Government Technology just unveiled their Top 25 Doers, Dreamers & Drivers in Public Sector Innovation. I thought it would be fun to take a brief look at all of the Top 25. I wanted to start with a special nod and congratulations to Minnesota-based Chris Mitchell. The article highlights his passion in the area of community broadband networks…

A national expert on community broadband, Mitchell has worked to educate legislators and rally supporters against the efforts of large telecommunications and cable companies that make it more difficult for cities and counties to build high-speed networks.

We’re been lucky to have him in Minnesota keeping an eye on efforts around here – such as Monticello, North St Paul, Sibley county and more.

So who else made the list? Here’s a snippet on the others…

Chicago’s Digital Trio – they are credited with placed 200 data sets online, launched useful applications like WasMyCarTowed.com and ChicagoBudget.org, grown the number of town hall meetings, and launching Open311.

Code for America Fellows – Kind of like coders for hire, these folks are embedded into city governments to help them open up data sets and create applications for citizens.

CrisisCommons Co-Founders – is a global network of technical volunteers who help emergency responders and organizations.

Dale Jablonsky – oversees the IT for California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), the nation’s largest public pension fund

Bill Linder – has put Florida on the Information highway, first at the Department of Management Services and more recently at Florida State University

Milwaukee’s Dynamic Duo -has Milwaukee collaborating on numerous IT projects with the county.

Steve Nichols – has seen the Georgia Technology Authority (GTA)  through several changes in Administration but keep the path steady.

V. James Onalfo – brought structure and innovation to the NYPD – from a disaster recovery plan to Real Time Crime Center.

Steve Reneker – brought free wireless Internet for low-income households to Riverside California.

Kyle Schafer – consolidated IT in West Virginia

Mark Sloan – used communication, coordination and cooperation to bring volunteers into New Orleans after Katrina.

Brad Wheeler – developed open source teaching and learning systems and administrative services for Higher Ed at Indiana University.

Dick Clark – aggregated the GIS data from Montana and three other states and stored that information in the cloud.

Debbie Conway – streamlined processes as Clark County (Nevada) recorder. Brought stuff within budget and on time.

Larry Godwin – developed the Crime Reduction Using Statistical History methodology in Tennessee to provide statistical analysis of incidents involving gangs, guns and drugs.

Brian Kelley – produced an integrated court system, GIS, and financial and payroll systems to improve efficiency, reduce costs and deliver services more effectively in Portage County, Ohio.

Ron Littlefield – is Mayor of Chattanooga, with its municipally owned Electric Power Board (EPB) that connects 170,000 homes and businesses. Chattanooga now has one of the fastest networks in the country.

John Nixon – oversaw the Utah’s $11 billion budget, teaming with CIO Steve Fletcher to successfully consolidate IT services

Jennifer Pahlka – is founder and executive director of Code for America (CfA), an organization that unites government and the open source software development community.

Michael Riedyk – createdYouTown, a group of prepackaged apps that gives agencies a ready-made mobile platform for public data.

Bryan Sivak – launched a grant program to help local governments start bike-sharing initiatives, as well as a microgrant program for the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene that funds implementation of employee-generated ideas for low-cost ways to improve effectiveness and efficiency.

Stanley Stewart – rolled out TIERS in Lubbock, followed by a larger deployment in El Paso., helped the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) turn the corner on deploying its benefits eligibility system.

Flint Waters – developed software to track down online predators by identifying computers that were trading child pornography on file-sharing networks — software that was used in Operation Peer Precision, which has been described as “the largest undercover operation in the world.”