Big Story: Gwinnett Countyʼs Equity-Driven Innovation Leadership
Key Takeaways:
Gwinnett County Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson is reshaping local governance by linking innovation directly to equity and trust.
The countyʼs Equity Action Plan and Chief Equity Officer positions
institutionalize fairness across economic, housing, and civic initiatives.
Redevelopment projects, such as the transformation of Gwinnett Place Mall, demonstrate how inclusive design can align economic growth with community values.
Her focus on transparency, restorative justice, and resident voice positions Gwinnett as a national model for human-centered local government.
Across the U.S., local innovation stories often focus on emerging technologies like AI pilots, data dashboards, or mobility networks. Yet, in Gwinnett County, Georgia, the core of innovation is leadership itself. Since becoming County Commission Chair in 2021, Nicole Love Hendrickson has led a deliberate shift from transactional governance toward transformational equity-driven innovation. Her administrationʼs first-ever Equity Action Plan integrates data, policy, and public participation to ensure county programs serve all residents equitably. This plan institutionalizes accountability through measurable goals in housing, infrastructure, and community health, moving beyond rhetoric into operational change.
At the same time, Hendrickson has tied innovation to economic renewal. The redevelopment of Gwinnett Place Mall, once a symbol of suburban decline, is being reimagined as a multi-use “town centerˮ blending housing, entrepreneurship, and green space. Her partnership with CBRE and local stakeholders underscores how smart redevelopment can serve as both a tech-enabled and socially conscious model, leveraging data analytics, participatory design, and inclusive zoning to attract investment without displacing communities.
Leadership also extends to acknowledging the countyʼs history. Hendrickson has used the platform of governance to address historic injustices, issuing proclamations commemorating events like the 1911 lynching of Charles Hale and creating community dialogues around reconciliation. These acts of moral leadership humanize local government, reframing innovation as a vehicle for healing as much as for modernization.
Beyond Gwinnett, her leadership signals a broader shift across American counties and cities: innovation is no longer just about digital transformation, but itʼs about institutional transformation. As more jurisdictions appoint Chief Equity or Innovation Officers, the Gwinnett model offers a practical blueprint for balancing efficiency, inclusion, and civic legitimacy. By embedding equity into the DNA of local government operations, Hendrickson demonstrates that the most enduring innovation may not be technological at all, but cultural. Itʼs the transformation of how government sees and serves its people.
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For the Commute:
Succession Planning in a Changing Workforce: Eileen OʼBrien Shaw (The Fractional Source Podcast, Episode 5)
Eileen OʼBrien Shaw, founder of 1EX Advisors, breaks down how leaders can counter brain drain with simple, practical succession frameworks, continuous one-on-ones, and a culture of psychological safety. She explains why retraining and internal mobility matter as AI reshapes roles, and how stay interviews boost retention, especially for public-sector teams struggling with recruitment cycles. The episode also highlights when fractional HR leadership can jump-start planning and bench strength without adding permanent headcount.
Resources & Events:
📅 Massachusetts Public Sector Cybersecurity Summit (Worcester, MA October 30, 2025)
Government leaders, IT professionals, and cybersecurity experts will gather to tackle the evolving threat landscape facing public sector organizations. With sessions on incident response, vulnerability management, AI-enhanced attacks, and workforce development, the summit emphasizes collaboration across agencies and industry to build cyber resiliency. Details →
📅 Colorado Digital Government Summit 2025 (Denver, CO November 5, 2025)
Public sector leaders and technology innovators will gather to explore how digital transformation, AI, data governance, and cybersecurity are reshaping government services. With sessions on fraud prevention, ethical AI, and citizen-centric design, the summit fosters collaboration across agencies to build smarter, more resilient digital infrastructure for Coloradoʼs communities. Details →
📊 Report Spotlight: Securing Frontier AI Offers a Governance Roadmap for Emerging Risks (RAND Corporation, 2025)
As AI systems grow more powerful, RANDʼs latest research explores how the U.S. government and private developers can strengthen security at frontier AI labs. Drawing on case studies from nuclear, chemical, and healthcare sectors, the report identifies four governance models, from strict federal regulation to voluntary industry collaboration to reduce risks like theft, misuse, and insider threats. The authors emphasize proportionality, transparency, and stakeholder engagement as key principles for effective compliance regimes. Read →
Insight of the Week:
As justice agencies face mounting complexity, Logitech and the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) spotlight how videoconferencing, telehealth, and AI-powered tools are reshaping law enforcement, courts, and corrections. From remote hearings and virtual mental health evaluations to ergonomic dispatch tech and child-friendly testimony spaces, the report emphasizes accessibility, interoperability, and sustainability.
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