Concourse

Georgia

IT Status Report & Strategic Plan

February 23, 2026 · Version 2.0

Executive Summary

Governor

Brian Kemp (R)

CIO

Shawnzia Thomas

CISO

Steve Hodges

IT Organization

Georgia Technology Authority (GTA)

State Agencies

40

Population

10.9M

Key Strengths

  • GTA leadership nationally recognized -- CIO Shawnzia Thomas and Chief Digital/AI Officer Nikhil Deshpande named Government Technology Top 25 Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers of 2025; Thomas received BEYA Modern Day Technology Leader Award
  • Award-winning Orchard Design System deployed across 90+ state agency websites providing consistent, accessible, mobile-friendly user experience -- won StateScoop 50 Award for digital accessibility innovation
  • Strong AI governance with dedicated Chief Digital and AI Officer, Georgia Innovation Lab for ethical AI testing, and AI Hackathon program co-hosted with Microsoft for generative AI development
  • $1.3 billion BEAD broadband allocation -- one of the largest in the nation -- with revised proposal approved November 2025 and grant applications in progress for statewide connectivity expansion

Key Risks

  • BEAD funding release delayed by Trump Administration restructuring requirement to remove fiber preference -- Senator Warnock and Georgia House Democrats urging immediate release of nearly $1B in allocated funds
  • Election security remains high-profile concern as Georgia's voting systems face persistent scrutiny and threat actor targeting ahead of 2026 midterms, requiring continuous GTA cybersecurity investment
  • IMS contract transition to NTT Data (began August 2025) for managed IT services creates operational risk during multi-year handover of critical infrastructure management
  • DOJ WCAG 2.1 AA compliance deadline of April 24, 2026 requires accessibility verification across all 90+ state agency websites despite Orchard's built-in accessibility features

Capability Areas

Capability Radar

Cybersecurity & …AI & AutomationDigital Governme…Data Management …Workforce & Tale…Cloud ServicesBroadband & Conn…IT Procurement &…Interoperability…Legacy Moderniza…
Georgia

Current IT Projects

ProjectStatusDescriptionTimeline
BEAD Broadband DeploymentPending Federal Release$1.3 billion broadband expansion program managed by GTA. Revised proposal approved by NTIA November 2025. Fund release pending federal action following restructuring requirements.2025-2030
IMS Contract Transition to NTT DataIn ProgressMajor enterprise managed IT services contract transitioning to NTT Data. Transition activities began August 2025 with multi-year handover of critical infrastructure management.2025-2027
Georgia Innovation LabOperationalAtlanta-based facility for ethical testing of AI and emerging technologies. Supports agency experimentation before production deployment of new technology capabilities.2025-ongoing
Managed Security Services RFPIn ProcurementRequest for Proposals for enhanced managed security services to strengthen GTA's cybersecurity operations including threat detection, incident response, and compliance monitoring.2025-2026
Orchard Design System ExpansionOperationalContinued development and deployment of Georgia's official design system across state agency websites with React/Vue framework support, accessibility-by-default components, and regular updates.2023-ongoing
Digital Government Summit & AI InitiativesActiveAnnual Digital Government Summit (October 2025) and ongoing AI hackathon program advancing generative AI adoption with Microsoft partnership across state and local government.2025-2026

100-Day Strategic Plan

Quick-win initiatives for immediate impact

200-Day Strategic Plan

Strategic initiatives for sustained transformation

Sources

  1. Georgia Technology Authority -- Official Website (accessed 2026-02-23)
  2. GTA Leadership Page (accessed 2026-02-23)
  3. GovTech: Georgia's 2026 Tech Philosophy -- 'AI Governance Is Security' (accessed 2026-02-23)
  4. Georgia's 2025 IT Success Stories (accessed 2026-02-23)
  5. GTA Board Meeting Agenda -- September 11, 2025 (accessed 2026-02-23)
  6. GTA Annual State IT Report FY2024 (accessed 2026-02-23)
  7. NASCIO 2025 State Technology Innovator Award -- Keith Perry (accessed 2026-02-23)
  8. GovTech Top 25 Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers 2025 -- Thomas and Deshpande (accessed 2026-02-23)
  9. Orchard Design System -- Georgia Digital Services (accessed 2026-02-23)
  10. Why Orchard? The Case for Georgia's Official Design System (Blog Post) (accessed 2026-02-23)
  11. StateScoop: Orchard Design System -- StateScoop 50 Award (accessed 2026-02-23)
  12. GTA BEAD Program Page (accessed 2026-02-23)
  13. Broadband Breakfast: Warnock Calls for Release of Georgia BEAD Funding (accessed 2026-02-23)
  14. GTA IT Strategic Plan 2025 (accessed 2026-02-23)
  15. DOJ Title II Web Accessibility Rule -- WCAG 2.1 AA (April 24, 2026 deadline) (accessed 2026-02-23)
  16. NASCIO 2025 State CIO Top 10 Priorities (accessed 2026-02-23)