Background
FLGISA was formed in 1976 for the purposes of fostering professionalism of its members and sharing ideas and experiences. While the FLGISA has held true to those original concepts, the association is consistently being enhanced to stay current with the needs of its members. The association is staffed and supported by the Florida League of Cities. Michael Sittig, executive director of the League, says, “This is the premier technology organization for Florida local governments. I encourage all local government agencies to be a member and actively participate in the FLGISA.”
Who are the members?
Membership in the FLGISA is open to local governments operating within the State of Florida. This includes, but is not limited to, cities, counties, property appraisers, law enforcement, courts and public schools. The jurisdiction is the member, so there is only one membership fee per jurisdiction. Each member jurisdiction has one vote in the organization and that vote belongs to the jurisdiction’s decision maker for technology services. This may be the chief information officer, director of technology, manager of technology, city clerk, finance officer, city/county manager or any other position that has ultimate responsibility for the technology function.
What do we do?
Training
The FLGISA conducts two educational conferences a year, in summer and winter. At both conferences, workshops are held on technology issues and the management of information systems functions specifically targeted toward local governments. At the summer conference, vendors are invited to exhibit at a trade show that is held during the breaks from the educational session. Here, members can see the latest in technology for local government agencies.
A highlight of the conferences is the "round table sessions," where members are encouraged to share problems, challenges and success stories with other members. The round table sessions provide a forum to develop solutions and share ideas, experiences and, at times, hardware and software. This builds a great network of technology professionals who can be called upon to assist and provide input throughout the year.
Website
FLGISA has an informative Web site (www.flgisa.org) that provides members with opportunities to share information, ask questions, learn about what is happening in technology throughout Florida and view current technology white papers.
Networking
FLGISA also provides a unique opportunity to network with other local government technology professionals who are faced with similar issues and challenges. This networking opportunity allows our members to exchange ideas, brainstorm possible solutions to common issues, benchmark their organizations against other similar organizations, and collaborate on implementation strategies. When appropriate, the association also engages consulting services to conduct research on issues that will benefit all members. Members can also participate on "special" task groups that are convened to examine specific issues and then report back to the membership.
Advocacy
Finally, the organization provides valuable input to Florida legislators regarding proposed and existing legislation in the areas of technology and telecommunications. This allows state officials to understand the effect of such legislation on local government, and provides for expert advice on highly technical issues. FLGISA is a powerful voice to the Florida Legislature on local government technology issues.