Clarke replaces longtime CIO James Collins, who announced earlier this month that he would be stepping down from DTI for a position with Microsoft Consulting. Collins, who had been CIO since 2014 and spent over two decades with the state, had his last day with the agency on Friday.
Clarke is no outsider to DTI, having joined the government in 2007 as a customer relationship specialist, assisting with customer relations in regards to "communication, engagement, [and] product notifications," among other areas, according to his LinkedIn. After that, he rose to different levels of responsibility within the organization.
"His willingness to take on challenges, and ability to build rapport with customers and combine policy with process to continuously improve delivery of services, propelled Jason to progressive leadership positions ‒ from team leader, to chief of policy and communications, to chief operating officer," reads the DTI website.
Clarke's most recent role as chief operating officer saw him tasked with responsibilities involving strategic planning and forecasting, vendor management and data center operations, as well as with management of the agency's annual $45 million budget. He also spent time in the private sector, working for Bank of America as a research and development product consultant.
