The City of Lebanon announced on May 6 that its Chief Innovation and AI Officer, Melanie McDonough, has been named one of Government Technology’s Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers for 2026. This national honor highlights leaders in the public sector who use technology to improve services, strengthen communities, and address complex challenges.
This recognition follows earlier coverage in Government Technology’s Fall 2025 feature “Beyond Limits: Cities Large and Small Put AI to Use,” which highlighted Lebanon as an example of a smaller city applying artificial intelligence in local government.
In her role with the City Manager’s Office, McDonough leads projects that use artificial intelligence to enhance daily operations while focusing on ethics, transparency, and resident trust. Current initiatives include supporting first responders with drafting incident reports more efficiently, reducing administrative workloads, making the city’s strategic plan easier to access online, improving permitting processes through responsible AI solutions, exploring improvements to meeting management using AI tools, and assisting staff with clearer writing and research.
McDonough’s work is guided by the city’s Artificial Intelligence Initiative. This includes a formal policy on AI use and a public registry explaining how tools are reviewed and approved. These efforts aim to ensure responsible and transparent implementation of new technologies.
Beyond her work in Lebanon, McDonough serves on the New Hampshire AI Task Force through the New Hampshire Tech Alliance. In this position she brings a local government perspective to statewide discussions about responsible artificial intelligence adoption across sectors including workforce readiness and economic growth.
City officials said this latest recognition reflects Lebanon’s ongoing commitment to using technology responsibly while maintaining public trust.
