IE 11 Not Supported

For optimal browsing, we recommend Chrome, Firefox or Safari browsers.

Connecticut Doubles Up on Tech Expertise with New DAS Hire

Gov. Ned Lamont has named Josh Geballe as the new commissioner of the Department of Administrative Services, which oversees the work done in the Bureau of Enterprise Systems and Technology.

Revamping state government as a more online and “e-government” experience is central to the administration of Ned Lamont, the newly elected governor of Connecticut.

And to help him achieve this effort, Lamont named Josh Geballe as commissioner of the Department of Administrative Services, which the governor described as the “nerve center of state government,” overseeing departments like the Bureau of Enterprise Systems and Technology, human resources, procurement and contracting, facilities management and design and construction of state facilities.

Geballe spent more than 10 years with IBM, and then went on to serve as CEO of Core Informatics, a software startup in the New Haven region, where he worked on a cloud-based software platform for managing data used by the scientific community.

That background in working within large complex organizations, and modernizing operations via technology, is part of what makes Geballe the right candidate for the job, said Lamont, in a Jan. 25 press conference.

The role of DAS commissioner, Lamont said, is important for the IT modernization work that needs to be done as well as managing the legacy systems spread across the different departments.

“And Josh is the person — working with IT — to get those integrated, get more of that information into the cloud, so that we’re able to share information, share data,” he added. “Secondly, in terms of personnel, that is spread across 24 different departments as well.”

Geballe will oversee the work of state CIO Mark Raymond and takes the place of outgoing DAS Commissioner Melody Currey, who is retiring. Lamont, a Democrat, was elected in November. 

Geballe says he’s dedicated his professional life to “figuring out how technology can make the world better.

“I’ve seen firsthand, over and over again, the benefits of modern software and data analytics in the hands of well-trained users to improve the world around us,” Geballe added.

Geballe’s deep background the private tech sector is much of what makes him an ideal commissioner at DAS, said Lamont.

“I want somebody who’s already done it. Done it in the private sector. Done it across all different major companies, as Josh has done,” said Lamont, answering media questions during the press conference. “I think that’s an experience that’s directly relevant to a department that really needs to be brought into the 21st century.

“This is a time when we gotta bring our government into the 21st century,” he added.

Skip Descant writes about smart cities, the Internet of Things, transportation and other areas. He spent more than 12 years reporting for daily newspapers in Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and California. He lives in downtown Yreka, Calif.