Sonoma County ranked fifth in national Digital Counties Survey

A county that is often celebrated for its coastline, redwoods and wines is now growing in recognition in another area - its digital landscape. 

Sonoma County was ranked among the best in the nation for its digital and online presence in a recent nationwide survey. The Digital Counties Survey, by the Center for Digital Government and the National Association of Counties, focuses on the best technology practices including initiatives to streamline government services, provide data analytics, enhance cybersecurity, and apply innovative and emerging technologies to county priorities. Sonoma County ranked fifth in the 250,000-to-499,999 population category.

“I applaud our Information Systems Department for keeping Sonoma County on the forefront of innovation,” said Supervisor Chris Coursey, chair of the Board of Supervisors. “This innovation makes life easier, safer and accessible for everyone who lives or does business in Sonoma County.”

This is the second time in three years that Sonoma County has been ranked among the best in the nation, finishing sixth in 2021 in the 500,000-999,999 population category. Since then, Sonoma County’s Department of Information Systems has spearheaded the county’s progress on multiple digital fronts including revamping the county’s website. The new website improved accessibility, increased ADA compliance and offered multilingual content conversion. 

“I have always said government must adapt to the needs of an online and mobile world at every level, and I believe this is a reflection of our hard work,” said Dan Fruchey, director of Sonoma County’s Department of Information Systems. “In a season where we’ve experienced a significant change in our IT organization, I feel encouraged that we ranked within the top 10 among so many other great counties that participated.” 

As one example of an initiative, the county’s decision to transition its 4,000 employees to Microsoft Office 365 in the cloud ensures that county employees can continue to provide vital services to residents in the event that the main data center goes down. The need for this service was made clear during the recent Sonoma County wildfires. This transition also improved the county’s cyber security through the implementation of multifactor authentication. Not one employee account has been compromised by phishing emails since the update. 

The Sonoma County Department of Information Systems has 116 employees. Its five divisions coordinate and support technology used by 28 county departments, agencies and special districts and their 4,181 full-time employees to deliver public services.

For a full list of the 2023 Digitial Counties Survey visit govtech.com

###  
Media Contact: 
Gilbert Martinez, Communications Specialist 
publicaffairs@sonoma-county.org 
575 Administration Drive, Suite 104A
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
(707) 565-3040