Workforce and People

A new 120,000-square-foot complex will house 15 departments, including programs for computer science, medical assisting, electrical engineering, and air conditioning and refrigeration technology.

The state is restructuring its data work, according to CIO David Edinger. Amy Bhikha, who served as Colorado’s chief data officer since 2021 and has led on data governance and AI oversight, announced she is moving on.

CIO Collin Hill has been in place since January 2023. Kate Kotan, who is now chief digital officer, is slated to assume the role of interim CIO, pending approval by the IT Board later this month.

Liana Bailey-Crimmins, who retired April 6 as state CIO, has joined the Center for Digital Government as a senior fellow. Like Government Technology magazine, the center is a division of e.Republic.

At the national level, data on workforce development programs is housed in several different systems, creating administrative work for universities. Experts recommend unifying those systems without an act of Congress.

Following the city’s dismissal of Chief Information Security Officer Brian Gardner, Jeremiah Clifton, its cybersecurity officer for digital risk, will serve as CISO for now.

Officials have made the city’s interim chief innovation and technology officer permanent and have named a new director for the Office of Urban Analytics and Innovation. Both roles were filled from within City Hall.

The southwestern Arizona government has named Jeremy Jeffcoat, a former city of Yuma tech exec, its CIO. Before his time at the city, he spent more than a decade supporting Yuma County IT operations.

A high school in Ohio is collaborating with the state work-placement organization OhioMeansJobs to provide students with a digital directory of local companies, available positions and application information.

After more than a year as interim chief technology officer, Tamara Davis now formally leads enterprise technology alongside Stephen Heard, who was affirmed in January as the county’s permanent CIO.

The National Association of State Chief Information Officers has unveiled its 2026-2028 strategic plan. It underlines the role of the state CIO as a trusted adviser who can shape public policy.

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed budget calls for an expansion of SUNY Reconnect, a program that offers free college to adult New Yorkers in fields like cybersecurity and digital forensics, environmental science and nursing.

Osmond, who is currently the state CIO in Virginia, was nominated Monday by Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer. Joining Delaware as its CIO would require a state Senate confirmation hearing and vote.

New York is scaling statewide employee AI training with InnovateUS, after 75 percent of participants in a pilot reported saving time using one AI training tool, and 86 percent wanted to continue.

Pamela McLeod will take over that top tech job in just more than one week. She has public-sector experience and will help build the state’s whole-of-cybersecurity approach to digital defense.

As part of IBM’s Cyber Campus initiative, a private university in Florida will open a 1,500-square-foot cyber range facility to give cybersecurity and IT students practice in a simulated environment.

The seller of ERP, budgeting, permitting and other software turns to a company insider to lead its next phase of growth. The company, backed by Cox Enterprises, holds a relatively high valuation for a gov tech firm.

Steve Patterson brings decades of in-house experience at the Department of Information Technology Services to his new position. There, he’ll guide tech operations and ongoing modernization.