2026 State Memos for a Tech Transition
Nine memos capturing best practices and concrete first-100-day actions for transition and administration teams.
On this site you can read and print each memo, and ask questions answered from the memos, with cited passages.
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Why now
In 2026, 36 states will hold gubernatorial elections, with at least 18 new governors taking office in 2027. During transition and in the first 100 days, these new administrations will set the people, priorities and systems that determine what governors can deliver for state residents.
Tech already underpins nearly every interaction constituents have with their governments. The beginning of a new governor’s term presents unique opportunities to leverage all tech has to offer and shape it to best serve constituents.
Governors will take office as budgets continue to tighten, federal funding shifts, and AI creates both opportunities and risks administrations must manage, all at a pace faster than most can absorb. Getting the state’s operations, tech strategies and capacity right can drive what’s possible, avoid costly mistakes, expand what already works and ensure it endures.
Three early decisions drive everything else
- Set a small number of clear priorities.
- Put the right tech-savvy executives in place to help deliver on them.
- Build in accountability from Day One.
The nine memos
Four memos cover the foundational tools that make everything else possible: Tech Talent, Data, Procurement and Customer Experience (CX). These are strategies that cut across nearly all government programs and priorities. The fifth memo covers AI, discussing best practices in how to lead, govern and procure AI as well as how to use it to responsibly and effectively supercharge the governor’s priorities. The final four memos cover critical program areas where these best practices can be implemented: Benefits, Permitting, Emergency Response and Recovery, and Child Welfare.
- Benefits
- Permitting
- Emergency Response and Recovery
- Child Welfare
- AI
- Tech Talent
- Data
- Procurement
- Customer Experience
Who wrote them
Tech Talent Project has partnered with the American Enterprise Institute (opens in a new tab), the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation at Georgetown University (opens in a new tab), and New America (opens in a new tab) to create a rich set of best practices and expertise that administrations can use as a roadmap for achieving success and avoiding unnecessary failures. This project brought together nearly 150 government, industry and nonprofit leaders around the tech opportunities ahead of states in 2027.
Co-chairs
- John BaileyNonresident Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute (AEI) (opens in a new tab)Former Special Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, President George W. Bush, 2007-2009
- Cecilia MuñozSenior Advisor, New Practice Lab, New America (opens in a new tab)Former Assistant to the President and Director, White House Domestic Policy Council, President Barack Obama, 2012-2017
Show other contributorsHide other contributors
Tech Transition Project leads
- Jennifer AnastasoffExecutive DirectorTech Talent Project
- Betsy BeaumonDirector of State Tech TransitionsTech Talent Project
- Allison CourtinAnd So, Communications
- Tiffany FlickState Transition FellowTech Talent Project
Principal contributors
- Amira BolandChief of Staff, New Practice LabNew America (opens in a new tab)
- Nikki ChiappaPermitting Innovation LeadEnvironmental Policy Innovation Center
- Dana ChisnellCommunity DirectorTech Leadership Brain Trust
- Anil DewanState Transition Fellow on AITech Talent Project
- Brent EfronSenior Advisor for Permitting and InfrastructureEnvironmental Policy Innovation Center
- Makayla HipkeVolunteerTech Talent Project
- Sabrina KhanVolunteerTech Talent Project
- Cassandra MadisonExecutive DirectorCenter for Civic Futures
- Marina NitzeAuthor, Crisis Engineering and Hack Your Bureaucracy
- Rebecca PiazzaExecutive. Director of Safety Net StrategyCode for America
- Denice RossFormer U.S. Chief Data Scientist
- Faith SavaianoState Transition FellowTech Talent Project
- Nishant ShahDistinguished FellowCenter for Civic Futures
- Jennifer StricklandEMPA CandidateMaxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs, Syracuse University
Contributors
- Laurel BlatchfordDirector & Senior PartnerDelivery Associates
- Peter BonnerSenior Fellow, Federation of American ScientistAdjunct Professor, George Mason University Schar School of Public Administration
- Julie BoughnPrincipalJBoughn Advisory Services, LLC
- Dawn BrantleyDirectorMassachusetts Emergency Management Agency
- Afua BruceFounder & CEOANB Advisory Group
- Kathrine CargoLA GIS Council Executive CommitteeState of Louisiana
- Patrick CarterVice President & State Practice LeadResults for America
- Daniel CorreaCEOFederation of American Scientist
- Neal Desai
- Ann DunkinDistinguished Professor of the Practice, Georgia Institute of Technology & CEODunkin Global Advisors
- Walter EnglishEmergency Management CoordinatorCity of Fairfax, Virginia
- Sarah EstySenior AdvisorAspen FSP
- Sarah ForlandPolicy Analyst, Open Technology InstituteNew America (opens in a new tab)
- Kathrin FrauscherDeputy Executive DirectorOpen Contracting Partnership
- Chris FrommannFormer Senior Counselor for Technology, Strategy, and DeliveryFederal Emergency Management Agency
- Santiago GarcesFormer CIO, City of BostonCo-Founder, AI Lab for CitiesAdjunct Lecturer, Harvard University
- Laura GerhardtSenior Service Delivery Fellow - EngineeringTech Talent Project
- Amanda Starling Gould, Ph.D.Director of Operations, AI Center for GovernmentPartnership for Public Service
- Neha GuptaCOO & General CounselPartners for Public Good
- Rebecca HeywoodFounder & PrincipalCivic Works Studio
- Elena HoffnagleVice PresidentPartners for Public Good
- Toby HowePartnerElevate State Solutions
- Alex JumperResearch ScholarInstitute for Law & AI
- Steven KadishSenior Advisor, Burnes Center for Social ChangeNortheastern University
- Neil KleimanProfessor - Northeastern UniversitySenior Faculty - InnovateUS
- Elizabeth LairdDirector, Equity in Civic TechnologyCenter for Democracy & Technology (CDT)
- Kevin LambertTechnology & PartnershipsEnvironmental Policy Innovation Center
- Eli LehrerPresidentR Street
- Tori LeonardHuman-Centered Design ConsultantAnthro-tech
- Mark Lerner
- Jenna LeveilleVP State & Local Government, Business Development & StrategySanborn Geospatial
- Andy LewandowskiChief Digital Experience OfficerU.S. Department of the Interior
- Daniella LowenbergDirectorData Funders Collaborative
- Josh MartinFormer Chief Data OfficerState of Indiana
- Reilly Martin
- Matthew McAllisterCEOSolarAPP Foundation
- Jilma MenesesCEOCatholic Community Services of Western Washington
- Travis MooreFounder & Executive DirectorTechCongress
- Clare MortoranaFormer Federal Chief Information OfficerUnited States
- Jonathan MostowskiPresidentAgile Acquisitions, LLC
- Siddharth MuchhalFormer Federal CX Portfolio LeadOffice of Management and Budget
- Georg NeumannCommunications & PartnershipsOpen Contracting Partnership
- Amy Hawn Nelson, Ph.D.Senior Director of Training and Applied Research, University of Pennsylvania - Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy
- Skip NewberryPresident & CEOTechnology Association of Oregon
- Kathleen NoonanCEOCamden Coalition
- Greg NovickDirector, Medicaid Delivery Innovation Initiative (MDII)Tech Talent Project
- Lynn OvermannExecutive DirectorBeeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation (opens in a new tab)
- Gabe PaleyAdvisor, Technology & Digital StrategyPort Authority of New York & New Jersey
- Brennan PartonVice President, State Policy and AdvocacyData Quality Campaign
- Lisa PerrinDigital Services Division ManagerPermitting & DevelopmentCity of Portland, Oregon
- Christopher PutneyTech Talent & Workforce Innovation LeadEnvironmental Policy Innovation Center
- Angelica QuirarteStrategic Advisor
- Mathias RechtzigelNAMD FellowTech Talent Project
- Denise Linn RiedlHead of Public Sector TechnologyPartners for Public Good
- Katie SavageChief Information Officer & SecretaryState of Maryland
- Tim ShawDirector of the Benefits Transformation InitiativeAspen Institute Financial Security Program
- Leah SiskindDirector of Impact & AI Research FellowFoundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD)
- Kaye SklarHead of Content and InsightsOpen Contracting Partnership
- Aaron SnowPrincipalThe Key Jar
- Ariana SotoCEO & Co-FounderCoding it Forward
- Mike SprayberryFormer Executive Director of the Division of Emergency Management and the Office of Recovery and ResiliencyState of North Carolina
- Kathy StackCEOKB Stack Consulting
- Lauren SuppleeFormer Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning, Research & EvaluationU.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Jen TressPrincipal & Co-founderVerge Talent Partners
- Heidi TringePresident and FounderElevate State Solutions
- Sarah TunebergChief Information Officer & Executive Director, Governor's Office of ITState of Colorado
- Michael WilkeningBoard MemberTech Talent Project
- Beth WindischHomeland Security AdvisorState of Illinois
- April Williams WoodFormer President & CEONational Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (National VOAD)
- Cori ZarekFormer Deputy Chief Technology OfficerUnited States