Virginia Beach Recognized for Innovation and Efficiency at 2023 COVITS Conference

The City of Virginia Beach was presented with two plaques during the Commonwealth Technology Awards ceremony. Hosted by the 2023 Commonwealth of Virginia Innovative Technology Symposium (COVITS) Conference, the award program honors local and state governments for their technology achievements. Virginia Beach was recognized in the following categories:

• IT as a Business Driver – Local: Data Center Modernization Project
• Innovative Use of Technology – Local:Flood VISION-AI

“It is especially rewarding to receive acknowledgement from a program that exclusively celebrates and uplifts digital government leaders,” said the City’s Chief Information Officer Peter Wallace, who attended the conference and served as a speaker. “We constantly challenge ourselves to perform above the perceived limitations of a public-sector organization. I believe that mentality is central to our success.”

The City’s Data Center Modernization Project involves updating infrastructure to enhance resident services and employee experience. The multi-phased initiative also supports business continuity and disaster recovery capabilities while building sustainability.

Flood VISION-AI (Flood Visual Inference of Stage Identification by Observation Networks - Artificial Intelligence) is a smart river stage detection project focused on advancing the region’s flooding resiliency initiatives and innovating next generation water level sensors through the award-winning StormSense project. Developed in 2022 by training a machine learning algorithm to optically derive water levels in near real time from 4k-resolution web cameras with InfraRed night-vision capabilities, Flood VISION-AI addresses multiple recommendations for improved flood data quality from Virginia’s Phase 1 Coastal Resilience Master Planning Framework. Project collaborators include the City of Virginia Beach, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), and the United States Geological Survey Next Generation Water Observing System Office.

During COVITS, public-sector technology professionals explore innovative approaches and opportunities to design Virginia’s digital future. The event took place Sept. 13-14 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond, Virginia. Members from the Information Technology Department participated as panelists and accepted awards on behalf of the City.

COVITS is open to public-sector attendees only. For more information, visit COVITS 2023.