On Oct. 3, North Dakota Chief Information Officer Shawn Riley announced longtime private sector tech executive Dorman Bazzell will be the state’s inaugural chief data officer. He’ll be charged with “overseeing the enterprise information management program as well as software development,” the state said in a news release.
Bazzell, who most recently was a solution principal at Slalom Consulting, will join the North Dakota Information Technology Department (ITD) on Oct. 15.
At ITD, Bazzell joins Julie Cabinaw, the state’s first chief reinvention officer, and Duane Schell, its first chief technology officer, whose hirings were announced July 19. Riley praised Bazzell’s experience and said the hiring of the newest member of “Team North Dakota” is another step toward a dramatic shift in how the state serves residents.
“Transforming how we serve citizens begins with how we leverage data and technology. Dorman brings phenomenal technical, business and leadership acumen and will be a fantastic addition to Team ND as we work across state government to empower people, improve lives and inspire success,” Riley said in a statement.
The three new C-level execs, whose jobs were created using existing unfilled positions, will be “integral to implementing strategic priorities,” the state said, including “reinventing government and harnessing technology” to serve residents. Bazzell, whose resume includes innovation strategy work as well as data warehouse optimization and data governance, said organizations’ ability to translate data into knowledge, insight and action “offers tremendous opportunity,” in a statement.
“I’m excited for this once-in-a-lifetime role working with Team ND to pursue a 360-degree view of citizens that will enhance our ability to deliver services more effectively and efficiently,” he said.
