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North Carolina CIO Jerry Fralick Steps Down

Gov. Bev Perdue names Jonathan Womer, an Office of State Budget and Management official, the state’s new CIO.

North Carolina CIO Jerry Fralick is heading out the door before Gov. Bev Perdue.

The governor’s office announced this week that Fralick has stepped down to pursue other opportunities. Fralick had been North Carolina’s CIO since Perdue appointed him in 2009.

Jonathan Womer, an Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM) official with technology expertise, will replace Fralick. Womer oversaw OSBM’s revenue projections, regulatory analysis, strategic planning, audit, program evaluation and IT management.

Last month Perdue announced she would not seek re-election. Perdue, a Democrat, became governor in 2009 after serving eight years as lieutenant governor.  Politico reported Perdue’s approval rating had plummeted into the low-30s — a 20 point drop from a year ago. The governor was trailing significantly in polling against potential GOP candidates.

Perdue tasked Fralick with consolidating the state’s technology. That effort continues. Fralick released an assessment last April that estimated the state would save $57 million consolidating and outsourcing the state’s technology infrastructure. Perdue’s administration credited Fralick for cutting expenditures and reducing fees for technology services charged to state agencies.

“After several years of much success in continuing consolidation, reducing ITS expenditures, and working with the vendor community, I am moving on to pursue other opportunities,” Fralick said in a statement. He didn’t immediately return an email from Government Technology seeking comment.

Fralick has been a long-time public servant. He formerly was CIO of the Office of Justice Programs for the U.S. Department of Justice and worked for more than 30 years for the federal government.  

Womer led the staff of Perdue’s Budget Reform and Accountability Commission and directed the governor’s NC OpenBook initiative, which provided transparency to state contracts and spending. Womer previously worked in the U.S. Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. At OMB, Womer helped lead the implementation of IRS FreeFile, Recreation.gov and USA.gov, according to Perdue’s office.

 

Miriam Jones is a former chief copy editor of Government Technology, Governing, Public CIO and Emergency Management magazines.