Former Aurora CIO Michael Pegues reflects on his time at City Hall

Chicago Tribune

26-05-2025

Former Aurora Chief Information Officer Michael Pegues left his position recently alongside former Mayor Richard Irvin.
Both Irvin's and Pegues' official last day with the city of Aurora was May 13, when new Mayor John Laesch was sworn into office. Although working for the city was the 'defining moment' of his career, Pegues told The Beacon-News he resigned both because of his loyalties to Irvin and because he said his values do not align with the new administration.
The chief information officer position is now held by Ram Tyagi, who was appointed by Laesch and confirmed by the Aurora City Council on Tuesday.
Irvin brought in Pegues after his first successful bid for mayor in 2017. The two grew up together, but Pegues said he had just came back from 16 years working overseas and reconnected with Irvin.
At the time, Pegues was a vice president at the financial firm Morgan Stanley, but he took a pay cut to work for the city of Aurora, he said, because he wanted to pay it forward to the community he grew up in. When he came home to Aurora, he saw a 'digital divide' and children that didn't have access to technology and STEM education, he said.
'I said, 'This is my opportunity as an African-American CIO to give back to my community,'' Pegues said. 'I see myself in these kids, and I'm like, 'This is where I can make a difference.''
In an email sent to city staff, colleagues and partners before his last day working at the city of Aurora, Pegues said he had an 'incredible and productive tenure' that was 'marked by groundbreaking innovations and transformative progress.'
Those achievements included, among many others, he said, the No Child Left Offline initiative that helped bring high-speed internet access to underserved communities during the COVID-19 pandemic; open data portals and advanced analytics for crisis response, like during the Henry Pratt workplace shooting; as well as improvements to the city's network, infrastructure and cybersecurity.
'Through these efforts, we have cemented Aurora's reputation as a regional technology hub—recognized nationally and globally,' Pegues said in his email. 'What we accomplished together has not only shaped the city but laid the foundation for continued innovation for years to come.'
For his efforts, Pegues has been recognized both locally and nationally. In 2024, he was recognized as a Local IT Leader of the Year by StateScoop and one of the top 10 city government CIOs by Government CIO Outlook, then in 2025 he was named the Leader of the Year by the Aurora African-American Heritage Advisory Board.
Pegues said it is the camaraderie, the drive and the support from the mayor's office he received in his time as CIO that he will miss the most about working for the city. The administration 'accelerated' economic development, public safety and education, he said, which are all built on a foundation of innovation and technology.
Like how Irvin often claimed his administration did more economic development than decades of past administrations, Pegues felt the same way about innovation and technology, he said.
'To my staff, to all the city department heads, to our partners, I am completely grateful,' Pegues said. 'We've fundamentally changed the landscape in all of these different areas here in the city of Aurora.'
Although he will no longer be working at the city, Pegues said he has other opportunities within the innovation and technology sphere that will allow him to still do work related to smart cities.
'We're going to come back with a bang,' he said. 'I'll still be contributing to the growth and prosperity of the city of Aurora because this is my hometown, and I'm going to be here.'