January 21, 2026 • 27 mins
Alex and Amy talk with NASCIO President and Arizona state CIO J.R. Sloan about his presidential initiative for 2026 and priorities in Arizona. He also tells us what he loves about living in Arizona.
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Amy Glasscock (00:05):
Hi, and welcome to NASCIO Voices, where we talk
all things state IT.
I'm Amy Glasscock of Lexington,Kentucky.
Alex Whitaker (00:11):
And I'm Alex Whitaker in a very frigid
Washington, D.C.
Today we're talking withcurrent NASCIO president,
Arizona CIO JR Sloan.
JR is back on the podcast totell us about what's going on in
Arizona and what he hopes toaccomplish while leading NASCIO
this year.
Amy Glasscock (00:25):
Not only is JR our NASCIO president this year,
but I have to say I think he'sour most loyal listener as well.
JR, welcome back to NASCIOVoices, and thanks so much for
joining us.
J.R. Sloan (00:34):
Great to be here.
Thank you for having me.
Alex Whitaker (00:36):
Yeah, absolutely.
So, J.R., it has been a whilesince we had you on the podcast.
Um, can you remind listenersabout your professional
background and how you ended upin your current role as state
CIO of the state of Arizona?
J.R. Sloan (00:48):
Sure.
Uh I came to the state ofArizona.
I had a former CIO for thestate, and that was Aaron
Sandeen, and his deputy, PhilManfred, uh had worked for me in
the private sector.
And when they had over timeleft left the organization that
I was with there, and uh theyreached out to me in kind of the
(01:08):
2013 timeframe with anopportunity to take on the
government or digital governmentprogram for them.
And they were looking to do asignificant transition for that
model.
And I was at a point where Iwas ready, ready for a change.
And but I also went throughthat whole mental exercise of
you know you know, coming fromthe from the private sector, my
(01:30):
perspective of government was,I'll say, not super positive in
that um you know when peopleasked the question, I I honestly
my mindset was, well, like whogoes to work in government and
does anything really good happenthere?
And uh I was I was impressed uhas I sat down from you know
with them and their team.
(01:51):
You know, I respected them asindividuals, and but when I got
to know them and their team, anduh honestly across the my
entire career uh since then ingovernment, um I I feel like I
missed out in that uh as Itravel uh within Arizona and
then just even working with allthe other uh states through
(02:12):
through NASIO, I'm just soimpressed with uh the caliber
and the quality of people, uhtheir passion, their commitment
to uh to service and toexcellence and to working within
you know constraints that areunique to government, all for
the purpose of you know tryingto deliver good government and
to do good work.
And so but that attracted meand I took on that program.
(02:37):
It was probably two years or ayear and a half after that that
we went through anadministration transition.
And at that time, uh Aaron andPhil and the their CTO all
determined that was the righttime for them to move on to
start their own company, so theydid that.
That left myself and at thetime the the CISO, who was Mike
(02:57):
Lettman, he took on the interimCIO role, and and I was uh in
the deputy CIO role.
So it provided me theopportunity to step up in the
organization and take on alittle broader set of
responsibilities.
Um we thought that it was goingto be a short transition as
they searched for a new a newCIO, um, but that actually ended
(03:17):
up taking 10 months.
So uh the good news is I gotsome got some runtime, and that
CIO that they run in was MorganReed.
And as Morgan came on, aftergiving him some time to get his
feet on the ground, I we satdown and I just said, Hey, I'm
happy to go back and you knowrun my digital government
program, or if you want me tostay in this role, great.
And if if you know I need tolook for a different opportunity
(03:41):
uh for the good of theorganization, I can do that.
And he asked me to stay on ashis deputy.
We had a great, great runduring his tenure.
And in 2019, when he when hemoved on to take on a um a role
in the private sector, um I wasuh given the opportunity to take
on the CIO role in uh on aninterim basis, and then in 2020,
(04:04):
uh was you know, I'll say itwas made permanent and you know
then got to really get my feetwet uh going into the pandemic
because it was March of 2020that that things were made
official.
So um I don't know if that'syou know maybe baptism by fire
or but it was it's been a greatexperience for me and really
love the work.
Alex Whitaker (04:25):
Yeah, absolutely.
Well, I I think you'd have tolove it to go through some of
the things you've gone through.
I mean, you mentioned thepandemic, and I know um how
tough that was for a lot ofpeople in state government.
So so that's really great tohear about.
Um so talk to us a little bitabout what made you decide to
get involved with NASCIO, andthen specifically the executive
committee, and then toultimately take on this
thankless role uh of presidentthat you're of course executing
(04:47):
so well so far.
J.R. Sloan (04:49):
Thank you for that.
You know, I I got exposed toNASCIO um fairly uh early on as
I was in that kind of interimdeputy CIO role.
Um I had the opportunity to getmy first exposure to NASCIO,
and man, I mean the events areso different than anything I'd
experienced in the privatesector, a lot of other, yeah,
I'll say traditional eventswhere if there's going to be a
(05:11):
mix of, we'll say, technologyexecutives and you know vendors
or you know, corporateproviders, yeah, it you know,
you you tend to have, okay,yeah, we have the sessions and
you have the keynotes, but thenthere's this you know, endless
haul of vendors that you knowend up having to drive through.
And the thing that was reallyunique about the NASCIO events
from my perspective, um gettingexposed to those was just the
(05:34):
focus on value and I'll say thestate member day still is like
that is the highlight for meevery time I go.
Um, being able to get a fullday of time uh with my peers
with topics that we set theagenda for, and to be able to
have those, I'll say, focusedand guided discussions, and then
just the ad hoc you knownetworking and relationship
(05:58):
building opportunities on theside.
Um and that I think is a threadthat runs throughout everything
that NASCIO does, not only inits annual and mid-year events,
but also the leadership summit.
And I think even just the waythe community, the NASCIO
community, is run and how it'sstructured, um, that allows uh
state members to have uh focusedand you know confidential
(06:21):
conversations with one another,but then to also be able to
engage with our corporatemembers to have valued
conversations there, receivingtheir their input.
Because my experience with thecorporate member community is
that these guys are alsoinvested in our success.
I mean, yes, they havecompanies they represent and
products they sell, but so manyof them, a lot of them have more
years invested in servinggovernment than you know some of
(06:42):
the folks that are sittingacross the table from them at
the states because of this theturnover that happens in you
know in the CIO role.
Um, but for them to have thatperspective of understanding
what does it take to work withstates to be successful and and
to really be invested.
I I see a lot of the corporatemembers who have the mindset
that you know that I see in instate government employees,
which is uh working for the goodof the people that are being
(07:05):
served.
So as I got exposed to NASCIO,then uh you know, seeing the
corporate member meetings andseeing the caliber of
leadership, um, that wassomething that I aspired to.
And I I benefited from you knowboth focused and maybe uh
unintentional mentoring that Ireceived from conversations,
(07:26):
talking with uh others that werein leadership um at the time.
And and so then uh for me itwas it was a matter of I felt
like I'd received so much that Iwanted to be able to give back
uh to the organization and tohope to be able to serve others
in the way that I felt that Ihad been served over the years
through NASCIO.
So that's that's the why.
Amy Glasscock (07:47):
That's great.
I think you could be anadvertisement for why go work in
government and why get involvedwith NASCIO as well.
Um so uh as we know, NASCIOpresidents often choose a
presidential initiative or atopic that they want to dig into
a bit more um during their timeas president.
You know, it's not required,but I understand you are
planning something, so tell usabout that.
J.R. Sloan (08:09):
Yeah, what I'm looking to bring forward is my
my presidential initiative is totalk about the whole area of um
I'll say identity.
You know, we're just talkingwith uh uh Doug and and Erica
actually about it this morningto try and flesh it out a bit.
But there's certainly been alot of interest in more recent
years, uh, the emergence ofdigital identity and digital
(08:32):
credentials.
You know, identity has been onNASCIO's top 10 list for a lot
of years.
Um I think that we have somestates that that um can be good
exemplars of uh achieving uhenterprise identity, like how we
deliver identity to uh thestate employees and and folks
working inside the organizationand and the benefits of that in
(08:56):
a unified approach as opposed toa very federated or distributed
or disconnected approach.
Um, similarly to the public onthe public side of identity for
all our digital services, havingan identity uh there that is
secured and identified or uhverified.
We've seen uh progress withmobile driver's license and
(09:17):
digital credentials there.
All of that coming together toum address some of the most
pressing issues aroundcybersecurity, you know, fraud,
waste, and abuse.
You know, these things, uh aswell as uh if we want to provide
a unified experience to thepeople that we're serving, uh
(09:37):
identity is at the foundation ofthat.
So I think I feel like thereason this is coming back
again, I think is that you knowmore things have converged to
again make um identity afoundational component to serve
a lot of the key concerns andkey needs, both for the
individual and the public aswell as uh governments as an
(09:57):
entity.
And you know, technology hascontinued to progress and some
of the standards are haveprogressed that that are ready
to start taking some good stepsforward.
I don't know that we can see aperfect future yet because you
start thinking down the path ofyou know, well, I want to do
this for the people that weserve in the state, how does
that extend?
(10:17):
Um, and maybe it's more easilyextends to serve local local uh
local government, uh,municipalities, local entities,
how does it start to cross stateborders so that a single
identity can can serve any, youknow, uh anyone within the U.S.
And then you want to go anotherup another level, it's you
(10:38):
know, how can that digitalidentity serve internationally,
like a passport?
And yet a value that I carry isto have that identity be
controlled and owned by theindividual, with whether it's a
government or uh private sectorentity or you know,
internationally, that the userstays in control of the identity
(11:00):
and folks that can eitherchoose to you know provide or
revoke services, and that theindividual can choose to revoke
access if they choose to do so.
It's really a big, a big thing.
There's a lot of good workthat's going on around it.
And um, I think there's there'slots for us to to even spend
(11:21):
time to understand all thelanguage, you know, the glossary
of terms associated with this,because it's as it's developed
over time, there's lots ofdifferent conversations and for
us to just grow in ourunderstanding so that we can
look at folks that have madegood progress, uh, ask them
questions like, you know, whatwould you do differently if you
had to do it today?
What were some of thechallenges you've experienced
(11:43):
over time?
How do you see your solution asyou know what you've
implemented being ready for forthe future and the next steps
that you're looking to take?
Um, so that uh others that thatwant to come along, you know,
can can be informed by that.
So I'm yeah, I'm excited aboutit.
Amy Glasscock (11:59):
That's awesome.
And it it really is such animportant thing now as more and
more citizens do, you know, dotheir government online and
digital services are increasing.
And um, yeah, it's it'simportant that we talk about
topics other than just AI,right?
Yep.
And which of course magnifieseverything.
I'm excited to see what youguys find out in your journey of
(12:22):
exploration around this.
So um, JR, I know that we dotry to keep you busy at NASIO as
president, but that's just afraction of what takes up your
time.
What are your priorities inArizona this coming year as
state CIO?
J.R. Sloan (12:35):
Oh so um in Arizona, um, you know, since we hadn't
talked about AI for a littlebit, I have to bring it back.
Um, we're going to be reallyfocusing on, you know, we we've
spent a lot of time on sort ofyou know governance and policy
and doing some of our kind ofuse case development.
I really hope to see taking allyou know, leveraging all of
(12:57):
that forward to really movinginto, I'll call it the maybe the
plateau of productivity with AIin Arizona, really enabling
agencies to benefit from, we'llsay the pockets of work that
have been done so they can seethe use cases and the value
propositions.
And I think really, I thinkthat's the key thing is moving
this to more of a you know uhbusiness case value proposition
(13:20):
as opposed to we're reallytrying to explore and figure out
the technology.
Some of the things that I knowwe're gonna be doing soon is
really talking, you know, evenwith the cabinet, about you know
how we're positioned, whatwe've done, how how we want to
encourage the further furtheradoption of AI for them
throughout their businesses andto you know ensure that they uh
they all understand that likeyou know, look, you we're not
(13:42):
looking for you to ask forpermission.
We want to encourage you toexplore this, and we feel we've
got the right guardrailsestablished to help you do that
safely and responsibly.
So encouraging the adoption anduh value-based implementation
of AI going forward to benefitthe the work of the agencies is
gonna be a key focus.
(14:03):
Another one is in the areas ofdigital services and and
experience.
Um, Arizona's got um our owninitiative.
We're we're just we've we'vestarted to stand up that common
public-facing portal withidentity being attached to that.
So um that's that that again iswhy identity is is kind of
front of mind for me, is I seeits core foundational need in
(14:28):
terms of digital services,digital experience in the whole
fraud, waste, and abuse area.
And then another major thingthat's that is I'll say it's
kind of always going on is thatuh modernization.
We have a number of systems, Ithink, as most states do, right,
that we're always in a cycle ofyou know what is it that needs
to be refreshed and replaced orupdated.
(14:50):
And um continuing to workthrough that cycle.
So those are I'll say threeareas.
But I as I went through the top10 this year and I just
reviewed that with in a monthlymeeting I have with uh a lot of
the IT leaders uh throughout thestate, we have something going
on with really every area.
As we talk about, you know,even these these areas of AI and
digital services and identityand modernization, like data is
(15:12):
you know an underlying themethrough all of that, how we're
governing our data, managing ourdata, understanding our data,
measuring the quality of it,making sure it's prepared and
useful and accessible.
So, yeah, all of the top tenareas really were showing up in
the things that I see that we'reworking on.
Amy Glasscock (15:30):
Yes, so true.
And and JR is referring to theNASCIO top 10 list that we put
out every year, and we had EricSweden on to talk about that
just a couple episodes ago.
Alex Whitaker (15:38):
So, JR, you were appointed in 2020 into your
role, which is of course apretty long time in the state
CIO world.
What are some of the biggestchanges that you've seen in the
role of the state CIO duringyour time?
J.R. Sloan (15:49):
So, as you as I looked at this question and
thought about it a little bit,you know, it really I'll go back
to uh having gone through thepandemic, I think that going
through that cycle, that time,there was so much in government.
Um, I think that the rest ofthe, I'll say the business of
government started to see howreliant and how embedded
(16:11):
technology is into howgovernment is delivered and how
work gets done every day.
And so I think the theimportance of technology, not
necessarily I'll say the role ofthe CIO, but you know, the the
importance of that technology,its coordination, its execution,
its availability in support ofthe business, um, just how vital
(16:35):
that is, and all the thingsthat that are impeded or slowed
down or stopped or prevented ifit's if it's not working right.
And so then I think relative tothe role of CIO, it gave me an
opportunity and place to standand to advocate that look, I'm
not just here to talk abouttechnology or what what you know
cool thing can be done next,but I'm here to help support the
(16:58):
mission of each organization.
And the CIOs within theagencies that serve throughout
Arizona, they were all focusedon ensuring the availability and
access to the services that thepeople that we serve need,
whether that's you know forhealth and human services or for
them to be able to enjoy thebeauty and you know of being
(17:20):
outside in Arizona and all ofthe natural resources that are
available here.
Um so really I think it's theCIO as the business partner and
business enabler is thetransformation or or at least a
growing in an understanding ofthat.
And so I've seen definitely,even among our agencies, and as
there's been opportunities wherethere's been maybe turnover in
(17:43):
a position at an agency thatagencies have proactively
reached out to me and said, hey,you know, what are your
thoughts about this?
And what do you think we shouldbe looking for?
And to be able to have aconversation with them about
just being able to advocate, tosay, you know, what I what I
want for you in uh your in therole of an IT leader for you is
someone who is a businesspartner who understands the
(18:03):
technology, but is at the tablewith you in your strategic
meetings talking about how thattechnology supports your key
objectives and serves yourbusiness.
That he's not just a guy in theback room watching flashy
lights blink and asking to spendmoney on cool things.
That I think is the biggesttransformation that I've seen,
and I'm excited to see itbecause I think that that's what
(18:25):
we're called to do.
You know, technology is not theend in itself, um, it's it's an
enabler and a supportstructure.
Alex Whitaker (18:32):
Yeah, and so you kind of just answered this in
your last response, but we'dlove to know a little bit about
what's been the most rewardingthing that's happened to your
role in the last couple ofyears.
I mean, I think we've reallygotten a sense for you of of why
you do what you do, but isthere a specific moment that you
look back to and say, wow, thatwas really great?
Not to go back to the pandemic,but I think it was such a
significant event in a lot ofpeople's lives.
As I reflected on the pandemicand and watched some some of the
(18:57):
struggles that I saw happenedthroughout the nation in terms
of also from the through thelens of technology, right?
Some of the struggles thatfolks had in whether it was
making the transition to remotework or services that weren't
prepared or uh struggled withwith scaling to be able to serve
(19:18):
the needs.
And you know, uh again, notthat we didn't have our
challenges, and I have stories Ican tell you about you know
days that were that were longduring during the pandemic, but
I think largely Arizona was in agood position and weathered
that storm pretty well anddidn't experience uh some of the
same challenges that I that Isaw others you know wrestling
(19:39):
with.
But then to see I think howeveryone came together to
respond.
Like the spirit was not youknow finger pointing, it was it
was focused on problem solving.
And that's where I think thebest of us you know showed up to
solve problems and and serveone another and make sure that
the services that were neededand that the government could
continue to operate and fulfillits role.
So that in the midst of areally tough time for a lot of
(20:04):
people, the government couldcontinue to fulfill its role.
That in people continue to bethe thing that is most
rewarding, whether it's in myown organization, the people
that I get to work with, theleaders that I get to work with,
and then again across in NASIO,it's the people in the
relationships that continue tobe the most rewarding thing for
(20:27):
me.
Amy Glasscock (20:28):
Yeah, that's awesome.
And I will say it's been awhile since the pandemic was
mentioned.
Um it used to be like everysingle episode we would have to
talk about the pandemic, and nowit's like AI is that thing.
Alex Whitaker (20:38):
So Yeah, I just had to remove pandemic language
from our advocacy principlesbecause it felt dated.
Amy Glasscock (20:43):
That's right.
Alex Whitaker (20:44):
Yeah.
Amy Glasscock (20:44):
I know.
But I mean it is stillsomething that uh has changed
our work, our society, the waythat we do things, public
health, technology.
I mean, it it really was a aflashpoint, you know, in in so
many things that we're stilldoing today.
J.R. Sloan (21:00):
So yeah, that I mean to pull out another term, if
you don't want to say pandemicor or the you know uh new
normal, right?
Like the way the way that wework today has you know was
forever changed, you know,through the things that were
necessary um and that we learnedto do during during that time.
And now you know governmentoperates differently.
(21:20):
And I think uh so manygovernment services were
elevated through that process.
A lot of the you know technicalissues I think got uh you know
many of them got addressed.
Yes, you know, not that there'sthere's still lots of work to
be done, but yeah, if we want tolook for a silver lining on a
on a very dark cloud, you know,there's some good things that
that came out of that.
Amy Glasscock (21:41):
Yeah.
Yeah.
All right.
Well, JR, I really doappreciate you taking the time
to talk with us about um, youknow, what's going on in Arizona
and your plans as president.
And of course, as you knowbefore we let you go, you know
the drill.
It's the lightning round.
Are you ready?
J.R. Sloan (22:00):
I am ready.
Amy Glasscock (22:02):
All right.
Question one What is yourfavorite way to use AI in your
personal life right now?
J.R. Sloan (22:08):
I probably encounter it most in uh I'll say uh in
the area of music currently,which is which most of us are
very inquisitive.
Like, well, why do you think Iwould like that?
Amy Glasscock (22:19):
Yeah.
J.R. Sloan (22:21):
So I'm trying to I'm trying to figure out how to
work with AI in that area.
We're transitioning, we'removing from uh being uh you know
a Spotify family to right nowwe're exploring both Apple music
and YouTube music and trying tofigure out what's gonna work
best for us.
And and honestly, going throughthat transition, like I found
how I used to and embedded I wasin in the way that Spotify
(22:45):
worked and you know what toexpect, and and now I'm
encountering things I don'texpect and how things are
organized differently.
And so the DI elements of itare um interesting.
Like I can see, like I thinkthis is gonna be helpful, but
right now I'm not sure it alwaysfeels helpful.
Alex Whitaker (23:00):
Can I share one on this?
Sure, Amy.
So we just got back fromLondon, great little trip, and
we got a chance to see thechanging of the mounted guard at
Buckingham Palace, which isreally cool.
So I took pictures of thesesoldiers on horses, and there's
just like hundreds of peoplearound them.
So I just plugged it into AIand said, Can you remove the
people from this picture?
So it spit out this wonderfulclean picture of these uh uh
(23:22):
this this mounted guard, andthat was kind of a cool, uh,
cool way to use it.
And I don't usually think aboutit.
Amy Glasscock (23:27):
No Photoshop skills needed.
Alex Whitaker (23:28):
I exactly so yeah.
All right, J.R., what do youlike about living in Arizona?
J.R. Sloan (23:33):
I think the fact that it's being able to enjoy uh
the outdoors so much.
In Arizona, I am no more thanum a couple of hours from uh
whatever change in climate Iwould I would like to enjoy.
You know, right now I'm sittingdown here and you know, uh here
we are, uh what, late January.
A lot of folks are probablystaring at uh snow and very cold
(23:57):
temperatures, and you know, I'mI'm staring at currently 52
degrees and it's gonna be youknow mid-70s today and sunny.
Um so this is why.
This is the why you want tolive in Arizona.
Um we'll say from probablyOctober through April into May.
And then you know, okay, yes,the summers here are are really
(24:19):
hot, but I can drive a couple ofhours north and get out of the
heat, get into the trees, uh,see all kinds of different
scenery.
I I know Arizona's not the onlyplace that has that sort of uh
variety of ecosystems, butArizona's got a great set of
ecosystems and a lot of varietythat you can enjoy, and there's
so much to explore.
Being in uh a largemetropolitan area, I think we
(24:42):
enjoy a decent amount ofcultural diversity and being
able to just have a lot ofdifferent, you know, whether
it's musical experiences, foodexperiences, us to be enjoyed.
Amy Glasscock (24:53):
Yeah, such a beautiful state.
All right, and final question: if you had to pick one and many (24:55):
undefined
is no object, would you chooseyour dream car or a private
driver anytime you want?
J.R. Sloan (25:02):
Ooh.
I think I might choose privatedriver now because I get the
time back.
Um there's things I enjoy aboutdriving, but um, you know,
going back to you know, thingsthat things that changed, right?
With this new change in work,you know, during the pandemic,
we actually went through a amove that the benefit for me was
a result in me being a littlecloser to downtown, which was a
(25:26):
dual benefit.
We were trying to get closer tomy folks at the time because
they were at a point where theyneeded some more care and
attention from us.
And then cutting down thecommute because you know, I
would I had probably about a 40,45-minute commute downtown each
way.
Uh so getting that time back,but but now being able to enjoy
kind of a hybrid workenvironment, I don't have to
(25:46):
spend as much time driving as Iused to.
But what I do, you're alwaysthinking about the oh, I oh, you
know, I should be doing this orI should be doing that, or
maybe I need to be involved in ameeting.
And so to have a driver, liketo really be able to utilize
that drive time, that soundsreally attractive to me.
Amy Glasscock (26:02):
Yeah.
When I lived in Washington,D.C., I would have 100% chosen a
driver.
Alex Whitaker (26:07):
Oh, it's no question for me.
Amy Glasscock (26:08):
Yeah, but now that I live in Kentucky, I'm
like, I'd probably take the nicecar.
Alex Whitaker (26:13):
Um, all right, JR.
Well, thank you so much.
It was really great talking toyou today.
And I know we at NASCIO are alllooking forward to working with
you over the next year.
J.R. Sloan (26:20):
Uh, pleasure to speak with you as well.
Um, thank you guys for what youdo here.
I this is one of the you knowhighlights.
Uh, I always look forward tothe new episodes that you guys
put together.
You do such a great job withthis podcast and the the guests
you have, the topics you have.
Uh, you both are greatfacilitators.
Um, it's a privilege to be on.
I was excited when you invitedme to come back again and uh you
(26:41):
know look forward to all thework that you're gonna continue
to do, continuing to engage ourcommunity and also tell good
stories about all the goodthings that are happening uh
within state government.
Amy Glasscock (26:51):
Thanks, JR, and thanks so much for your support
of the podcast since the verybeginning.
You've always been our biggestcheerleader.
J.R. Sloan (26:57):
Absolutely.
Thank you.
Bye.
Bye.
Alex Whitaker (27:01):
Thanks again for listening to NASCIO Voices.
NASCIO Voices is a productionof the National Association of
State Chief InformationOfficers.
Learn more at NASCIO.org.
Amy Glasscock (27:09):
We'll be back soon with more great state IT
content.
And don't forget to like andsubscribe wherever you listen to
podcasts.
Hi, and welcome to NASCIO Voices, where we talk
all things state IT.
I'm Amy Glasscock of Lexington,Kentucky.
Alex Whitaker (00:11):
And I'm Alex Whitaker in a very frigid
Washington, D.C.
Today we're talking withcurrent NASCIO president,
Arizona CIO JR Sloan.
JR is back on the podcast totell us about what's going on in
Arizona and what he hopes toaccomplish while leading NASCIO
this year.
Amy Glasscock (00:25):
Not only is JR our NASCIO president this year,
but I have to say I think he'sour most loyal listener as well.
JR, welcome back to NASCIOVoices, and thanks so much for
joining us.
J.R. Sloan (00:34):
Great to be here.
Thank you for having me.
Alex Whitaker (00:36):
Yeah, absolutely.
So, J.R., it has been a whilesince we had you on the podcast.
Um, can you remind listenersabout your professional
background and how you ended upin your current role as state
CIO of the state of Arizona?
J.R. Sloan (00:48):
Sure.
Uh I came to the state ofArizona.
I had a former CIO for thestate, and that was Aaron
Sandeen, and his deputy, PhilManfred, uh had worked for me in
the private sector.
And when they had over timeleft left the organization that
I was with there, and uh theyreached out to me in kind of the
(01:08):
2013 timeframe with anopportunity to take on the
government or digital governmentprogram for them.
And they were looking to do asignificant transition for that
model.
And I was at a point where Iwas ready, ready for a change.
And but I also went throughthat whole mental exercise of
you know you know, coming fromthe from the private sector, my
(01:30):
perspective of government was,I'll say, not super positive in
that um you know when peopleasked the question, I I honestly
my mindset was, well, like whogoes to work in government and
does anything really good happenthere?
And uh I was I was impressed uhas I sat down from you know
with them and their team.
(01:51):
You know, I respected them asindividuals, and but when I got
to know them and their team, anduh honestly across the my
entire career uh since then ingovernment, um I I feel like I
missed out in that uh as Itravel uh within Arizona and
then just even working with allthe other uh states through
(02:12):
through NASIO, I'm just soimpressed with uh the caliber
and the quality of people, uhtheir passion, their commitment
to uh to service and toexcellence and to working within
you know constraints that areunique to government, all for
the purpose of you know tryingto deliver good government and
to do good work.
And so but that attracted meand I took on that program.
(02:37):
It was probably two years or ayear and a half after that that
we went through anadministration transition.
And at that time, uh Aaron andPhil and the their CTO all
determined that was the righttime for them to move on to
start their own company, so theydid that.
That left myself and at thetime the the CISO, who was Mike
(02:57):
Lettman, he took on the interimCIO role, and and I was uh in
the deputy CIO role.
So it provided me theopportunity to step up in the
organization and take on alittle broader set of
responsibilities.
Um we thought that it was goingto be a short transition as
they searched for a new a newCIO, um, but that actually ended
(03:17):
up taking 10 months.
So uh the good news is I gotsome got some runtime, and that
CIO that they run in was MorganReed.
And as Morgan came on, aftergiving him some time to get his
feet on the ground, I we satdown and I just said, Hey, I'm
happy to go back and you knowrun my digital government
program, or if you want me tostay in this role, great.
And if if you know I need tolook for a different opportunity
(03:41):
uh for the good of theorganization, I can do that.
And he asked me to stay on ashis deputy.
We had a great, great runduring his tenure.
And in 2019, when he when hemoved on to take on a um a role
in the private sector, um I wasuh given the opportunity to take
on the CIO role in uh on aninterim basis, and then in 2020,
(04:04):
uh was you know, I'll say itwas made permanent and you know
then got to really get my feetwet uh going into the pandemic
because it was March of 2020that that things were made
official.
So um I don't know if that'syou know maybe baptism by fire
or but it was it's been a greatexperience for me and really
love the work.
Alex Whitaker (04:25):
Yeah, absolutely.
Well, I I think you'd have tolove it to go through some of
the things you've gone through.
I mean, you mentioned thepandemic, and I know um how
tough that was for a lot ofpeople in state government.
So so that's really great tohear about.
Um so talk to us a little bitabout what made you decide to
get involved with NASCIO, andthen specifically the executive
committee, and then toultimately take on this
thankless role uh of presidentthat you're of course executing
(04:47):
so well so far.
J.R. Sloan (04:49):
Thank you for that.
You know, I I got exposed toNASCIO um fairly uh early on as
I was in that kind of interimdeputy CIO role.
Um I had the opportunity to getmy first exposure to NASCIO,
and man, I mean the events areso different than anything I'd
experienced in the privatesector, a lot of other, yeah,
I'll say traditional eventswhere if there's going to be a
(05:11):
mix of, we'll say, technologyexecutives and you know vendors
or you know, corporateproviders, yeah, it you know,
you you tend to have, okay,yeah, we have the sessions and
you have the keynotes, but thenthere's this you know, endless
haul of vendors that you knowend up having to drive through.
And the thing that was reallyunique about the NASCIO events
from my perspective, um gettingexposed to those was just the
(05:34):
focus on value and I'll say thestate member day still is like
that is the highlight for meevery time I go.
Um, being able to get a fullday of time uh with my peers
with topics that we set theagenda for, and to be able to
have those, I'll say, focusedand guided discussions, and then
just the ad hoc you knownetworking and relationship
(05:58):
building opportunities on theside.
Um and that I think is a threadthat runs throughout everything
that NASCIO does, not only inits annual and mid-year events,
but also the leadership summit.
And I think even just the waythe community, the NASCIO
community, is run and how it'sstructured, um, that allows uh
state members to have uh focusedand you know confidential
(06:21):
conversations with one another,but then to also be able to
engage with our corporatemembers to have valued
conversations there, receivingtheir their input.
Because my experience with thecorporate member community is
that these guys are alsoinvested in our success.
I mean, yes, they havecompanies they represent and
products they sell, but so manyof them, a lot of them have more
years invested in servinggovernment than you know some of
(06:42):
the folks that are sittingacross the table from them at
the states because of this theturnover that happens in you
know in the CIO role.
Um, but for them to have thatperspective of understanding
what does it take to work withstates to be successful and and
to really be invested.
I I see a lot of the corporatemembers who have the mindset
that you know that I see in instate government employees,
which is uh working for the goodof the people that are being
(07:05):
served.
So as I got exposed to NASCIO,then uh you know, seeing the
corporate member meetings andseeing the caliber of
leadership, um, that wassomething that I aspired to.
And I I benefited from you knowboth focused and maybe uh
unintentional mentoring that Ireceived from conversations,
(07:26):
talking with uh others that werein leadership um at the time.
And and so then uh for me itwas it was a matter of I felt
like I'd received so much that Iwanted to be able to give back
uh to the organization and tohope to be able to serve others
in the way that I felt that Ihad been served over the years
through NASCIO.
So that's that's the why.
Amy Glasscock (07:47):
That's great.
I think you could be anadvertisement for why go work in
government and why get involvedwith NASCIO as well.
Um so uh as we know, NASCIOpresidents often choose a
presidential initiative or atopic that they want to dig into
a bit more um during their timeas president.
You know, it's not required,but I understand you are
planning something, so tell usabout that.
J.R. Sloan (08:09):
Yeah, what I'm looking to bring forward is my
my presidential initiative is totalk about the whole area of um
I'll say identity.
You know, we're just talkingwith uh uh Doug and and Erica
actually about it this morningto try and flesh it out a bit.
But there's certainly been alot of interest in more recent
years, uh, the emergence ofdigital identity and digital
(08:32):
credentials.
You know, identity has been onNASCIO's top 10 list for a lot
of years.
Um I think that we have somestates that that um can be good
exemplars of uh achieving uhenterprise identity, like how we
deliver identity to uh thestate employees and and folks
working inside the organizationand and the benefits of that in
(08:56):
a unified approach as opposed toa very federated or distributed
or disconnected approach.
Um, similarly to the public onthe public side of identity for
all our digital services, havingan identity uh there that is
secured and identified or uhverified.
We've seen uh progress withmobile driver's license and
(09:17):
digital credentials there.
All of that coming together toum address some of the most
pressing issues aroundcybersecurity, you know, fraud,
waste, and abuse.
You know, these things, uh aswell as uh if we want to provide
a unified experience to thepeople that we're serving, uh
(09:37):
identity is at the foundation ofthat.
So I think I feel like thereason this is coming back
again, I think is that you knowmore things have converged to
again make um identity afoundational component to serve
a lot of the key concerns andkey needs, both for the
individual and the public aswell as uh governments as an
(09:57):
entity.
And you know, technology hascontinued to progress and some
of the standards are haveprogressed that that are ready
to start taking some good stepsforward.
I don't know that we can see aperfect future yet because you
start thinking down the path ofyou know, well, I want to do
this for the people that weserve in the state, how does
that extend?
(10:17):
Um, and maybe it's more easilyextends to serve local local uh
local government, uh,municipalities, local entities,
how does it start to cross stateborders so that a single
identity can can serve any, youknow, uh anyone within the U.S.
And then you want to go anotherup another level, it's you
(10:38):
know, how can that digitalidentity serve internationally,
like a passport?
And yet a value that I carry isto have that identity be
controlled and owned by theindividual, with whether it's a
government or uh private sectorentity or you know,
internationally, that the userstays in control of the identity
(11:00):
and folks that can eitherchoose to you know provide or
revoke services, and that theindividual can choose to revoke
access if they choose to do so.
It's really a big, a big thing.
There's a lot of good workthat's going on around it.
And um, I think there's there'slots for us to to even spend
(11:21):
time to understand all thelanguage, you know, the glossary
of terms associated with this,because it's as it's developed
over time, there's lots ofdifferent conversations and for
us to just grow in ourunderstanding so that we can
look at folks that have madegood progress, uh, ask them
questions like, you know, whatwould you do differently if you
had to do it today?
What were some of thechallenges you've experienced
(11:43):
over time?
How do you see your solution asyou know what you've
implemented being ready for forthe future and the next steps
that you're looking to take?
Um, so that uh others that thatwant to come along, you know,
can can be informed by that.
So I'm yeah, I'm excited aboutit.
Amy Glasscock (11:59):
That's awesome.
And it it really is such animportant thing now as more and
more citizens do, you know, dotheir government online and
digital services are increasing.
And um, yeah, it's it'simportant that we talk about
topics other than just AI,right?
Yep.
And which of course magnifieseverything.
I'm excited to see what youguys find out in your journey of
(12:22):
exploration around this.
So um, JR, I know that we dotry to keep you busy at NASIO as
president, but that's just afraction of what takes up your
time.
What are your priorities inArizona this coming year as
state CIO?
J.R. Sloan (12:35):
Oh so um in Arizona, um, you know, since we hadn't
talked about AI for a littlebit, I have to bring it back.
Um, we're going to be reallyfocusing on, you know, we we've
spent a lot of time on sort ofyou know governance and policy
and doing some of our kind ofuse case development.
I really hope to see taking allyou know, leveraging all of
(12:57):
that forward to really movinginto, I'll call it the maybe the
plateau of productivity with AIin Arizona, really enabling
agencies to benefit from, we'llsay the pockets of work that
have been done so they can seethe use cases and the value
propositions.
And I think really, I thinkthat's the key thing is moving
this to more of a you know uhbusiness case value proposition
(13:20):
as opposed to we're reallytrying to explore and figure out
the technology.
Some of the things that I knowwe're gonna be doing soon is
really talking, you know, evenwith the cabinet, about you know
how we're positioned, whatwe've done, how how we want to
encourage the further furtheradoption of AI for them
throughout their businesses andto you know ensure that they uh
they all understand that likeyou know, look, you we're not
(13:42):
looking for you to ask forpermission.
We want to encourage you toexplore this, and we feel we've
got the right guardrailsestablished to help you do that
safely and responsibly.
So encouraging the adoption anduh value-based implementation
of AI going forward to benefitthe the work of the agencies is
gonna be a key focus.
(14:03):
Another one is in the areas ofdigital services and and
experience.
Um, Arizona's got um our owninitiative.
We're we're just we've we'vestarted to stand up that common
public-facing portal withidentity being attached to that.
So um that's that that again iswhy identity is is kind of
front of mind for me, is I seeits core foundational need in
(14:28):
terms of digital services,digital experience in the whole
fraud, waste, and abuse area.
And then another major thingthat's that is I'll say it's
kind of always going on is thatuh modernization.
We have a number of systems, Ithink, as most states do, right,
that we're always in a cycle ofyou know what is it that needs
to be refreshed and replaced orupdated.
(14:50):
And um continuing to workthrough that cycle.
So those are I'll say threeareas.
But I as I went through the top10 this year and I just
reviewed that with in a monthlymeeting I have with uh a lot of
the IT leaders uh throughout thestate, we have something going
on with really every area.
As we talk about, you know,even these these areas of AI and
digital services and identityand modernization, like data is
(15:12):
you know an underlying themethrough all of that, how we're
governing our data, managing ourdata, understanding our data,
measuring the quality of it,making sure it's prepared and
useful and accessible.
So, yeah, all of the top tenareas really were showing up in
the things that I see that we'reworking on.
Amy Glasscock (15:30):
Yes, so true.
And and JR is referring to theNASCIO top 10 list that we put
out every year, and we had EricSweden on to talk about that
just a couple episodes ago.
Alex Whitaker (15:38):
So, JR, you were appointed in 2020 into your
role, which is of course apretty long time in the state
CIO world.
What are some of the biggestchanges that you've seen in the
role of the state CIO duringyour time?
J.R. Sloan (15:49):
So, as you as I looked at this question and
thought about it a little bit,you know, it really I'll go back
to uh having gone through thepandemic, I think that going
through that cycle, that time,there was so much in government.
Um, I think that the rest ofthe, I'll say the business of
government started to see howreliant and how embedded
(16:11):
technology is into howgovernment is delivered and how
work gets done every day.
And so I think the theimportance of technology, not
necessarily I'll say the role ofthe CIO, but you know, the the
importance of that technology,its coordination, its execution,
its availability in support ofthe business, um, just how vital
(16:35):
that is, and all the thingsthat that are impeded or slowed
down or stopped or prevented ifit's if it's not working right.
And so then I think relative tothe role of CIO, it gave me an
opportunity and place to standand to advocate that look, I'm
not just here to talk abouttechnology or what what you know
cool thing can be done next,but I'm here to help support the
(16:58):
mission of each organization.
And the CIOs within theagencies that serve throughout
Arizona, they were all focusedon ensuring the availability and
access to the services that thepeople that we serve need,
whether that's you know forhealth and human services or for
them to be able to enjoy thebeauty and you know of being
(17:20):
outside in Arizona and all ofthe natural resources that are
available here.
Um so really I think it's theCIO as the business partner and
business enabler is thetransformation or or at least a
growing in an understanding ofthat.
And so I've seen definitely,even among our agencies, and as
there's been opportunities wherethere's been maybe turnover in
(17:43):
a position at an agency thatagencies have proactively
reached out to me and said, hey,you know, what are your
thoughts about this?
And what do you think we shouldbe looking for?
And to be able to have aconversation with them about
just being able to advocate, tosay, you know, what I what I
want for you in uh your in therole of an IT leader for you is
someone who is a businesspartner who understands the
(18:03):
technology, but is at the tablewith you in your strategic
meetings talking about how thattechnology supports your key
objectives and serves yourbusiness.
That he's not just a guy in theback room watching flashy
lights blink and asking to spendmoney on cool things.
That I think is the biggesttransformation that I've seen,
and I'm excited to see itbecause I think that that's what
(18:25):
we're called to do.
You know, technology is not theend in itself, um, it's it's an
enabler and a supportstructure.
Alex Whitaker (18:32):
Yeah, and so you kind of just answered this in
your last response, but we'dlove to know a little bit about
what's been the most rewardingthing that's happened to your
role in the last couple ofyears.
I mean, I think we've reallygotten a sense for you of of why
you do what you do, but isthere a specific moment that you
look back to and say, wow, thatwas really great?
Not to go back to the pandemic,but I think it was such a
significant event in a lot ofpeople's lives.
As I reflected on the pandemicand and watched some some of the
(18:57):
struggles that I saw happenedthroughout the nation in terms
of also from the through thelens of technology, right?
Some of the struggles thatfolks had in whether it was
making the transition to remotework or services that weren't
prepared or uh struggled withwith scaling to be able to serve
(19:18):
the needs.
And you know, uh again, notthat we didn't have our
challenges, and I have stories Ican tell you about you know
days that were that were longduring during the pandemic, but
I think largely Arizona was in agood position and weathered
that storm pretty well anddidn't experience uh some of the
same challenges that I that Isaw others you know wrestling
(19:39):
with.
But then to see I think howeveryone came together to
respond.
Like the spirit was not youknow finger pointing, it was it
was focused on problem solving.
And that's where I think thebest of us you know showed up to
solve problems and and serveone another and make sure that
the services that were neededand that the government could
continue to operate and fulfillits role.
So that in the midst of areally tough time for a lot of
(20:04):
people, the government couldcontinue to fulfill its role.
That in people continue to bethe thing that is most
rewarding, whether it's in myown organization, the people
that I get to work with, theleaders that I get to work with,
and then again across in NASIO,it's the people in the
relationships that continue tobe the most rewarding thing for
(20:27):
me.
Amy Glasscock (20:28):
Yeah, that's awesome.
And I will say it's been awhile since the pandemic was
mentioned.
Um it used to be like everysingle episode we would have to
talk about the pandemic, and nowit's like AI is that thing.
Alex Whitaker (20:38):
So Yeah, I just had to remove pandemic language
from our advocacy principlesbecause it felt dated.
Amy Glasscock (20:43):
That's right.
Alex Whitaker (20:44):
Yeah.
Amy Glasscock (20:44):
I know.
But I mean it is stillsomething that uh has changed
our work, our society, the waythat we do things, public
health, technology.
I mean, it it really was a aflashpoint, you know, in in so
many things that we're stilldoing today.
J.R. Sloan (21:00):
So yeah, that I mean to pull out another term, if
you don't want to say pandemicor or the you know uh new
normal, right?
Like the way the way that wework today has you know was
forever changed, you know,through the things that were
necessary um and that we learnedto do during during that time.
And now you know governmentoperates differently.
(21:20):
And I think uh so manygovernment services were
elevated through that process.
A lot of the you know technicalissues I think got uh you know
many of them got addressed.
Yes, you know, not that there'sthere's still lots of work to
be done, but yeah, if we want tolook for a silver lining on a
on a very dark cloud, you know,there's some good things that
that came out of that.
Amy Glasscock (21:41):
Yeah.
Yeah.
All right.
Well, JR, I really doappreciate you taking the time
to talk with us about um, youknow, what's going on in Arizona
and your plans as president.
And of course, as you knowbefore we let you go, you know
the drill.
It's the lightning round.
Are you ready?
J.R. Sloan (22:00):
I am ready.
Amy Glasscock (22:02):
All right.
Question one What is yourfavorite way to use AI in your
personal life right now?
J.R. Sloan (22:08):
I probably encounter it most in uh I'll say uh in
the area of music currently,which is which most of us are
very inquisitive.
Like, well, why do you think Iwould like that?
Amy Glasscock (22:19):
Yeah.
J.R. Sloan (22:21):
So I'm trying to I'm trying to figure out how to
work with AI in that area.
We're transitioning, we'removing from uh being uh you know
a Spotify family to right nowwe're exploring both Apple music
and YouTube music and trying tofigure out what's gonna work
best for us.
And and honestly, going throughthat transition, like I found
how I used to and embedded I wasin in the way that Spotify
(22:45):
worked and you know what toexpect, and and now I'm
encountering things I don'texpect and how things are
organized differently.
And so the DI elements of itare um interesting.
Like I can see, like I thinkthis is gonna be helpful, but
right now I'm not sure it alwaysfeels helpful.
Alex Whitaker (23:00):
Can I share one on this?
Sure, Amy.
So we just got back fromLondon, great little trip, and
we got a chance to see thechanging of the mounted guard at
Buckingham Palace, which isreally cool.
So I took pictures of thesesoldiers on horses, and there's
just like hundreds of peoplearound them.
So I just plugged it into AIand said, Can you remove the
people from this picture?
So it spit out this wonderfulclean picture of these uh uh
(23:22):
this this mounted guard, andthat was kind of a cool, uh,
cool way to use it.
And I don't usually think aboutit.
Amy Glasscock (23:27):
No Photoshop skills needed.
Alex Whitaker (23:28):
I exactly so yeah.
All right, J.R., what do youlike about living in Arizona?
J.R. Sloan (23:33):
I think the fact that it's being able to enjoy uh
the outdoors so much.
In Arizona, I am no more thanum a couple of hours from uh
whatever change in climate Iwould I would like to enjoy.
You know, right now I'm sittingdown here and you know, uh here
we are, uh what, late January.
A lot of folks are probablystaring at uh snow and very cold
(23:57):
temperatures, and you know, I'mI'm staring at currently 52
degrees and it's gonna be youknow mid-70s today and sunny.
Um so this is why.
This is the why you want tolive in Arizona.
Um we'll say from probablyOctober through April into May.
And then you know, okay, yes,the summers here are are really
(24:19):
hot, but I can drive a couple ofhours north and get out of the
heat, get into the trees, uh,see all kinds of different
scenery.
I I know Arizona's not the onlyplace that has that sort of uh
variety of ecosystems, butArizona's got a great set of
ecosystems and a lot of varietythat you can enjoy, and there's
so much to explore.
Being in uh a largemetropolitan area, I think we
(24:42):
enjoy a decent amount ofcultural diversity and being
able to just have a lot ofdifferent, you know, whether
it's musical experiences, foodexperiences, us to be enjoyed.
Amy Glasscock (24:53):
Yeah, such a beautiful state.
All right, and final question: if you had to pick one and many (24:55):
undefined
is no object, would you chooseyour dream car or a private
driver anytime you want?
J.R. Sloan (25:02):
Ooh.
I think I might choose privatedriver now because I get the
time back.
Um there's things I enjoy aboutdriving, but um, you know,
going back to you know, thingsthat things that changed, right?
With this new change in work,you know, during the pandemic,
we actually went through a amove that the benefit for me was
a result in me being a littlecloser to downtown, which was a
(25:26):
dual benefit.
We were trying to get closer tomy folks at the time because
they were at a point where theyneeded some more care and
attention from us.
And then cutting down thecommute because you know, I
would I had probably about a 40,45-minute commute downtown each
way.
Uh so getting that time back,but but now being able to enjoy
kind of a hybrid workenvironment, I don't have to
(25:46):
spend as much time driving as Iused to.
But what I do, you're alwaysthinking about the oh, I oh, you
know, I should be doing this orI should be doing that, or
maybe I need to be involved in ameeting.
And so to have a driver, liketo really be able to utilize
that drive time, that soundsreally attractive to me.
Amy Glasscock (26:02):
Yeah.
When I lived in Washington,D.C., I would have 100% chosen a
driver.
Alex Whitaker (26:07):
Oh, it's no question for me.
Amy Glasscock (26:08):
Yeah, but now that I live in Kentucky, I'm
like, I'd probably take the nicecar.
Alex Whitaker (26:13):
Um, all right, JR.
Well, thank you so much.
It was really great talking toyou today.
And I know we at NASCIO are alllooking forward to working with
you over the next year.
J.R. Sloan (26:20):
Uh, pleasure to speak with you as well.
Um, thank you guys for what youdo here.
I this is one of the you knowhighlights.
Uh, I always look forward tothe new episodes that you guys
put together.
You do such a great job withthis podcast and the the guests
you have, the topics you have.
Uh, you both are greatfacilitators.
Um, it's a privilege to be on.
I was excited when you invitedme to come back again and uh you
(26:41):
know look forward to all thework that you're gonna continue
to do, continuing to engage ourcommunity and also tell good
stories about all the goodthings that are happening uh
within state government.
Amy Glasscock (26:51):
Thanks, JR, and thanks so much for your support
of the podcast since the verybeginning.
You've always been our biggestcheerleader.
J.R. Sloan (26:57):
Absolutely.
Thank you.
Bye.
Bye.
Alex Whitaker (27:01):
Thanks again for listening to NASCIO Voices.
NASCIO Voices is a productionof the National Association of
State Chief InformationOfficers.
Learn more at NASCIO.org.
Amy Glasscock (27:09):
We'll be back soon with more great state IT
content.
And don't forget to like andsubscribe wherever you listen to
podcasts.
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