David Herlihy is being honored in Category 2: Delivering Simple, Seamless, and Secure Services for transforming how Arlington County residents access information and interact with local government. As Division Chief for Innovation and Cloud, David has combined cloud technology, artificial intelligence, and cross-department collaboration to create faster, more intuitive digital services. Leading a 13-person team supporting 15 departments, he has demonstrated how a small, innovative workforce can deliver enterprise-scale modernization centered on the needs of residents and employees.

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David led the 2025 relaunch of AVA (Arlington Virtual Assistant), transforming an early AI chatbot into a generative AI assistant that provides real-time answers using information maintained by 300 content owners across Arlington County's website. He also expanded the County's machine-learning document search capabilities, making nearly a century of board minutes, contracts, and historical records easily searchable. Supported by Arlington's fully cloud-based infrastructure, these solutions can be updated and deployed quickly while providing residents with reliable access to government information.

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The results have significantly improved service for residents and employees. AVA has helped reduce call volumes, including demand on Environmental Services, which handles approximately 40,000 calls each month with only 10 staff members, while giving employees back valuable time previously spent answering repetitive questions. Enhanced document search has reduced County Board information requests from dozens each week to nearly zero. Through responsible AI, cloud modernization, and human-centered design, David has made Arlington County services easier to access while empowering employees to deliver faster, more efficient service to their community.