2026 CPSAI AI 50 Awards Honors: Leading the Way

Rachel Eckert

Director of Market Intelligence, e.Republic

Rob Lloyd

Executive Director, Center for Digital Government (CDG) and Center for Public Sector AI (CPSAI)

Rob Lloyd is the Executive Director of the Center for Digital Government, where he leads the organization’s national research and advisory programs focused on technology policy, innovation and best practices for government and industry leaders in state and local government. In this role, he oversees initiatives including the Digital Communities program and the Center for Public Sector AI and serves as a national voice on the technology challenges and opportunities shaping government.

Lloyd brings nearly three decades of public-sector technology leadership. Most recently, he served as Chief Technology Officer for the City of Seattle, where he was a member of the mayor’s cabinet and oversaw a team of nearly 600 employees and a technology portfolio of roughly $300 million. Previously, he was Deputy City Manager and Chief Information Officer for the City of San José and has held senior technology leadership roles in cities across Arizona, Oregon and Colorado.

His teams have earned more than 50 national honors, and his leadership has been recognized with awards including The AI 50, two ORBIE CIO of the Year awards, Governing Magazine’s Public Official of the Year, two GovTech Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers honors, four City Executive of the Year honors, and Business Journal leadership awards in Silicon Valley and Phoenix.

Joe Morris

Chief Innovation Officer, e.Republic

Joseph Morris is the chief innovation officer of Government Technology’s parent company e.Republic and a national keynote speaker on issues, trends and drivers impacting state and local government and education. He has authored publications and reports on funding streams, technology investment areas and public-sector priorities, and has led roundtables, projects and initiatives focused on issues within the public sector. Joe has conducted state and local government research with e.Republic since 2007 and knows the ins and outs of government on all levels. He received his Bachelor of Arts in government and international relations from the California State University, Sacramento.

Teri Takai

Chief Programs Officer, e.Republic

Teri Takai is the Chief Programs Officer of e.Republic, the parent company of the Center for Digital Government. She worked for Ford Motor Company for 30 years in global application development and information technology strategic planning. From Ford, she moved to EDS in support of General Motors.

A long-time interest in public service led her to the government sector, first as CIO of the State of Michigan, then as CIO of the State of California, and subsequently the CIO of the U.S. Department of Defense, the first woman appointed to this role. She then served as the CIO for Meridian Health Plan. She is a member of several industry advisory boards.

Teri has won numerous awards including Governing Magazine’s Public Official of the Year, CIO Magazine’s CIO Hall of Fame, Government Technology Magazine’s Top 25 Doers, Dreamers & Drivers, the Women in Defense Excellence in Leadership Award, and the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service.