Gail Roper Joins Montgomery County, Md., as IT Chief

Gail Roper, a veteran of smart city programs and public-sector information technology, has been hired as the next director of the Department of Technology Services for Montgomery County, Md.

Roper announced the move in a tweet Friday, saying, "2020 will be the perfect opportunity for me to return to my roots in serving local government. I could not stay away. CIO, Montgomery County, Maryland here I come."

The County Council voted unanimously to approve the hire Dec. 3.

The Department of Technology Services is currently led by CIO Sonny Segal, who has held the post since 2012. It’s not yet clear if Segal will be leaving Montgomery County and officials could not be reached Friday to comment.

Since 2018, Roper has served as director of National Initiatives for Smart Cities at the Knight Foundation in Miami, according to the resume filed with Montgomery County. While there, she identified technology trends and examined how those were playing out across workplaces and society. She has also worked as a technology consultant for a number of cities across the U.S.

Roper worked in the private sector as partnerships manager at Google Fiber from 2016 to 2018; and served as CIO in Raleigh, N.C., and Austin, Texas.

Roper is a past recipient of Government Technology's Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers award.