Aleta Jeffress
make sure that the culture is ready and accepting , because otherwise it just creates resistance . We sometimes think of innovation as these big-ticket items , but it ’ s important to figure out a way to allow people to innovate themselves , to be comfortable with change and to be able to make suggestions on how things could be different .” For Jeffress , it ’ s crucial to remember the role of people amidst the technology transformation . “ Although we ’ re implementing a lot of technology and a lot of digital transformation , one of the things that really remains important is making sure that you hire the right people . That ’ s especially true in technology where it ’ s a continuing challenge due to the low unemployment rate and number of open positions .”
The IT department itself can act as a harbinger of change for surrounding organizations , as Jeffress explains . “ The City of Aurora has about 21 different departments . The IT organization here supports all of them , so we have to be very aware of what ’ s going on in each to ensure we ’ re in a place where we can help them to succeed .
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EXECUTIVE PROFILE
Aleta Jeffress
Aleta Jeffress is the Chief Information and Digital Officer for the City of Aurora . She has over 20 years ’ experience as a successful executive business leader and technologist building relationships between business and technology to enable digital transformation and market growth . She drives innovative strategies for business and IT leadership , and has developed teams for Cybersecurity and Project Management Offices from the ground up . Her career began in startup software companies where she started in a call center environment and moved through private and public sector organizations in the areas of software quality , development , product management , security , and ultimately leadership . www . gigabitmagazine . com