Matt Jarratt Named New I.T. Director for City of Murfreesboro

City Manager Craig Tindall has named Matt Jarratt as the new Information Technology director for the City of Murfreesboro. City managers introduced Jarratt, who has worked in the City’s I.T. Department since 2008, as the new director Dec. 6, 2022.

“Matt Jarratt has demonstrated both the technological skills and leadership required of information technology today for a growing City with multiple locations and a diverse workforce,” said City Manager Craig Tindall. “The fast-changing world of technology requires a constant commitment to managing ways that new tools can enhance performance in the workplace and engage citizens with digital services. The need to embrace and better understand technology has never been more important to public administration solutions.”

Hired for the City as a Network Administrator in February 2008, Jarratt has also served as Systems Analyst, Systems Coordinator, and I.T. Network/Systems Manager, a position he held prior to being appointed as director of I.T. this month. Jarratt’s employment with the City actually began in 2006 as a part-time Image Machine Operator in the Building & Codes Department, where he wrote systems for digital plan retrieval and property maintenance before transitioning into the I.T. Department.

The expanding use of technology in public management includes data management, geospatial information (GIS), internet applications, networking, digital customer service, broadband, and more. Modern technologies in today’s environment benefit public managers, elected officials and citizens.

“Information technology and its many innovative tools enhance the responsiveness, effectiveness, and efficiency of public management,” said Jarratt. “Technology improves the ability of government employees to perform tasks and management operations while also maintaining a measure of trust in government by facilitating more direct interaction in transactions and communication between citizens and government.”

The City of Murfreesboro, like all governments, depends on technology to provide greater efficiencies and effectiveness in collecting, processing analyzing, reporting, protecting, and storing data. These technologies are also utilized in enhanced customer service delivery.

The Solid Waste Department is utilizing Routeware, an automated waste management solution, to enhance efficiency with fleet cameras and GPS tracking. The City’s municipal airport benefits from Virtower, an airport tracking software to help manager air traffic.

The City of Murfreesboro website offers a multitude of online communications and enables citizens and customers to perform credit card transactions, fill out forms, pay taxes and fees, search databases and apply for job postings https://www.murfreesborotn.gov/.

The growing dependence on technology has also increased the demand for greater security to defend against cyber-attacks on technology infrastructure and to protect information security.

Jarratt, who holds a bachelor’s degree in Management and Human Relations from Trevecca University, replaces Chris Lilly who served as I.T. director from 2012 to 2021.