Modesto: a smart city getting smarter

The more you learn about Modesto, California, the more attractive it seems as a place to live. Certainly its ideal climate and contented lifestyle were among many factors that brought its new CIO Scott Conn to the city in May 2022 as a key member of its 12-strong executive team. “Modesto is a very diverse, family-oriented community primarily involved in farming and ranching, for which the climate is well suited. It’s located near the foothills of the California Sierras and it’s the perfect place to raise a family: we have great values and endless opportunities, with sports facilities and a vibrant downtown area.” And sitting less than 100 miles from San Francisco, he says, it’s well placed to take advantage of the technological hotspots of Silicon Valley - he summarises it as ‘an awesome and up-and-coming place.’

Conn does not want his ideas to come from looking at other cities and following their lead. He wants Modesto to be the city that every other city in California will emulate. “And we're well on our way to becoming exactly that entity. We're leading the charge!”