Overview

January 25

State and local leaders talk a lot about improving civic engagement. They want to increase constituent engagement by adopting new civic engagement platforms or digital government platforms.

But civic engagement, which describes residents coming together to improve their communities, is fundamentally different from civic experience, which is the interactions residents have with their government when obtaining services. The fact is, moving government services online to digital platforms doesn’t automatically translate into a great civic experience. In fact, those online services can be user-hostile and infuriatingly negative.

Starting with the desired civic experience, as opposed to simple digitalization, is the key to constituent satisfaction and government efficiency.

On January 25, join Government Technology and our partners at CivicPlus for a webinar on the civic experience. As a participant in this virtual event, you’ll learn

How to develop a civic experience strategy
The "must-have" capabilities for positive civic experiences – and how to create a roadmap for implementing them
How you can provide residents with a single constituent portal for every single interaction with government

Speakers

Bob Bennett — Moderator

Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Government

Bob Bennett is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Digital Government and the founder of B2 Civic Solutions, an international smart cities consultancy firm based in Parkville, Mo. From 2016 to 2019 he served in Mayor Sly James’ administration as the Chief Innovation Officer for the City of Kansas City, Mo. During his tenure, he oversaw the city’s smart city initiatives including a 54-block total digitalization pilot, strategy development for the city and P3-based expansion plans. Kansas City’s initiatives earned the city an Edison Award (Gold) for “Collective Disruption” and civic innovation in 2017, and Bob was named one of GovTech’s Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers in 2018. Before his role with the city, Bob completed a 25-year career in the U.S. Army which included service as a Strategist, a Battalion Commander and multiple combat tours.

Dave O’Reilly — Speaker

Chief Operating Officer, CivicPlus

Dave O’Reilly has over 20 years experience in enterprise software. His specific expertise is in the field of operational and productivity improvement through the introduction of SaaS technology. Dave’s leadership background ranges from start-up experience to multinational organizations. He currently serves at the Chief Operating Officer at CivicPlus. Dave studied Business at Waterford Institute of Technology Ireland, Disruptive Strategy at Harvard Business School and AI: Implications for Business Strategy at MIT Sloan. Dave joined CivicPlus in 2020 with a view to applying his skillsets for the greater good – Dave believes strongly that positive citizen experiences are a way to bridge the gap between people and their governments, and by doing so we strengthen the very fabric of society.

Ryan Strait — Speaker

Vice President of Product Strategy, CivicPlus

As the vice president of product strategy for CivicPlus, Ryan is responsible for architecting the integrated product and solution roadmap for the Civic Experience Platform. Ryan uses insights from CivicPlus’ over 7500 customers to lead her team to innovate technology solutions that power and empower positive civic experiences. Ryan is committed to solving the challenges that local governments face and continually gathers client and market feedback. With nearly a decade of leadership experience, Ryan has a keen understanding of the trends and needs facing the public sector and the latest advances in government technology. Ryan holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with a major in Marketing from Kansas State University, studied Marketing Innovation at MIT Sloan and received Business Excellence certification at Black & Veatch.

Teako Warfield Graham — Speaker

Software Architect Engineer with Sandy City, Utah

Teako is a full-stack software developer specializing in web applications and API integrations at Sandy City, Utah. Teako works in the Mayor's office handling digital initiatives as a part of a cross-disciplinary Communication team. Sandy City Communications runs its department "agency style" providing services to 18 internal departments. Teako actively works with the administration to bring the innovation and digital convenience enjoyed by the private sector to government services. The Communications team recently won two prestigious national awards at 3CMA, a Savvy Award, and a Silver Circle Award. Teako was also appointed to serve on Sandy City's Innovation Committee that ensures all Sandy City technology is researched, vetted, and appropriately adopted. Before focusing her career into full-time technology, Teako earned an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Graphic Design and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications with an emphasis on Art Technology and worked extensively in creative direction. Later, while mentoring start-ups, she sparked a passion for technology and expanded her knowledge by completing software engineering intensives at Maker's Academy in London, UK.

Webinar

Improving Government by Focusing on the Civic Experience