Transforming Public Service With Strategic It Leadership

Rolland Kornblau, Director Of Information Technology, City Of San Bernardino

Rolland Kornblau, Director Of Information Technology, City Of San Bernardino

Rolland Kornblau is a technology professional with over 24 years of IT experience and a strong education and public service background. He spent 21 years working in school districts, progressing from technician to Director of Technology. In 2021, he joined the City of San Bernardino as Director of Technology, where he currently oversees the city’s IT strategy, infrastructure and modernization efforts. Rolland holds a bachelor’s degree in information systems from American Sentinel University and a master’s degree in public administration from California State University, Northridge. He also completed the CGCIO™ Certification Program through PTI and Rutgers University.

Recognizing Kornblau’s leadership in municipal IT transformation, this interview explores his strategic approach to public sector technology, cybersecurity and building systems that serve staff and community.

✔ Too Many Good Ideas Is the Real Problem – Innovation in MedTech isn’t about generating ideas; it’s about choosing the right ones. Prioritizing real customer needs over trends prevents wasted investments in solutions no one asked for.

✔ Regional Differences Can Make or Break a Product – What works in one market may fail in another. Success depends on balancing global consistency with local adaptability, from regulatory requirements to workflow integration.

✔ Cross-Functional Teams Reduce Innovation Bottlenecks – Breaking down silos between R&D, marketing and operations leads to smarter trade-offs and faster, more effective product development.

✔ AI Is a Tool, Not a Selling Point – AI in MedTech must solve real-world problems, not just look good in a press release. Practical applications, like assisting researchers with complex data interpretation, define success.

“Yes, delivering projects ahead of schedule and under budget is essential, but what drives outcomes is valuing your people”

Bridging Education and Governance: A Leadership Journey in Municipal IT

I spent 23 years in Educational Technology, starting as a computer technician and working my way up to Director. In many ways, education and city government share similar structures and face overlapping challenges—network security, budget constraints and balancing IT goals with broader organizational objectives. Both systems rely on internal service departments that support day-to-day operations and shape how we communicate and engage with our communities.

In my transition to municipal IT, I’ve applied the same strategic mindset I developed in education. Leading projects like upgrading core network hardware, migrating to VoIP and implementing stronger security practices has helped me develop a comprehensive vision of how large-scale networks must operate to serve internal and public departments. My leadership philosophy centers on empathy, planning and execution—creating environments where people feel supported while moving together toward shared outcomes.

Defining Success Beyond Metrics: Measuring IT Impact in the Public Sector

Yes, delivering projects ahead of schedule and under budget is essential, but what drives outcomes is valuing your people. Specific KPIs I monitor include system uptime percentages, help desk ticket resolution times, project milestone achievement rates and return on investment calculations for new implementations. Regardless of the field of expertise, the work is carried out by individuals who deserve respect and leadership that sets the right example. Success combines these quantitative metrics with qualitative assessments of how well the solutions serve our staff and community.

From Vulnerabilities to Vision: Communicating IT Risks with Clarity

Regarding cybersecurity, I rely on the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and CIS Controls to assess risk—a practical and scalable approach for public sector organizations. But equally important is how we communicate those risks to non-technical stakeholders.

I’ve learned that context is everything. Instead of getting into technical jargon, I translate complex risks into business impact scenarios and financial terms. For example, instead of discussing technical vulnerabilities, I present potential outcomes like “This weakness could lead to a 3-day service interruption costing approximately $X in recovery and lost productivity.” I’ve found that using visual dashboards with red/yellow/green indicators helps leadership quickly understand our risk landscape. At the same time, detailed briefings include probability assessments and mitigation strategies that connect directly to our strategic objectives. Regular tabletop exercises with department heads have proven invaluable in making abstract security concepts concrete and actionable for decision-makers.

The Power of Prevention: Making the Case for Proactive IT Investment

When bad things happen, the financial floodgates open to resolve the issue. My challenge is to produce data that allows me to show how preventing a problem by using calculated funds now will save money and pain in the future. I develop comprehensive business cases that include cost-benefit analyses, risk assessments with probability calculations and clear metrics for measuring success. By benchmarking against similar municipalities and documenting productivity gains from previous investments, I create evidence-based proposals that demonstrate both short-term benefits and long-term returns. Although garnering a budget for something that hasn’t happened can be difficult, we all need to fight the good fight to ensure we can remain operational when things go sideways.

Leading from the Front: Building a Culture of Collaboration and Growth

I’m proud of my leadership style, “Leading by Example.” I walk the walk and eat my own dog food. I don’t just point; I dive in to assist. While helping out hands-on is not always an option, my team knows I am willing to help. Everyone on the team does and is expected to help each other at any time. To balance technical expertise with leadership development, I implement structured cross-training programs, provide opportunities for team members to lead projects aligned with their career goals and create mentorship pairings that strengthen technical and soft skills. Not only does this foster a stronger team, but that team is more able to help support our organization through continuous improvement and shared knowledge.

Listening to the Community: How Public Feedback Shapes Technology Strategy

Public feedback is an essential compass that guides our digital transformation journey. It provides a real-world perspective on how well our initiatives serve community needs. We systematically collect feedback through multiple channels, including user surveys, community forums, social media monitoring and direct engagement with community representatives. This data helps us identify pain points in existing systems, prioritize enhancement requests and sometimes reveals unexpected use cases we hadn’t considered. I’ve implemented a quarterly review process where public feedback directly influences our roadmap prioritization, ensuring that our technology investments align with actual community needs rather than assumed ones. This feedback loop has proven invaluable for adjusting the course when necessary and building systems that serve our residents.

Security, Strategy and Agility: Advice for the Next Generation of IT Leaders

Focus on Cyber Security and Business Continuity. Keeping your network safe and functional for your organization and constituents is key. Prioritizing security should be your first goal, but a close second is having a business continuity plan. I advise emerging leaders to adopt a risk-based approach that aligns modernization efforts with overall organizational strategy rather than pursuing technology for its own sake. Build strong relationships across departments to understand their operational needs, as this contextual understanding is crucial for effective modernization. Develop a talent strategy that values both technical expertise and adaptability, as technologies will continuously evolve. Finally, embrace incremental progress through an agile approach – demonstrate value quickly through smaller wins rather than betting everything on massive multi-year projects that may become obsolete before completion. Technology is a critical part of your organization and knowing what to do in case of an interruption is necessary for long-term success.