How a Copilot Guru Is Helping ND Lead the Nation in AI Adoption
By 6 p.m. on most weeknights, Skyler Lunsford's day job is technically over. It just doesn't feel that way yet.
There's supper to finish, two boys to wrangle, a golden retriever to let out, and a wife who deserves more than a distracted hello after a long day. Lunsford loves this part of the evening.
But once the house finally goes quiet around 9 or 10 p.m., he heads down the hall to an intriguing hobby: a home lab.
The setup is modest—a server rack beside his desk, a personal PC, enterprise networking gear he bought simply to tinker with, and a 3D printer. Some nights he’s fine-tuning the custom system that streams every movie and show in the house. Others he's polishing a self-hosted tool he built for a niche gaming community. He might even spin up a new AI node…just to see what it can do.
"I'm a tinkerer," Lunsford says simply. "I like to play with stuff and dream up ways it can be used at scale."
That curiosity has quietly made him one of the driving forces behind North Dakota's AI transformation, helping team members across state government understand and embrace artificial intelligence—one conversation at a time.
When he’s not helping the State of North Dakota lead the nation in enterprise AI adoption through Microsoft Copilot, Skyler Lunsford enjoys being a loving dad and husband.
From Georgia Heat to North Dakota Roots
Now a Mandan resident, Lunsford grew up in Georgia, where, he jokes, the humidity fogs your glasses the moment you step outside. Long before he ever packed a moving truck, though, he'd already developed a fascination with North Dakota through Theodore Roosevelt's writings. Every so often, he'd browse the state's job openings just to see what opportunities might appear.
Eventually, one did.
A position opened on NDIT's hardware team. He applied, interviewed, and soon his family was heading north.
Less than a year later, another opportunity surfaced—a brand-new position focused on artificial intelligence. AI, in its fast-moving state, understandably hadn't been a college major in recent history, but years of experimenting with emerging technology on his own had given Lunsford something just as valuable: experience. He applied again and found himself helping write the next chapter of North Dakota's AI story.
Built by Curiosity, Not a Classroom
Lunsford is candid that he never finished college. Instead, he built his career through curiosity and hands-on experience—repairing water-damaged electronics, managing a phone repair shop, earning multiple Apple certifications, working at Geek Squad, and recovering data customers thought was gone forever.
Those experiences shaped something even more valuable than technical expertise: the ability to make complicated technology feel approachable.
Today, Lunsford serves as NDIT's Enterprise Copilot Admin, overseeing Microsoft 365 Copilot, GitHub Copilot, and a growing portfolio of AI tools. But his greatest strength isn't the technology itself. It's translating it. Years spent explaining technical problems to frustrated customers taught him how to replace jargon with patience and meet people where they are.
"I love adding value where I can," Lunsford says. "I love seeing people learn more."
It's also the first role that has truly captured Lunsford’s attention for the long haul. By his own admission, he used to move from job to job every year or so. NDIT changed that—and he doesn't see himself leaving anytime soon.
Teaching a State to Talk to AI
Ask Lunsford how people should use AI, and his answer is surprisingly simple: talk to it like a person, not a search engine.
Early on, he noticed many people treating Copilot like a vending machine—typing a few words and expecting a perfect answer. Instead, he encourages people to give AI the same context they'd give a coworker and to have a conversation with it, refining ideas together.
That philosophy has helped fuel North Dakota's emergence as a national leader in enterprise AI adoption, with the highest active-use rate among Microsoft Copilot users in state government nationwide.
Lunsford didn't help achieve that from behind a desk. He's demonstrated Copilot in packed hotel conference rooms, at universities, in agency meetings, and during one-on-one coaching sessions booked through his open calendar. Wherever people want to learn, he shows up.
The man is a machine. (Or better yet, someone who knows how to bring a crucial human element to machines.)
One Department of Commerce team member summed up the experience this way:
"I had an awesome Copilot walkthrough with Skyler Lunsford. He didn't use any IT jargon and made all the features super easy to understand. I wish I had scheduled this sooner!"
Lunsford recently shared that same practical perspective during an NDIT all-employee Fireside Chat. Rather than focusing on AI hype, he talked about what's next: AI agents and specialized tools designed to help specific groups—from developers to classroom teachers—work more efficiently.
"I feel like we've done something pretty amazing here in North Dakota," he says, reflecting on how far the Copilot program has come.
And yes, given his first name, Lunsford has heard every "Skynet" joke imaginable. Unlike its fictional counterpart, though, his goal isn't replacing people with AI. It's helping people use AI to do their jobs better—especially at a time when budgets are tight and open positions can be difficult to fill.
During an all-employee meeting at NDIT, Lunsford talks about the future of AI with Corey Mock, Chief Information Officer for the State of North Dakota.
A Team Worth Staying For
Ask Lunsford what he appreciates most about NDIT, and he doesn't hesitate: the people.
He describes a collaborative team where questions are always welcome, leadership is supportive, and even a teammate's daily joke in the group chat helps set the tone.
It's the kind of culture reflected in NDIT's recognition as one of the Bismarck-Mandan Young Professionals Network's Top 10 Workplaces for two consecutive years—a distinction Lunsford says matches exactly what he's experienced.
‘North Dakota Isn't What You Think It Is’
Friends back in Georgia still ask the same question: Why North Dakota?
Lunsford’s answer never changes.
"North Dakota isn't what you think it is," he says. "People assume there's nothing here, but that couldn't be farther from the truth."
Instead, he's found a state—and an agency—that genuinely cares about the people it serves. Neighbors throw block parties. Teams show up for one another. The goal, he says, is simple: leave this place better than you found it.
That sense of purpose, paired with what he calls a “fantastic” benefits package, is what he tells anyone considering a career with NDIT.
Whether he's exploring ways AI might shorten lines at the DMV or helping a state team member become more confident using Copilot, Lunsford knows there's always a real person on the receiving end.
When asked what excites him most about the future, his answer comes with a laugh.
"Stuff I get to play with."
New AI tools. New platforms. New possibilities.
From a server rack that once doubled as his nightstand to helping build the nation's most widely adopted state government Copilot program, Lunsford has spent his career building things simply because he wanted to see what was possible—all in pursuit of a new frontier.