Pierson, and Meeta Anand. The federal government's massive data collections, a critical national resource, are under attack from the Trump administration. Federal agencies have already removed tho...

Season 5: Episode 6: The Marriage of AI and Cybersecurity – Opportunities and Challenges Abound A conversation with Micki Boland, Lead Technologist, Check Point Software Technologies, Office of the CTO. Starting with a military career that solidified her interest in information technology, Micki Boland is a self-proclaimed global cybersecurity warrior. She is a security architect with Check Point...

Season 5: Episode 5: Training AI Models with Neurodivergent Human Talent A conversation with Peter Kant, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Enabled Intelligence. Having served as an executive at one of the leading tech innovation institutes, SRI International, Pete identified a gap in how AI models were being trained – and thus an opportunity. Without high-quality data inputs, AI models, includ...

Season 5: Episode 4: AI’s Impact on Organizational Boundaries and People Through a Qualitative Lens A conversation with Dr. Sarah Wittman, Assistant Professor of Management at George Mason University’s Costello College of Business. Artificial intelligence impacts all facets of modern life, particularly knowledge acquisition and assimilation, organizational behavior, and the growing relationship be...

Season 5: Episode 3: The Story of the Red Hen, Building a Culture of Innovation A conversation with Scott Conn CGCIO, CIO of the City of Mesa There is a reason why the City of Mesa has won 7 technology-related awards in just one year and is rated number 5 in the nation as a Digital City. Indeed, Scott Conn has something to crow about! He is an exceptional leader, motivator, and innovator. He has b...

2025 Tech Forecast for State and Local IT: All Aboard the AI Train and More Tech Adventures A special webinar-turned-podcast features the executive directors of NASCIO and PTI. Now in its fourth year, Doug Robinson and Alan Shark once again share their views based on their organization’s research. To view this as a webinar see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fURO8VSP-c

Season 5: Episode 1: GovTech Vision 2025: Innovating the Future of Public Sector Technology   A special webinar-turned podcast, hosted by CitiBot. This episode explores the pivotal trends shaping urban environments through AI and other digital advancements. ·      Bratton Riley, CITIBOT CEO and co-founder ·      Mark Wheeler, Former Philadelphia CIO and GIO ·      Ron Holifield, Co-Founder, Civic...