Ted Cotterill has stepped down as CPO and MPH general counsel to pursue an opportunity in the private sector. He confirmed to Government Technology that last Friday marked his final day with the state, and that Jennifer Cooper, who has spent the past four years as assistant general counsel to MPH, has been appointed Indiana’s new chief privacy officer.
Cooper is no stranger to Indiana’s data and privacy playbook. She spent nearly seven years as the state ethics director from 2015 to 2021 before becoming MPH’s assistant general counsel in January 2021. Her time in state service dates to May 2012, when she was hired as an attorney in the Office of the Inspector General.
She earned her juris doctor degree from Indiana University’s Robert H. McKinney School of Law and has a Master of Science in counseling psychology from Indiana University Bloomington, as well as a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Loyola University Chicago.
Cotterill leaves behind quite a legacy in Indiana state government — having played an integral part in shaping the legislation that made Indiana MPH a part of state law in 2017. It was a move that opened the door for greater collaboration among state agencies while maintaining responsible and ethical data use.
Throughout his nearly eight-year tenure as CPO, Cotterill built a strong privacy program focused on ethical data practices, compliance and fair information principles, MPH Communications Director Jeff Mullins said via email — creating a risk management framework and leading the charge on a statewide AI policy for government use.
Mullins shared a statement on the departed CPO via email from Pete Miller, Indiana chief data officer and MPH executive director.
“Ted Cotterill's leadership and unwavering commitment to data privacy have made a lasting impact for the state of Indiana,” Miller said. “His pioneering efforts in shaping legislation and developing robust privacy programs have significantly enhanced data ethics and innovation in the state.”
Cotterill said the agency’s data-driven culture is what drove his department’s success during his tenure.
“The state of Indiana is viewed as a leader in the use of data as a strategic asset, significantly enhancing our ability to solve complex problems,” he wrote in a LinkedIn post. “That’s due in large part to the IT and legal efficiencies we baked into the Indiana Management Performance Hub. Even more, it’s a product of the culture we nurtured around data.”
