Interview with April Blackburn, fmr. CTO, Florida Department of Transportation & Infrastructure Advisor at Rawlins Infra Consult

This episode is dedicated to the mamas that have shaped generations of leaders and continue to inspire us to lead with empathy. A special thank you to April and April's mom :)



Connect with April: https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-blackburn-a2104b144/



Timestamps

0:00 Intro

02:29 April's multi-generational FDOT history

03:52 The mission of FDOT

04:49 Learnings & Lessons

07:39 Goal setting and breaking the status quo

10:59 April's motto career advice

13:37 How leaders overcome the friction of change

19:07 The power of visualization in leadership

20:00 "Mama's Castle Analogy"

21:25 How to create a desired future when you are naturally risk-averse

23:43 How to determine the right time to leave

27:36 How leadership teams miss out by focusing on technology rather than people

35:39 Insights for leaders struggling to improve team communication

41:21 How to navigate when things go wrong

45:10 Outro



Whenever you're ready, here is the one way I can help you:

→ Join the TechTables+ Community Today https://www.techtables.com/membership.



Listen on:

🎙️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-public-sector-show-by-techtables/id1661752549

🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0bFQBsDwKJkdNk2qENkhNL

📡 Subscribe to the TechTables Channel: @techtables

Check out new episodes at https://www.techtables.com/



Sign up for Behind the Mic by TechTables:

⭐️ New Podcast Episodes Every Tuesday & Thursday are delivered right to your inbox.

⭐️ Every Saturday morning, you'll get 3 Interesting Learnings: from Mission-Driven Leadership to Cloud, AI to Cybersecurity, Workforce Challenges, and more- never miss insights from peers and vendor partners across the public sector.

➔ Subscribe here: https://www.techtables.com/



Follow TechTables:

💻 website ➔ https://www.techtables.com/

🤝 Company LinkedIn ➔ https://www.linkedin.com/company/techtables/

🤝 Connect w/ Joe on LinkedIn ➔ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtoste/

🐣 Twitter ➔ https://twitter.com/thejoetoste

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.techtables.com

🎥 Upcoming Live Podcast Tours

1. 2026 IGNITE Powered by Info-Tech LIVE - Austin, TX - Sept. 17th-18th

If you’re an IT leader in Austin, Houston, or nearby, Info-Tech’s got complimentary tickets with your name on them (just DM me I’ll be there). IGNITE is getting past the AI hype and into the real questions CIOs are wrestling with: how to get your people actually using AI, what the shift from “employee in the loop” to “employee on the loop” looks like, and how to budget when the costs keep moving up.

→ Ready to join the conversation in person? Email joe@techtables.com

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways you can connect with TechTables:

1. 📬 The TechTables Newsletter

Thanks for reading TechTables! Get early access to new episodes, insights, upcoming events, and more — straight to your inbox.

Join now: https://www.techtables.com/

2. 🤝 Are you a local government CIO who wants to become a better leader?

Check out our high-trust, vendor-free peer group built for local government CIOs tackling real challenges, honest conversations, and an authentic desire to become a better leader — our next retreat is November 4th-6th in Austin, TX!

Learn more → https://techtables.com/communities-local-government

3. 🤝 The Better Together Series

The narrative-driven series bringing together industry partners and public sector CXOs. Discover the compelling stories that unfold when we stop working in silos and start building together.

»»» Email joe@techtables.com to learn more.