Workforce and People

Rizwan Ahmed, who served as Louisiana’s CIO from 2006 to 2008, is the city-parish’s new information services director, bringing years of state-level IT experience to the role.

The appointment of Eleonore Fournier-Tombs as chief AI officer and Stephen Graham as chief digital officer signals a more coordinated approach to AI, tech policy and public services as leadership roles evolve.

Archie Satchell, the Florida county’s CIO of more than seven years, will retire Jan. 16. Deputy CIO Michael Butler, whose time with county IT dates to the mid-1990s, has taken on the role of acting CIO.

CIO Shawnzia Thomas decodes why "cyber discipline" drives AI, modernization, and trust in Georgia’s 2026 tech agenda, and how cyber resilience is achievable through digital literacy and upskilling.

Stephen Heard, now the county’s permanent CIO, is a veteran technologist whose time with the local government dates to April 2007. Prior to becoming interim CIO, he was chief technology officer for five years.

Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed Crawford to serve as insurance commissioner for a term of about one year. Her replacement as state CIO and executive director of the Department of Information Resources is developing.

A resignation letter from the city’s chief technology officer of four years surfaced on social media alongside changes to the city’s website, where his name was removed and a new acting CTO named.

IT infrastructure resilience, like modernization and citizen engagement, is an ongoing endeavor for officials in South Dakota, according to state CIO Mark Wixon — and one that intersects much other technology work.

Modernizing education with artificial intelligence is less about buying this or that new tool than about new processes, new applications for data analytics, and reorganizing instructional priorities around new norms.

State Chief Innovation Officer Dave Cole will remain under her administration, Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill said. Outgoing Gov. Phil Murphy, meanwhile, signed a bill affirming the New Jersey Innovation Authority.

Heidi Norman, who has served as permanent CIO of Pittsburgh since 2022, and in other roles with the city since 2017, has departed at the request of the city’s incoming mayoral administration.

Rex Menold is Michigan's new chief security officer for the state, which has recently seen several IT leadership changes and is seeking its next chief technology officer.

After transitioning from Fairfield University’s leader of enterprise systems to director of IT strategy and enterprise architecture for the state of Connecticut, Armstrong will return to higher-ed leadership in January.

The new unit, part of the Office of Information Technology Services’ statewide strategy, will focus on New York State Police’s specific needs while preserving shared IT services like AI and information security.

EY, the global accounting and consulting firm, wants to provide “peer learning” and other educational services to public agency tech leaders. They face a potentially turbulent new year, given upcoming elections.

State leaders prioritized AI advancement in 2025; CIO Alberto Gonzalez said it will help support being efficient and improved service delivery for residents. Onboarding staff has been greatly quickened.

Eric Swanson, who leads the Michigan Center for Shared Solutions, will concurrently serve as the state’s acting chief information officer, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Friday. Clark has been state CIO since 2021.

Washington state's most populous city has tapped Lisa Qian as its inaugural city AI officer. Her experience is largely in the private sector, including data-focused leadership roles for LinkedIn and Airbnb.