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Longtime City Tech Leader Named CTO for Washington, D.C.

Stephen Miller, who has served as Washington, D.C.'s acting chief technology officer since June, has been confirmed as permanent CTO. He has been with the city nearly two decades, including more than six years in the C-suite.

The Washington, D.C., skyline at night
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Stephen Miller, who has served as Washington, D.C.'s acting chief technology officer (CTO) since June 2024, has now been permanently appointed to the position.
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Washington, D.C. CTO Stephen Miller
Government Technology/David Kidd

Miller had been serving in an “acting chief information officer” capacity after being appointed by Mayor Muriel Bowser, Laura-Céline Patrick, the public information officer for the Washington, D.C., Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO), told Government Technology in August, and would be made permanent once the D.C. City Council issued a confirmation.

The City Council confirmed Miller as permanent Tuesday, Patrick said via email, and OCTO announced it Wednesday on LinkedIn, indicating it is “enthusiastic about his vision to enhance trust in government, bridge the digital divide, and guarantee that all our residents have equal access to technology — connecting them to the world for employment, education, and countless opportunities.”

Miller’s appointment makes him the seventh CTO in the office’s history. He brings with him more than two decades’ experience in technology, most of that in D.C. government, including more than a decade as senior web application developer; and nearly two years as applications development and operations manager. During that time, he led teams and managed software development across platforms including Salesforce and Kony, and for critical services including payment.

He joined the C-suite in August 2018 as associate chief technology officer, where his responsibilities included budgets, application development, testing and operations for platforms including motor vehicles, human resources and procurement. Prior to being named interim and then acting CTO, Miller was deputy CTO for OCTO’s Digital Services Department, where he led efforts to improve how D.C. plans, designs and develops public-facing technical solutions.

As director, Miller leads teams that oversee enterprise platforms supporting data management, process improvement, design, implementation and organizational change management across the district. Earlier this year, he stood alongside Mayor Bowser as she announced extensive plans to integrate AI into government operations.

During the announcement, Miller presented a strategic plan for AI implementation that weighed the technology's advantages against potential risks. He stressed the importance of making tech solutions inclusive and accessible to all, especially people with disabilities, by incorporating representatives from the Office of Disability Rights into the planned AI task force.