WED AM News: County leaders urged to ensure processes are well-defined before introducing AI; Rockwell Automation report explores cybersecurity views

September 23, 2026

— A data expert with Waukesha County urged local government leaders to ensure any processes they’re looking to automate with AI are well-defined, to avoid higher costs and other pitfalls.

Kevin Koenig, the county’s solutions and data engineering manager, yesterday addressed members of the Wisconsin Counties Association during the group’s annual meeting in Wisconsin Dells.

“If we cannot describe the process, we are not ready to automate it,” Koenig said. “We are definitely not ready to hand parts of it off to an AI agent … many of our processes cross departments, cross systems, cross policy.”

He noted the visible portion of a given county’s process for a government function may not represent the full scope, including various records-keeping requirements and approval chains. Koenig urged county staff to “think across” the organization when deploying an AI system, not just the piece of the process they handle.

When considering deploying an AI tool, especially an agentic system that can take more substantial actions on its own, he urged attendees to consider who’s in charge of approving changes to the target process, what happens when there’s exceptions, which records are created and what policies govern what’s being done.

“Process clarity is AI readiness,” Koenig said.

He also noted AI can be extremely useful, but can’t compensate for an undefined or inconsistent workflow and can “scale the confusion faster” if used in an improper way.

“Risks of unclear process could be inconsistent resident service, faster mistakes, reduced staff trust, harder troubleshooting, poor auditability and high usage cost due to re-work and repeated prompts to the AI,” he said.

And because AI systems are so heavily reliant on data, he cautioned county leaders that data within government is subject to numerous retention and public records requirements, raising issues about privacy for residents.

“Some of the risks with poor data include wrong recommendations, conflicting answers, overexposure of sensitive information, low trust and higher operating costs,” Koenig said. “So trustworthy AI starts with trustworthy data, and cost-effective AI starts with well-scoped data.”

Watch the video.

— A new report from Rockwell Automation finds businesses around the world are largely confident in their ability to defend from online threats, even as cybersecurity incidents are on the rise.

The Milwaukee company yesterday issued its report, “Operational Resilience in the Age of Connectivity,” drawing on information provided by 1,500 manufacturing and industrial operations across 17 countries.

Although 90% of the businesses tapped for the report say they’re confident in their ability to “prevent, contain or recover from” a cyber incident, 46% also said they’ve experienced one in the past year alone. Report authors say this signals a “disconnect” between true operational risk and confidence in cybersecurity protections.

Still, about 35% of these operations said cybersecurity is one their biggest external obstacles to growth in the coming 12 months, ranked No. 2 among concerns behind only workforce shortages.

Meanwhile, 62% of companies in the report say they’ve already invested in cybersecurity platforms, while 45% say they plan to apply AI and machine learning to cybersecurity efforts in the coming year.

“These findings point to a clear shift: organizations are embedding cybersecurity into broader digital transformation strategies alongside AI, automation, cloud technologies and connected operations,” authors wrote.

The report urges business leaders to stay vigilant as IT and operations “become increasingly interconnected,” muddying the waters for cybersecurity incident preparedness. Authors say companies face a growing challenge in distinguishing “routine” security threats from those that could disrupt their operations.

“Continuous monitoring helps understand the risks that matter most before they cause disruption,” authors wrote, touting the impact of proactive detection and response programs.

See the release.

See the report.

— Rehlko, a Milwaukee-based energy systems business, plans to double its annual backup power capacity by expanding its manufacturing operations in China.

The company yesterday announced it’s investing in its manufacturing facilities in Changzhou, expected to boost its capacity from 5.5 gigawatts to 11 gigawatts. The release notes rising demand from AI infrastructure such as data centers, semiconductors and other factors is straining power infrastructure around the world.

Brian Melka, president and CEO of Rehlko, calls the city a “critical hub” enabling the company to serve customers in Asia, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

“Our continued investments at Changzhou reflect the discipline behind our growth, doubling capacity while sharpening the speed and precision behind every system we ship,” Melka said in a statement.

The company says it has recently launched a new production line for smaller generator systems at its Changzou site, along with a smart warehousing system, upgrades to larger generator production capacity and integrated automated guided vehicles.

Since 2020, shipment revenue at the site has doubled, according to yesterday’s release.

See the release.

— A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is defending the quality of care at the Tomah VA Medical Center after U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin called for an investigation into the hospital.

The Madison Dem recently sent a letter to the department’s leadership expressing “grave concern” over allegations of patient care issues at the Tomah center, including inadequate staffing leading to injuries and other risks.

She said employees of the hospital have reached out to her office to raise concerns about “poor management” and the care of hospice patients in particular.

When asked for comment, a spokesperson with the federal agency’s Office of Public Affairs said providing “the best healthcare possible is a top VA priority.”

“In an effort to quickly investigate this situation, VA has asked Sen. Baldwin for specific details – such as dates, times and locations – regarding the allegations she cites,” the spokesperson wrote in an email. “We look forward to receiving her response.”

The spokesperson noted a 2026 Office of the Inspector General inspection of the Tomah site found no instances of quality, safety or administrative issues. And the email said the hospital’s nurse turnover rate is about 5%, well below the national average rate of 17.6%.

Baldwin’s letter specifically mentioned pressure injuries — also called bedsores — resulting from staffing and management problems. But the VA spokesperson said the rate of hospital-acquired pressure injuries “remain very low” at Tomah.

“In Q3 of FY2026, no triggering cases for high-risk residents at Tomah were discovered at the community living center – the nationwide average is nearly 8%,” the spokesperson wrote.

Meanwhile, Baldwin’s letter also highlighted the recent criminal charges announced against a former Tomah VA nurse, arguing they “raise serious questions about the care of the hospice patients” at the facility as well as the VA’s response. Beth Holz was reportedly charged with intentionally withholding oxygen from a hospice patient at the facility.

The agency’s spokesperson said the VA “moved quickly and according to established procedures” after the incident took place and immediately removed Holtz. Following an investigation, she resigned in January of this year, the spokesperson said.

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— Gov. Tony Evers has appointed banking executive Aaron Towns to the board of directors for the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., touting his role as “a respected member of the business community” in the state.

Towns’ appointment fills the spot left empty by former member John Brogan when he resigned. He’s currently director of commercial banking in Wisconsin at BMO Financial Group.

In a statement on the new role, Towns says he’s honored to be appointed and grateful for the opportunity to serve Wisconsin.

“Our state has extraordinary people, businesses, ideas, and resources,” he said. “I look forward to bringing my experience in finance, innovation, and economic development to help connect these strengths, expand opportunity, and strengthen Wisconsin’s economy and communities.”

See the release.

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