Carroll County, Md., IT Director Is a Former Federal Exec

A new face will be seen in Carroll County, Md.’s top technology role — someone whose work has already shaped classrooms and government systems across the country.

Officials in Carroll County, which is home to roughly 174,000 residents, announced Friday that Alison Deigan has been appointed the county’s new director of the Department of Information Technology. The move, confirmed by the county Board of Commissioners, brings a veteran technologist with more than 20 years of experience into local government.

Deigan, a Mt. Airy resident, has held leadership positions at the U.S. departments of Education and Justice. Her most recent role was as director of technology systems for the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a congressionally mandated initiative overseen by the National Center for Education Statistics. While there, she “oversaw a $150 million technology portfolio and led the program’s digital transformation,” according to a news release.

The new IT director also oversaw technology systems for the Civil Rights Data Collection and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Maryland and also holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) national certification.

Deigan will now spearhead all technology and security initiatives in Carroll County.

Commissioner Kenny Kiler, who leads the board, highlighted what Deigan’s background means for the county. Her experience, he said in a statement, “will be an asset to the IT department and county government as a whole.”

Deigan said the role carries personal significance, noting in the release that it allows her to apply her professional expertise in the place she calls home. For her, the appointment is another chance to invest directly in her own community.

“As a Mt. Airy resident, I am honored to bring my passion for technology home to serve the Carroll County community,” she said in a statement. “I am a people person who believes in the power of innovation, operational excellence, and continuous improvement — and I’m excited to support these values through exceptional technology services that benefit our local government and the residents it serves.”