“The smartest cities aren’t focused on technology alone, they are about creating more value for their citizens through every means possible.”

“I hate the term Smart Cities, but I haven’t come up with anything better to displace it, yet.”

“A city is isn’t smart or dumb. In reality a city is never really complete, only getting smarter over time.”

Those communities with the means will of course get smarter quicker than smaller communities but what is considered smart and cutting edge in a larger community may not be needed in a smaller more rural community.

“If you want to innovate, you must be willing to fail.”

“Even in the public sector, failure is an option! If failure is not an option for you then you are doomed to the status quo.”

“Even those who follow best practices and adapt well to changes, still fail.”

“All innovative CIO’s are in sales. They must constantly sell the value of what they are doing to those that hold the purse strings.”

“The desktop is dead! We now live in a mobile society. There will only be laptops and mobile computing devices in my city.”

“If you want to best prepare for a global disaster, you must be agile, mobile, and able to quickly adapt to changing conditions. Broadband and IoT play a large role in this.”

“If you want to disrupt the status quo then solve problems most people don’t yet know exist.”

Because we [Chattanooga] are a smart city. We’re an innovative city. We don’t wait for other people to go out and try something first. We dive in head first and we try it out.

Being a futurist is more than just predicting trends. You must see problems most people today don't know exist. To be a great futurist, solve those problems before they become problems.

Keeping the ship afloat is a good start. But if the ship never goes anywhere then it's just a museum.

“Municipal ISP ownership guarantees that access to the network is equitable and affordable for all."

“Broadband is no longer a privilege for those who can afford it, it is a required staple of modern life. No different than electricity or running water.”

"In the 1930s the New Deal brought electricity to the masses in rural areas (TVA and the Chickamauga dam as example). We are in the age of a similar commodity, broadband. It will also take the feds and local governments to bring broadband to the masses. I think it is apropos that both began right here in Chattanooga"

“Demonstrate your openness and willingness to just be a decent human being who happens to be the one in charge, rather than the boss no one wants.”

“Just because you have the title doesn’t mean you know everything that’s best. Trust your staff to do their jobs.”

“If you think you know everything there is to know in your field, you're either delusional or stupid.”

“It’s not rocket surgery. If you think your staff constantly fail you, then it's really you who are failing your staff.”

“The best leaders surround themselves with those who are as smart or smarter then they are.”

The first step to creating any value in your organization as a CIO is to be a good leader.

In matters of inheriting staff you did not hire, to that, I say, trust them until you can't trust them.

With regards to your staff: If you want them to follow you into whatever and wherever you need them to trust and respect you, which starts with you trusting and respecting them.

Always surround yourself with the smartest people you can find.

What we do in government isn't always glamorous. In fact, it rarely ever is.
But it is never-the-less critical to the future of society and has a tremendous impact that can be either good or bad. It's up to us to decide which that is.