Liana is the former California State Chief Information Officer (State CIO) and Director of the California Department of Technology (CDT). As State CIO, she provided comprehensive strategic advice to Governor Gavin Newsom on a wide range of technology issues, including best approaches to implement state technology-related strategic plans, policies, standards, and enterprise architecture. She ensured California’s technology landscape was resilient, secure, and forward-thinking by optimizing IT operations, and integrating emerging technologies such as generative AI, cloud services, and digital identity solutions. In addition to helping shape the state’s technology policies, she played a central role in advising on funding needs to support key technology initiatives, ensuring that projects were not only innovative but also sustainable and scalable over time.
With over 30 years of state government technology experience, Ms. Bailey-Crimmins has been instrumental in driving California’s digital transformation. Under her leadership as State CIO, California achieved its first “A” grade in the Center for Digital Government’s 2024 Digital States Survey, and California received numerous award honors for its public technology achievements, including several awards by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO). Ms. Bailey-Crimmins also played a pivotal role in advancing one of the state’s most ambitious projects—bridging the digital divide through the Governor’s historic $6 billion Broadband for All initiative. As Chair of both the California Broadband Council and the Middle-Mile Broadband Advisory Council, she was responsible for leading efforts to expand high-speed internet access across the state. These councils oversee the state’s push to build a robust middle-mile broadband infrastructure, which enables last-mile providers to deliver affordable, high-quality internet to underserved and unserved areas. This initiative was essential in promoting digital equity and ensuring that all Californians, regardless of their geographic location, have access to the resources they need to participate fully in the digital economy.
Throughout her career, Ms. Bailey-Crimmins has held several key leadership positions, including California’s Chief Technology Officer, where she led efforts to modernize the state’s data center operations. She also served as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), where she safeguarded the private data of nearly 2 million members and a $400 billion investment portfolio. She also served as CalPERS’ Chief Health Director leading the nation’s second largest public healthcare purchaser program and Chief Information Officer where she modernized their technology strategy and service delivery programs. Prior to CalPERS, she was IT Director and CIO of California Correctional Health Care Services and served in numerous technology positions across eight state departments.
