Governors work for their constituents and NGA works for governors. That means keeping the people closest to the phones, the inboxes, and the mailroom connected to each other too; which is why NGA brought correspondence and constituent services staff together last week for the first of three virtual peer convenings this year, focused on internal analytics, helpful reporting, and AI.
The conversation surfaced just how much these offices have in common, even when their tools and team sizes differ. Staff traded notes on the CRM platforms they rely on, the tradeoffs that come with system upgrades, and how they’re beginning to explore AI—cautiously, and always with a human making the final call—to speed up research and lighten the load of high-volume correspondence. They also dug into a tension many offices navigate quietly: how to build the internal reporting that helps leadership make decisions, while honoring public records requirements. And several shared how centralized, single-sign-on service portals are helping route constituents to the right agency the first time, easing pressure on already lean teams.
Thanks to Mackenzie Wasilick (Deputy Secretary, Office of Governor Kathy Hochul, New York) and Gracia Allen (Director of Constituent Services, Office of Governor Spencer Cox, Utah) for leading the discussion, and to everyone who joined for such a candid exchange of ideas. The next virtual convening on these topics will be in September. If you are a governor’s staff member and are interested in participation in future discussions, please contact Caroline Colavita, ccolavita@nga.org.
