In Arizona’s the Valley of the Sun, the City of Mesa is setting the pace for municipalities across the United States with its digital transformation tools and strategies. Sitting at the centre of this technological frontier is Scott Conn, Mesa’s Chief Information Officer, and Paul Poledna, Assistant CIO. Scott famously looks the part of a modern trailblazer, frequently sporting a classic cowboy hat, a fitting nod to the American Southwest. But in Mesa, being a cowboy isn’t about wild-west lawlessness. Scott’s spirit aligns more with that of a pioneer. It’s a mindset of grit, independence and a fearless willingness to venture into uncharted territory before anyone else. From AI-driven citizen services and regional tech alliances to cybersecurity triumphs, Scott and Paul share the strategic partnerships and bold philosophies that are driving one of America’s top digital cities. Mesa, the trend setter The city’s ability to stay ahead of the curve is rooted in a collaborative environment that genuinely values cutting-edge tech. “One of the great things about being in Mesa is we have a city council and a city manager’s office that is extremely supportive of technology and of IT in particular,” Scott proudly states. “We call ourselves the Department of Innovation and Technology, otherwise known as ‘DoIt’. Now, a lot of other city departments are starting to call themselves DoIt. “I just want to make it clear: Mesa was the first. I’m absolutely honoured and flattered that people want to copy what we’re doing with the name, but it is an accurate description of what we do here in Mesa. “With the city council’s support, we are able to experiment with things other cities are uncomfortable doing. In my prior two cities, they had more of a philosophy of ‘we’re not even going to look at this until 20