TASSCC Awards
Celebrating excellence.
Recognizing impact.
Meet the people, teams, and technology initiatives making a meaningful impact across Texas government and higher education.
Recognizing Individual Achievement
Individual Awards
Honoring emerging talent and senior leadership from Texas state agencies and institutions of higher education.
Emerging Technology Leaders
Rising Star Award
Recognizes professionals with less than 10 years of IT experience who are not in a director- or senior-level position and demonstrate strong potential for continued advancement in technology.
View award criteria
A strong nominee will demonstrate one or more of the following:
- Ability to implement innovative and effective technology
- Strong leadership skills and behavior
- Ability to inspire organizational excellence or improvement
- Success managing change
- Success implementing a noteworthy project that aids and improves the organization and/or state
Senior-Level IT Leadership
Trailblazer Award
Recognizes one individual from the Public Sector and one from Higher Education whose leadership and dedication have made a meaningful impact on their organizations.
View award criteria & eligibility
Special consideration is given to nominees who have:
- Played a substantial role in mentoring others and sharing IT experience and knowledge
- Promoted intergovernmental cooperation and collaboration
- Supported the goals of TASSCC
Eligibility: All senior leadership levels are eligible; nominees are not limited to CIO or IT Director. TASSCC and TAB Board Members are ineligible.
Recognizing Teams & Technology
Project Excellence Awards
Outstanding technology projects across Texas government and higher education. Submit a project in the single category that best represents its strongest area of excellence.
Categories below reflect the 2026 awards program.
Strategic Modernization & Optimization
Initiatives that modernize core systems, eliminate inefficiencies, and deliver long-term operational value.
See project examples
Cloud migration of financial or student systems; replacement of legacy permitting platforms; modern ERP, SIS, or HR systems; DevOps or Agile adoption; server and infrastructure consolidation.
Cybersecurity & Risk Management Excellence
Projects that strengthen cybersecurity posture, improve risk governance, or ensure regulatory compliance across diverse environments.
See project examples
Zero Trust frameworks; NIST or CMMC alignment; multi-factor authentication; FERPA, HIPAA, or IRS 1075 compliance; endpoint and identity protection at scale.
Innovative Public Service or Campus Experience
Creative use of technology to improve constituent engagement, student support, or service delivery for the public.
See project examples
Digital 311 services; mobile-friendly student portals; AI-powered citizen or student chatbots; virtual town halls; mental health tele-services; self-service licensing or benefit platforms.
Collaborative & Cross-Organizational Initiatives
Partnerships across departments, jurisdictions, or sectors that improve efficiency and public outcomes.
See project examples
Regional emergency communication platforms; inter-university research data hubs; shared cybersecurity services; joint procurement or IT governance models; multi-agency broadband expansion.
Data Strategy, Intelligence & Impact
Strategic use of data to enable better decisions, promote transparency, or deliver measurable improvements.
See project examples
Student success analytics; municipal open data dashboards; city/county GIS and planning tools; public health surveillance; cross-agency data sharing; institutional research and performance tracking.
User-Centered Design & Accessibility
Projects that place students, residents, staff, or faculty at the heart of design, with an emphasis on accessibility, equity, and usability.
See project examples
WCAG-compliant websites; multilingual and mobile-first service delivery; plain-language redesigns of public forms; accessible online portals for benefits, financial aid, or voter registration.
Annual Conference Recognition
Celebrating the people
behind the work.
Recipients are recognized during the Annual Conference, featured on the TASSCC website, and announced in a press release.
Individual recipients receive one complimentary conference registration and are encouraged to attend.