James Waterman — Google’s pointman in advocating the use and purchase of its technology in state and local government as well as education — is one of three speakers at the City of Manteca’s first State of the City presentation on Jan. 25.
Google provided free training to Sam Joaquin County that led to its new website launched last summer and a web-based business and economic development effort.
It was the basis for City Manager Elena Reyes’ pitch to the Manteca City Council — that they embraced — to spend $57,000 to hire a consultant and change the city’s website that had been revamped nine months earlier earning high praise from the same council.
The consultant was also charged with “branding” the city although Reyes promised the city slogan “The Family City” would stay intact. Reyes indicated at one point that she was hopeful the new website and city brand would be unveiled at the State of the City breakfast.
It is not clear whether that will happen.
Reyes was put on paid administrative leave more than five weeks ago due to an issued that was described as “personnel related.”
The State of the City takes place Thursday, Jan. 25, from 7:30 to 10 a.m. at the Manteca Transit station, 220 Moffat Blvd., in partnership with the Manteca Chamber of Commerce. The $15 ticket includes light breakfast refreshments. The program starts at 8 a.m. Tickets available at manteca.org or by calling the chamber at 823.6121.
Also speaking will be Manteca Mayor Steve DeBrum and Thomas Pogue who serves as the associate director for UOP’s Center for Business and Policy Research Center.
Waterman is the Google West Regional Manager for State, Local, and Education Markets.
Google’s site notes Waterman’s goal is to “make the impossible possible” by leveraging Google’s 10X thinking and innovative advancements to solve longstanding challenges.
He is an advocate for the adoption of technology to educate as well as “integrate and enable ecosystems of need” with the bottom line focused on marketing Google technology.
Waterman has worked for Unisys, Hewlett-Packard, and Microsoft.
Google in 2015 rolled out the Google Government Innovation lab in San Joaquin, Kern and Alameda counties to work on “moonshot ideas” using free technology
The San Joaquin County effort centers around innovation in the areas of public safety, economic development, human services, human resources and county IT services.
The free 6-week training program involving 50 county employees that received free Chromebooks successfully led to the county spending $500,000 in its current budget for Google project innovations.
The priority projects identified by the county included reducing the recruitment process from 40 to 7 days, foster care analytics, virtual youth probation teams, revamping the county website, and economic development/business attraction.
