Washington’s Digital Transformation: How Gretchen Peri Is Reimagining State Technology Services

Gretchen Peri has embarked on a mission to revolutionize how Washington state leverages technology to serve its residents. After more than two decades helping governments worldwide optimize their technology strategies—including 14 years leading Slalom Consulting’s Global Public & Social Impact practice—Peri has returned home to Washington as the new Chief Technology Officer of Washington Technology Solutions (WaTech). This pivotal agency, established in 2011, serves as the state’s consolidated technology services provider, playing an essential role wherever the state deploys technology to deliver services. With her wealth of international experience, Peri aims to implement an ambitious strategic plan that places residents at the center of technological innovation while navigating budget constraints and evolving federal guidance. Her motivation for taking this role stems from a desire to make a profound impact in a single place rather than small contributions across multiple locations. “At this point in my career,” she explains, “I want to have a large impact in one place. That’s what drew me to the state.”

As she settles into her role, Peri has identified three core priorities that will guide WaTech’s transformation. First and foremost is putting residents “first and at the heart of everything we design and deploy,” ensuring that technology serves people rather than forcing people to adapt to systems. Second, she emphasizes delivering responsible technology with appropriate guardrails, especially as emerging technologies like artificial intelligence become increasingly prevalent in government operations. Finally, she aims to use technology to improve overall services, moving from “in line to online” so that residents can access what they need when they need it, in whatever language they require. This vision represents a significant shift in how government typically approaches service delivery, as Peri acknowledges that governments have historically designed services based on operational convenience rather than user experience. “It’s that cultural shift that I think is going to be the most exciting transformation and probably the most work for us as we look to leverage emerging technologies,” she observes.

The implementation of Washington’s 2025 IT strategic plan presents both opportunities and challenges for Peri’s team. One of the most promising applications of AI in this context involves improving access to the state’s enterprise knowledge base. While Washington has rich information resources, residents often struggle to find what they need. AI-powered chatbots and similar tools can bridge this gap, making government knowledge more accessible to the public. Beyond this, Peri highlights computer vision as an “exciting area” with applications ranging from automated inspections that keep employees safe to monitoring the health of the Puget Sound ecosystem, including tracking fish populations and eelgrass conditions. Conversational and translational AI also offer tremendous potential, enabling the state to provide content in hundreds of languages and reach communities that speak unique languages. This advancement in technology allows for more inclusive communication than ever before. Additionally, “agentic workflow” systems can automate routine business operations like invoice matching, freeing up human resources for more complex tasks.

Perhaps the most significant challenge facing WaTech lies in breaking down information silos that exist both within and between state agencies. “We have silos within departments that are managing their data,” Peri explains. “We actually have silos within law enforcement agencies, where they have their records management system and their dispatch system and their evidence management system.” This fragmentation creates two layers of challenges: first bringing data together within individual agencies, and then connecting information across multiple agencies. Without addressing these silos, the state faces limitations in leveraging AI effectively and, more importantly, in measuring meaningful outcomes. While current systems might track outputs (like the number of people served by a program), they cannot necessarily demonstrate whether these efforts are creating “a healthier population or a more resilient population.” Consolidating data is therefore essential to establishing a foundation for measuring outcomes and making informed decisions about resource allocation and service improvements.

The evolving landscape of federal guidance and regulations on AI and technology presents another layer of complexity for Peri’s team. While she acknowledges the importance of alignment with federal standards, she emphasizes the need to tailor guidelines to “match the culture of Washington” and create “a welcoming environment for everyone in this state.” This approach requires balancing compliance with national frameworks while maintaining the state’s unique values and priorities. The current budget constraints in Washington state further complicate this work but also reinforce the importance of technological innovation. Rather than seeing limited resources as a reason to scale back ambitions, Peri views it as an imperative to “rely on our technology to be able to reach people who really need it right now and deliver services more digitally so that they can access them easier.” This perspective recognizes technology not as an optional luxury but as an essential tool for efficient and equitable service delivery, particularly during challenging economic times.

Looking ahead, Peri’s vision for WaTech reflects both ambition and a deep commitment to public service. When asked what she hopes Washington residents will say about the agency’s services a year from now, she references a quote: “I expect exceptional, but I’ll settle for awesome.” This aspiration speaks to her understanding that government interactions often occur at pivotal moments in people’s lives, making the quality of service delivery particularly consequential. As she leads WaTech’s transformation, Peri aims to ensure that these interactions consistently provide “exceptional customer service” to all Washington residents. To help shape this vision, WaTech developed its strategic plan through a collaborative process that included two in-person planning workshops and a virtual webinar, engaging more than 200 public sector participants from state agencies, higher education, and local government. This inclusive approach reflects Peri’s philosophy of putting people at the center of technology strategy and her commitment to creating services that truly meet the needs of those they’re designed to serve.