Salem, Oregon - The State Government Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council will meet at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. The meeting will take place remotely via the internet on Microsoft Teams and is open to the public. The agenda and handouts will be posted on the Council’s website.

• What: Meeting of the State Government Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council  
• When: Wednesday, July 24, 2024, 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.
• Where: Join a Microsoft Teams Meeting by ID | Microsoft Teams 
• Meeting ID:292 921 162 985 Passcode:njbMxw
• Phone: +1 503-446-4951 Phone conference ID: 514 433 257#
• Who: State Government Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council 

The State Government Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council is established by Governor Kotek’s Executive Order 23-26, Establishing a State Government Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council. 

The purpose of the Council is to recommend an action plan to guide awareness education, and usage of artificial intelligence in state government that aligns with the State’s policies, goals and values and supports public servants to deliver customer service more efficiently and effectively. The recommended action plan shall include concrete executive actions, policies, and investments needed to leverage artificial intelligence while honoring transparency, privacy, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Meetings of the State Government Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council are open to the public. 

Public comment may be made during the meeting. Sign-up for public comment is required as spots are limited. Sign-up closes Monday, July 22 at 1:00 p.m. Written comment will also be accepted. Written comment can be submitted by mail to the Council Support Office, 550 Airport Rd SE Suite C, Salem, OR 97301 or online via the office form.

Accommodations can be arranged for persons with disabilities, and alternate formats of printed material are available upon request. Please contact Enterprise Information Services at 503-378-3175 at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting to request accommodations. Closed captioning is included on the Microsoft Teams meeting.

Links:

• State Government Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council webpage: https://www.oregon.gov/eis/Pages/ai-advisory-council.aspx
• Executive Order 23-26: https://www.oregon.gov/gov/eo/eo-23-26.pdf
• Join a Microsoft Teams Meeting: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/join-a-meeting (Meeting ID:292 921 162 985 Passcode:njbMxw)
• Sign-up for public comment: https://forms.office.com/g/8NPeQbXRrA
• Online comments submission: https://forms.office.com/g/5ecMVUWbbi

A screenshot of the new DAS GovQA public records request platform

Salem, Oregon – The Oregon Department of Administrative Services (DAS) has made it easier for customers to request and receive public records, thanks to modernizing its public records software. 

Effective, July 15, 2024, DAS went live with Granicus GovQA software to efficiently process and manage requests for public records, such as procurement records, public employee data and risk management records.

As the volume of records requests has grown and their complexity increased, DAS looked to GovQA’s cloud-based solution for a secure, highly customizable platform that enhances transparency and tracking to improve customer service. 

The agency’s new records request system is a centralized, secure public records portal that allows requesters to track their public record requests online. An intake form helps refine each request, reducing the need for clarification and delivering improved accuracy. The system also standardizes workflows for agency employees, enhancing efficiency. 

Granicus GovQA is the largest provider of internet hosted service for government compliance with Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. GovQA handles more FOIA requests for state and local governments across the country, including other government agencies in Oregon. DAS has provided a video tutorial on how to submit a DAS public records request using GovQA.

Visit the new GovQA portal to see the platform live.

Terrence_Woods.jpg

Salem, OR – On June 24, 2024, Oregon’s State Chief Information Officer Terrence Woods assumed the role of Chair of the Board of Directors for Link Oregon, the middle-mile broadband service provider for Oregon’s non-profit and public sectors. Woods, who leads Oregon’s Enterprise Information Services, will serve as chair for the fiscal year 2025, which began July 1, following his service as vice chair for the fiscal year 2024.

Woods resumes the role, which he previously held for fiscal year 2023, from Andrea Ballinger, Vice Provost for University Information and Technology and Chief Information Officer for Oregon State University. Ballinger was the chair for the fiscal year 2024. Abhijit Pandit, Vice President and Chief Information Officer for University of Oregon assumed the role of vice chair and chair-elect.

The change in roles was announced at Link Oregon’s annual member meeting, also on June 24, which brought together a diverse community of members and partners in the broadband ecosystem from Oregon and across the country highlighting insights about broadband and digital equity efforts. Panelists included local, statewide, and regional leaders from Oregon K-12, public libraries, and local government, as well as broadband leaders from Nevada and Utah. The full recording of the Annual Member Meeting is available here.

Woods has provided support since the formation of Link Oregon, which is a consortium led by five founding entities: Oregon Health & Sciences University, Oregon State University, Portland State University, the University of Oregon, and Oregon’s Enterprise Information Services. 

“As we move into our new fiscal year, I am proud of the work we have accomplished and am excited to continue with our mission and meeting the needs of Oregon’s public sector and non-profit organizations across the state.” Woods said.

Established to consolidate and enhance efforts to develop a high-speed, middle-mile network serving the unique needs of public service, research, and education entities, Link Oregon’s services are available for state offices, higher education, K-12 schools and education service districts (ESDs), libraries, public healthcare facilities, Oregon Tribes, and other public and non-profit organizations across the state. The non-profit organization is also involved in a number of research computing and digital equity efforts across the state.