Jorge Cardenas, chief information officer for Brownsville, Texas, and Denis Goulet, CIO and commissioner of New Hampshire’s Department of Information Technology received awards acknowledging their leadership and lasting contributions to technology in government.
LinkedIn
Cardenas received the 2025 NASCIO Technology Champion Award, which honors individuals who have demonstrated outstanding contributions to public-sector IT. Since beginning his tenure with Brownsville as its acting CIO in August 2022 according to LinkedIn, Cardenas has established the city’s inaugural IT department, upgraded its network infrastructure to 5G and led the construction of 100 miles of mid-mile fiber — working with an Internet service provider on last-mile investment.
Cardenas was elevated to CIO in April 2024. Under his leadership, the city has launched a range of major technology initiatives, including deploying license plate reader systems to stop stolen vehicles from crossing the border, implementing unmanned aerial vehicle detection, and improving security around the perimeter of the airport.
New Hampshire’s Goulet received NASCIO’s Decade of Leadership Award, recognizing his 10 years of service as the state’s CIO. First appointed CIO and commissioner in 2015 by former Gov. Maggie Hassan, Goulet led the development of the state’s first IT strategic plan in more than a decade, guided its IT response during the COVID-19 pandemic, and supported agency transitions to cloud platforms and enterprise solutions. He also led efforts to advance the state’s cybersecurity efforts and modernize network infrastructure.
Government Technology/David Kidd
Named one of Government Technology’s Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers in 2023, Goulet previously served on NASCIO’s executive committee for two years, and was elected vice president, then president of the organization in February 2020 — leading it during the pandemic.
Find more information on NASCIO awards and winners here.
