Latah County IT Chief Focuses on Upskilling Small Team Rather Than Expanding Headcount
Latah County’s top technology official says the county’s information technology department will not be growing its staff in the foreseeable future — but that doesn’t mean standing still. Instead, the focus is on equipping an already lean team with the skills needed to navigate artificial intelligence, cybersecurity threats, and a rapidly shifting technology landscape.
Latah County Chief Information Officer Laurel Caldwell oversees a department of six full-time and two part-time IT staff members. It is a small operation by any measure, and Caldwell does not expect that to change significantly. What she does expect is that each member of that team will need to become more versatile — and more knowledgeable about emerging technologies — than ever before.
A Small Team, A Wide Mandate
The county’s IT structure today reflects the realities of a rural jurisdiction serving roughly 42,000 residents. Senior staff handle more complex technical tasks such as firewall management and networking, while also wearing additional hats when needed. Dedicated specialists — a cybersecurity-focused employee, or one devoted solely to help desk support — would be welcome additions, Caldwell acknowledged, but those positions are not on the horizon.
“I would love to devote one person to just cyber and one person just to help desk,” Caldwell said, “but I don’t see that changing.” The reality, she noted, is that all team members need at least working proficiency across multiple disciplines.
That reality shapes how Caldwell thinks about future hiring. When turnover does bring new positions open, candidates who understand responsible data practices and the risks embedded in AI tools will have a distinct advantage. “If they have a good head for those things,” she said, “that makes them a better hire.”
The broader context for Caldwell’s approach reflects a national conversation happening across state and local governments. Public-sector IT leaders are being pushed to evolve from technical managers — focused on hardware and infrastructure — into organizational change agents who align technology strategy with the practical needs of the communities they serve. Budget pressure is a constant undercurrent in that shift, particularly in smaller counties where resources are limited and every IT dollar must stretch.
AI Brings Opportunities and Risks
Artificial intelligence sits at the center of Caldwell’s planning. She sees real value in AI tools — faster answers, round-the-clock availability for constituents, and efficiency gains for county staff. But she is equally clear-eyed about the dangers of deploying AI without adequate guardrails or training.
Her primary concern is not a technical one. It is a human one. Caldwell worries that relying too heavily on AI could erode the critical thinking habits of public employees, particularly newer workers who might otherwise develop skills through hands-on problem solving. “AI tends to replace the entry-level positions,” she said, adding that if AI fills those roles, younger workers may miss foundational learning experiences that build institutional knowledge over time.
She is also concerned about a subtler risk: homogenization of thought. As more people turn to AI for guidance, the diversity of approaches and creative solutions that humans naturally generate could diminish. “I’m worried that everyone will start coming up with the same answers,” Caldwell said, “and we will lose the creative answers that humans usually come up with.”
On the training front, Caldwell says her team will need to educate county employees county-wide about what good data looks like, how AI systems use that data, and where the cybersecurity risks lie. AI, she emphasized, is only as reliable as the information fed into it — a message that must reach end users across every department of county government, not just the IT office.
When asked about expanding into specialized areas such as data analytics and compliance auditing — areas identified nationally as high-need — Caldwell was direct: neither is realistic in the near term. Analytics staffing, she suggested, is unlikely to materialize within the next five years. Compliance functions will instead be absorbed into the duties of existing staff, who will need to learn those responsibilities on the job.
The approach reflects a broader principle guiding the county’s IT strategy: do more with what you have, train continuously, and stay focused on keeping county government functional so that residents get the services they need. For a county of Latah’s size, that means flexibility is not optional — it is the job description.
For more on how local government budget decisions are shaping county operations, see coverage of the District 24 county commissioner race, where fiscal discipline has emerged as a central campaign issue. Additional coverage of local government and property rights matters, including Troy’s federal lawsuit defending its zoning authority, is available on the Latah County News.
What Comes Next
Caldwell and her team will continue integrating AI literacy into both IT operations and broader county staff training. As technology vendors embed AI tools more deeply into the software platforms local governments already use, Latah County’s IT staff will be expected to understand and manage those systems — adding yet another layer of expertise to an already full plate. No timeline has been announced for specific AI deployments or training programs, but the direction is clear: build skills, not headcount.