Upper Marlboro, MD - Prince George’s County Chief Information Officer Wanda Gibson has been announced as a winner of the second annual LocalSmart Awards, a program created to highlight the inspirational people and projects making city, county and municipal governments more efficient and effective. 

“I am Prince George’s Proud of our CIO, Wanda Gibson, for receiving this national award in recognition of the work she is doing in our County Government,” said Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. “I want to thank CIO Gibson and her entire team at the Office of Information Technology for continuing to develop innovative solutions that will help us better serve the residents of Prince George’s County.” 

The LocalSmart Awards, launched in 2019 by StateScoop, honor the individuals and projects that transform local government and make a difference in residents’ lives. These awards celebrate the achievements of those who work to make a lasting impact in the government IT community.  

“I am honored to serve Prince George’s County in my storied career, re-energized by the innovative leadership of County Executive Angela Alsobrooks with the fresh trajectory of moving digital government forward,” said CIO Gibson. 

CIO Gibson was recognized for her leadership and vast experience with the Office of Information Technology (OIT), applying thought leadership in revamping tech opportunities, strategy, delivery and operations. She led OIT’s round-the-clock diligence in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, seamlessly expanding the virtual government landscape for teleworking to accommodate additional business needs and remote capabilities, which allowed the government to continue operating virtually. 

While rapidly supporting the pandemic response, OIT has many virtual, government-related accomplishments over the past year in the areas of digital workplace, public engagement and user experience, which include: 

• Rapid development of several custom applications to support COVID–19 executive actions for community support, including the Ambassador Compliance Team, the Business Recovery Initiative, the Child Care Provider Recovery Program, food assistance, a CARES grant management system, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data visualization tools for COVID-19 data tracking and elections support.
• Implemented a new Performance Management Dashboard solution for the County Executive. 
• Developed several new web applications to convert manual forms to online forms, allowing the public to complete forms virtually and employees to effectively process requests with an increased demand for services. 
• Integrated teleconference and secure virtual meeting space countywide to expand the County’s ability to host virtual meetings. 
• Expanded implementation of electronic document management and E-Signature platform as a part of going paperless.  
• Enhanced the cybersecurity program by increasing the County’s 24-hour IT security infrastructure and providing additional training for County employees. 

According to staff, CIO Gibson has been an inspirational catalyst for them, with remarkable instinct in understanding the social impact of innovation in government and its value to the residents served. 

Learn more about the LocalSmart Awards and view a full list of winners.