Crystal Sprague, Director of Performance and Innovation for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, is being honored in Category 4: Using Innovative Technologies to Deliver Simple, Seamless, and Secure Services for responsibly using artificial intelligence to transform how residents access government information. Serving a diverse community that speaks 31 languages and generates more than 310,000 calls annually, Crystal identified an opportunity to reduce pressure on frontline employees while making services more accessible.

​

Crystal spearheaded the deployment of the Government Experience Agent, an AI-powered digital assistant designed to provide consistent, multilingual support 24/7. Beginning with a Treasury Department pilot, she developed a comprehensive governance framework, aligned IT, communications, business units, and executive leadership, and prioritized employee involvement in developing content, establishing the agent’s tone, and testing responses. Her approach ensures AI is implemented responsibly and around actual resident needs.

​

The initiative is already helping residents self-serve for routine Treasury questions while allowing employees to focus on more complex issues requiring human expertise. The pilot demonstrated that even a 30% reduction in call volume could reclaim significant staff capacity and reduce operating costs. Beyond the initial deployment, Crystal has created a scalable framework that can be expanded across county departments. By combining AI with thoughtful governance and change management, she is creating a more accessible, efficient, and responsive government experience for residents.