Ep.172 Creating a Transformational IT Culture in Santa Barbara County with Chris Chirgwin, CIO, Santa Barbara County

The Public Sector Show by TechTables

Chris Chirgwin is the first Chief Information Officer for Santa Barbara County. Now you may know Chris from his remarkable journey in the news as the former CEO of Lanspeed, an IT services firm headquartered in Santa Barbara County, before selling his company.

He transitioned from owning a successful small IT services business to becoming Santa Barbara County's CIO in 2022. Despite the challenges of navigating the public sector, Chris hit the ground running. He implemented EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) principles to set core values, build a strong culture, and establish accountability through goal setting.

Chris has now built a transformational IT department. With a team of 70 IT staff (out of 5,000+ employees and $1.5 billion dollar budget) and a focus on collaboration and empowerment, Chris has really nailed the importance of a positive work culture in attracting top talent. His leadership has led to key modernization initiatives, including a Workday ERP implementation, GIS consolidation, and a public safety radio upgrade.

His entrepreneurial background brings a fresh perspective to Santa Barbara County and the public sector.

Mark your calendars for the 2024 Phoenix Live Podcast Tour in Phoenix, Arizona, on April 1st-3rd, 2024. Chris will be joining us live on the podcast tour!

Learn more here: https://www.techtables.com/2024-phoenix-live-podcast-tour

Before we get into this week’s podcast, I wanted to give a special shout-out to TechTables podcast sponsors: SentinelOne, Verizon, and SAP.

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In this episode, we explore how Santa Barbara County is pioneering new approaches to culture, accountability, and technology modernization under the leadership of its first CIO, Chris Chirgwin.

Coming from the private sector as a small business owner, Chris shares his journey of implementing EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) principles to transform the county's first-ever centralized IT department.

We dive into the importance of setting core values, creating a culture of achievement, and establishing visibility and accountability through goal setting. Chris also discusses key modernization initiatives like a new ERP system, consolidating GIS resources, and exploring AI use cases.

Tune in to hear how Chris drives collaboration, empowers his team, and leverages his entrepreneurial background to bring positive change in the public sector.

🔖 Timestamps

(0:00) Chris's transition from owning a small IT services business to becoming Santa Barbara County's first CIO

(4:31) Navigating the differences between private and public sector leadership

(8:38) Implementing EOS principles to set core values and build a strong culture

(12:48) Using a Smartsheet to drive accountability and track quarterly goals

(15:16) Attracting top talent through a positive work culture

(18:31) Key modernization initiatives: ERP implementation, GIS consolidation, public safety radio upgrade

(21:10) The importance of IT governance and establishing standards and policies

(26:19) Building trust and collaboration with county departments through active listening and follow-through

(27:59) Learning to be an effective listener and empowering the team's ideas

(30:35) The challenges of procurement in the public sector

Mark your calendars for the 2024 Phoenix Live Podcast Tour, where Chris will share more insights on driving innovation and culture change in county government.

Learn more here: https://www.techtables.com/2024-phoenix-live-podcast-tour

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