Tamecka McKay, ITIL, MPA, CGCIO Chief Information Officer at Seminole Tribe of Florida, is an industry certified professional with over 27 years of Information Technology experience. She previously served as CIO for the City of Fort Lauderdale where she focused on driving innovation, digital transformation and service delivery excellence by overseeing the management, strategy and execution of IT services including mission critical communication networks for emergency responders and public safety services.
Before joining the City of Ft. Lauderdale, Tamecka served as the Enterprise Infrastructure Manager for Broward County Public Schools, the 5th largest school district in the nation, and Information Systems Manager for the Town of Davie. She also taught computer networking classes at ITT Technical Institute. Passionate about servant leadership, community engagement, and service excellence, Tamecka serves on several boards, including the CIO Council, SouthFloridaCIO, Holy Cross Healthcare and Infraguard – FBI partnership for protecting national critical infrastructure.
Last year, she received the Excellence in Government Innovation Award from the American Society for Public Administration and South Florida ORBIE Award, a technology executive recognition program, from SouthFloridaCIO. In 2023, she was named the Most Innovative Chief Information Officer by the Alan B. Levan NSU Center of Innovation Orbit Award and Top 10 City Government CIO by Gov CIO Outlook.
Recently, in an exclusive interview with CIO Magazine, Tamecka shared insights on her passion for public service and technology leadership, personal and professional philosophies that attributed to her success, her source of guidance and strength, future plans, words of wisdom, and much more. The following excerpts are taken from the interview.
Hi Tamecka. What drives your passion for public service and technology leadership?
Being a child of high school dropouts with lifelong substance abuse struggles, my highest aspiration as a teenager was just to get through high school. After a field trip to Seton Hall Law School, organized by my guidance counsellor, where I saw people who looked like me going to law school, I realized I too could dream bigger than just high school. Unfortunately, after a few years in community college (I did not have the grades or courses to be selected for university) I became pregnant and married immediately after. Determined not to be another statistic; I took 1 class at a time, while juggling motherhood, family and work to finish my associate’s degree. During that time, a friend of mine completed the Novelle certification and immediately got a job in technical support. Still wanting to go to Law School, I decided to take a detour and obtain Microsoft Certification and was offered a help desk support role immediately after with Motorola. I quickly became a top performer with outstanding organizational, communication and documentation skills which weren’t as common in the typically technical support person’s tool set. With business and technology quickly converging, my ability to translate technology to business and demonstrated outcomes, propelled me into a team leader, supervisor, to manager. Shortly after transitioning from Motorola to a local government agency where I saw firsthand the power of technology to improve quality of life, my love and passion for community and technology was born and I’ve never looked back. Rising from help desk support to CIO has been a challenging and rewarding journey that I have been extremely fortunate and privileged to travel. It has truly given me a platform to make a difference in the community, fulfilling my passion for service and paving the way for others from backgrounds like mine.
What do you love the most about your current role?
What I love most about my role as CIO besides improving the quality of life for our communities through technological solutions, are the enabling of personal growth and professional development of the team members, I get the privilege to lead. When I started my first CIO role at the City of Fort Lauderdale, many of the team members were disengaged and checked out. In fact, the ITS department had over 55% staff turnover, 3 CIOs in 3 years, 5 Police IT Managers in 5 years and several anonymous letters regularly filed with Human Resources. The team was fractured and disconnected. However, through “Servant-Leadership” and a People first approach, in less than three years we’ve seen employee satisfaction improve by 60% and training and professional development up by over 261%. We were intentional about bringing the team together, creating a more inclusive environment and building trusted relationships with staff. We filled long-standing vacant positions and went from the department of “no” to the department where folks were volunteering (unpaid) just to be a part of the magic! We fostered coaching, mentoring and collaborative culture which has transformed the department into a place where people can grow and develop personally and professionally.
Secondly, being a double minority in the tech industry, I take great pride in showing others who look like me the possibilities despite stereo types and presumed roles. Most recently, I have enjoyed challenging the status quo and empowering a resilient team who made the impossible happen the past few years at the City of Fort Lauderdale. We (technology professionals) have more power than we know to change the world. Most recently, we empowered the city’s IT administrative staff who previously felt excluded from technology career advancement, to implement the city’s first asset management program as well as take a more assertive role in implementing change management for the organization. I have been told that they felt heard, seen, appreciated and valued for the first time and were excited about contributing to the team outside of standard administrative work. I frequently take advantage of opportunities to speak on Women in Tech and how we can all advocate for more diversity in STEM.
How do you see the role of the CIO evolving in government, and what skills do you think are essential for future CIOs?
Business acumen is an important skill that effective CIOs utilize. Traditionally, IT professionals have been evaluated on their technical skills. However, as the span of influence increase and with career advancement, the ability to “tell a story “And communicate to non-technical stakeholders at their respective levels will be critical to successfully driving digital transformation and realization of the return on strategic technology investments. For years, a critical system upgrade was delayed due to competing priorities at my previous organization. However, after we presented the “soft costs” of not upgrading, and the direct financial impact of the organizational efficiencies, the path forward became extremely clear to our decision makers and influencers that by not upgrading the software, we were losing thousands of dollars each month in operational inefficiencies. Effectively quantifying and communicating the impact created a sense of urgency followed by decisive action.
Unfortunately, the old school way of delivering IT services will no longer be effective without the ability to translate technology investments into business outcomes – which may look different to different stakeholders, organizations and cultures. Having business acumen and the ability to translate technology investments into business impact will be key. Far too long has IT been a “mystery” for non-technical staff. If the CIO will be impactful and effective, intentionality in understanding the business needs, desired outcomes and strong relationship building will be key. The CIO must also ensure that all IT efforts and resources are closely aligned to organizational priorities and desired outcomes.
The second skill is the ability to form and foster strong partnerships. CIOs will need to build a strong network of internal and external partners, relationships and coalitions. It’s been said that nothing great was ever achieved alone. Given the ubiquitous nature of technology and its role in driving the digital economy, CIOs must leverage a toolset of resources to turn many obstacles and challenges to opportunities and results. At the City of Fort Lauderdale, we were able to complete monumental achievements in modernizing the city’s aging infrastructure in just over 30 months because of the strong partnerships we had with our vendors, colleagues and networks. Our partners where integral in upgrading the city’s entire fleet of outdated network equipment, allowing us to improve the city’s cybersecurity posture as well as beginning the building block of leveraging Smart Cities technology to improve public services. Government agencies will continue to have resource constraints and as technology becomes more integrated and complex, having a strong network of reliable partners will be key in moving agencies forward.
Last but not least, an effective CIO will love their people! Given the need for innovation and creativity to effectively compete in the digital economy, we need the best from our teams. The best ideas will not come from the boardroom but from the boots on the ground. Creating an environment that fosters personal and professional development, phycological safety and grace to experiment and fail fast will distinguish the good from the great. Our people is our greatest asset and just as the story of the “Goose who laid the golden egg”, if we fail to nurture, invest and empower our people, we won’t continue to receive those golden eggs.
What personal or professional philosophies have contributed to your success, and how have you applied these principles in your career?
I’ve adopted quite a few personal and professional philosophies that would take me quite a while to share. If I had to choose the top 3, I would choose the following:
- People before things. Before technology, before goals, before performance metrics, people should always be first. The relationships you build will persist throughout disasters, acquisitions, and even organizational transitions. Building strong relationships is one of the most powerful components of my career journey.
- Technology does not always equal technology. Starting with “what are we trying to solve” should be the first question and technology should come second. Or as Stephen Covey suggests, “Start with the end in mind”. Technology professionals love to geek out but no one understands or appreciates that but other techs. For this reason, IT professionals must take the time and effort to learn and understand the business needs of the customers they serve. Sometimes this means going on a Police or Fire call or sitting down in a community meeting for better insights on challenges and opportunities for service improvement. Additionally, having an open mind about solutions that may not always involve technology. For instance, a colleague of mine was able to increase school attendance in a low-income area just by placing a washing machine on the school premises. After research and digging deeper, it was realized that the attendance problem had more to do with having clean clothes than anything else. Lessons like this have helped me understand that technology is just one of the tools that can be used and may not be the be all, end all.
- Embrace what makes you unique which may very well become your superpower. Years ago, I disliked my deep voice, my background and the fact that I wasn’t like most of the people around me. I later found out that those very differences became my superpower once I embraced and leaned into them. I never dreamed of being where I am today, and I am thankful for the very differences that made me stand out from the crowd.
Is there a particular person you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are?
There have been countless influences throughout my journey, both professional and personally—far too many to name, and each impactful in its own right. However, if I were to identify the most profound source of guidance and strength, it would be my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. My faith has been the cornerstone of my resilience, enabling me to break generational barriers, overcome personal struggles, and grow through transformative character development. Despite the statical trajectory of my life, given the circumstances of my birth, I’ve become the first in my immediate family to exceed a high school education, ascend to an executive leadership role, and now pursue a doctoral degree. These milestones, once unimaginable for someone like me, are a testament to divine purpose, perseverance, and the unwavering belief that one’s past does not define one’s potential
What are some of your passions outside of work? What do you like to do in your time off?
Spending time with my family is first on the list. I also enjoy volunteering at my house of worship as well as community engagement opportunities. I am currently serving on several boards and frequently speak at Women in Technology events. Although my schedule has been challenging with the transition and doctoral program, I aim to resume mentoring and coaching the next generation of public service technology leaders.
Which technology are you investing in now to prepare for the future?
AI and Cybersecurity will be the focus of the future – in addition optimization. As we move into the future, levering the power of AI to course correct, predict and enhance public service, municipal governments will need to prioritize strategic technology investments in both tools and people. Disaster recovery and business continuity will also be critical considering the threat of climate change and cyberattacks. As our dependencies on technology increase, so will our risks in protecting information and services. Governments leaders will need to find a balance between acceptable risks and the cost of data protection.
Reliable and widespread network connectivity is rapidly becoming essential to modern life. As society grows increasingly reliant on digital platforms, seamless access to communication infrastructure—whether via satellite, microwave, fiber, or cellular networks—is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. Communities without this access, particularly those that are underserved or unserved, risk being left behind in every facet of opportunity—from education and healthcare to economic development and civic engagement. Much like electricity and clean water, connectivity is emerging as a fundamental utility—integral to equity, progress, and full participation in the digital age.
What is your biggest goal? Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?
According to my personal mission statement, my goal is “To positively impact all within my sphere of influence by building strong relationships, serving others and creating a legacy of love, kindness and personal excellence”
In the next 5 years, I’d like to see myself graduating with my Doctoral degree in Public Administration as well as transforming the way we use technology on the native American communities. Additionally, I look forward to sharing knowledge and information with inspiring public sector technology professionals through seminars, courses, public speeches and potential publications, highlighting the power of Servant Leadership.
What advice would you give to aspiring technology leaders?
Find your Why! (Simon Sinek) This isn’t the most glamours role and at times it can be thankless. However, the intrinsic value of being a solution provider to social challenges and the role of enabling people to live happy, healthy and productive lives, is more than what money can buy. I wake up everyday thinking about how I can better serve our community and that gives me great pride. Considering the ubiquitous nature of technology in our current digital economy, I believe you can find a way to leverage technology in anything you find passion. Art, Health, Education, Government, Business, Sports, Social Services – they all have technology components and/or opportunities to leverage technology for service enhancement. One recent example that comes to mind is a health organization leveraging AI to flag emergency room visits for potential sex-trafficking victims. Another example is the integration of two separate databases that identified at foster child who’d been placed in a home with a known predator. Lastly, the invention of a special cooler, used to keep vaccination cold during transport to extremely remote areas thereby reducing the number of children dying from disease. It is a great time to be a technologist!