Teena Piccione: NCDIR’s Secretary & State Chief Information Officer

Profiles in Power highlights public officials nationwide who are improving their communities through their dedication, enthusiasm, creativity and experience. This week’s profile is the Teena Piccione, the Secretary & State Chief Information Officer for the North Carolina Department of Information Technology. My public career highlights and education: This is my first role in the public sector […]

Alexandria plans city hall, market square revitalization project

The city of Alexandria is planning a substantial modernization and renovation of the city’s historic city hall and Market Square, a rich chapter of American and local history that still in active use. Under the proposal, city hall, built in 1871, will undergo structural repairs, infrastructure modernization, improved accessibility and security, upgraded technology, and more […]

FAA engages higher education partnerships to address controller shortage

The U.S. Transportation Department is tackling the country’s air traffic controller shortage by expanding its collegiate training pipeline. The department announced Monday that Nashua Community College (NCC) in New Hampshire has become the state’s first institution to join the Enhanced Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative (E-CTI). NCC is the fifth school this year to sign on […]

Pennsylvania plans $225M upgrade for historic Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) will spend $225.5 million to rehabilitate the Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge over the Susquehanna River. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2027. The 1.26-mile bridge has been steadily falling into decline since its original construction in 1930. The department has determined that the bridge suffers from structural deficiencies due to natural […]

Virginia finalizes $1.5B broadband expansion plan

The Virginia Office of Broadband (Va OoB) has developed its Final Proposal to access up to nearly $1.5 billion in funds through the federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program. The Va OoB has opened a public comment window on the proposal, allowing residents to offer feedback prior to submission.  Following closure of the […]

Legislative housing reform surges as states tackle supply shortage

Pro-housing efforts are heating up across the country, with a record amount of pro-housing legislation passed between July 2024 and June 2025, according to a policy brief from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. States are responding to a national housing shortage that has pushed the median home price to $435,300, well beyond the […]

DOD plans massive cloud contract expansion in 2027

The Pentagon is preparing to launch a major expansion of its cloud computing strategy, with plans to open its next multibillion-dollar contract to a broader range of vendors, including smaller and non-traditional companies. In 2022, the Department of Defense (DOD) awarded its $9 billion Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability (JWCC) contract to the four major cloud […]