Member Monday | City of Albuquerque Department of Technology and Innovation

Interview with Brian Osterloh, Director of Technology and Innovation

Company

City of Albuquerque Department of Technology and Innovation (DTI)

Stats

The City of Albuquerque was officially founded in 1706. DTI has grown to meet the City’s needs for decades! We employ about 150 people ranging from 311 Community Contact Center Agents to Data Architects to Systems Administrators.

Mission

Our role is to blend data, technology, and creative problem solving with people to bring value to our vibrant community. We do not serve technology, we serve the people who use the technology.

What does your company do/what industry do you represent?

DTI engages with customers in various capacities. We interface internally with 6000+ City employees working across 25+ City departments and divisions and externally with community members.

The City’s leadership champions innovation in all solutions, allowing DTI to be the first point of contact for the technological needs and support at City Hall.

We support the community by improving services available to residents and businesses, like making it easy to interact with your government, gaining access to WiFi, and implementing public safety technology throughout the city.

What makes your company or organization unique?

The same things that make NMTC unique! The City of Albuquerque serves as a representation of the residents here and we recognize Albuquerque’s unique position as a large and diverse metropolitan area in a rural state. We are seizing the opportunity to create a sense of place by supporting the growing technology hub of organizations, companies, schools, and, of course, the people!

Is your business growing and do you plan to hire in the next 6 months?

DTI is hiring! The City of Albuquerque has an excellent benefits package, a pension-based retirement plan, and opportunities for career advancement. DTI specifically looks to empower employees to succeed in their roles.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way you do business?

We are finding solutions to support customers in new ways, like setting up thousands of employees to work from home, facilitating public participation in virtual City Council meetings, expanding free WiFi across the city, and getting events, exhibitions, performances, and information online.

Share a goal you set for 2021.

As employees and residents, we are vested and have a passion to see our efforts help the Albuquerque community thrive and grow! We plan to continue navigating the ongoing challenges of the pandemic and taking steps to ensure that Albuquerque is positioned to excel in the future.

Describe where you see technology in the year 2030.

We see Albuquerque as a national hub for Smart Communities and are continually expanding the relationships and foundation to allow companies choosing to develop Smart Communities projects to thrive here.

Where do you stand – red, green, or Christmas?

We love potlucks, so bring your best red OR green recipe to share!