His appointment comes as cities across the country continue to modernize their technology environments, with greater focus on cybersecurity, system integration and user experience. Denton is following that trend, and plans to invest $45 million in capital IT projects over the next roughly five years — increasing its Technology Services Fund from $22 million to $25 million to add four new positions.
Deegan, who has approximately 27 years of experience in private-sector technology leadership, will now oversee IT operations for the city of more than 160,000. This appears to be his first public-sector position.
Deegan joins the city from Orora Packaging Solutions, where he was director of engineering for North America and spearheaded technology solutions across more than 75 locations, according to the city. Over the course of his career, he has led large-scale initiatives tied to infrastructure, security and long-term technology planning.
His background appears to have been an important factor in the hire, according to the news release, which highlights his experience in cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity and enterprise IT strategy.
That focus on long-term planning is also something Deegan mentioned in a statement, writing: “As technology continues to shape how cities serve their communities, it’s critical that we build resilient, secure, and forward-thinking systems.” Deegan has a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing from the University of North Texas, according to his LinkedIn profile.