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Adopt a resolution and plaque of appreciation honoring Ira J. Rosenthal, Chief Information Officer/Registrar of Voters, upon his retirement from the Solano County Department of Information Technology with 16 years of public service, including 15 years of dedicated service to Solano County
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The County Administrator recommends that the Board of Supervisors adopt a resolution and plaque of appreciation honoring Ira J. Rosenthal, Chief Information Officer/Registrar of Voters, upon his retirement from the Solano County Department of Information Technology with 16 years of public service, including 15 years of dedicated service to Solano County.
SUMMARY/ DISCUSSION:
Ira Rosenthal began his public service career in 2002 as the Director of Enterprise Application Services for the City and County of Denver, Colorado. Mr. Rosenthal was responsible for all production, support and development initiatives involving Denver’s use of its PeopleSoft and financial applications. He also managed a staff of developers, analysts, database administrators, helpdesk, network and operating administrators. Mr. Rosenthal served in that capacity until November 2003 when he accepted the Chief Information Officer/Registrar of Voters position with Solano County.
As the Chief Information Officer, Mr. Rosenthal has played a leading role in helping the County integrate a series of new technologies, including voice over Internet protocol (VOIP), social media platforms, mobile applications and cloud computing solutions, just to name a few. He manages a team of employees responsible for providing helpdesk solutions, including the completion of more than 13,500 annual service tickets, all while maintaining a County network of 4,700 computers, 4,251 telephone lines, 800 printers, 540 servers, 420 tablets and 165 terabytes of County information and data, including the County’s website, SolanoCounty.com.
In January 2006 Mr. Rosenthal was selected to participate in the County Administrator’s Performance Improvement Committee (PIC). Comprised of a handful of department heads, the PIC is designed as a cross-departmental approach to implement Solano County’s strategic planning goal of increasing organizational effectiveness, efficiency and communication. Over the past 12 years, Mr. Rosenthal has played a key role in providing solutions that have supported County capital improvement projects, policy development and County operations.
As the Registrar of Voters, Mr. Rosenthal oversees six election dates every two-years, including federal, state and local elections, school elections and special elections, as mandated by law. During his tenure, Mr. Rosenthal has prioritized strategic community outreach efforts, including working with local community groups to provide educational materials on registering to vote and increasing access to alternate language materials. This has resulted in a 20 percent overall increase in registered voters, with minimal operational expenses.
Mr. Rosenthal will retire from Solano County on December 29, 2018 after serving the Solano County community for more than 15 years. During his tenure, Mr. Rosenthal has consistently demonstrated an ability to provide the vision and direction necessary to develop, implement and support computing and communication technologies that support all County departments in automating and improving the delivery of programs and services to the public.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The costs associated with preparing the agenda item is nominal and absorbed by the department’s FY2018/19 Adopted Budget. The costs associated with preparation and purchase of the resolution materials and plaque are included in the Board’s FY2018/19 Adopted Budget
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board could choose not to adopt and present a plaque and resolution of appreciation; however, this is not recommended because this is an opportunity to recognize Ira J. Rosenthal’s dedication and outstanding contributions to the County.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
There is no other agency involvement.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION