The DIR board approved Sauerhoff’s appointment Friday after what board members described as a comprehensive search process.The board said a subcommittee formed after its Feb. 26 meeting reviewed about 60 applications, narrowed the field to the most qualified candidates, conducted in-person interviews and checked references before bringing forward a final recommendation.
In remarks before the vote, board members said Sauerhoff emerged as the standout candidate in the process. They pointed to his existing leadership at DIR, his relationships with the board and executive leadership team, and references they described as “glowing.”
“We feel very strongly that his demonstrated leadership and his prior commitments and his time at DIR is a trajectory that will serve DIR well in the new role,” DIR Board Chair Ben Gatzke said.
The board then voted to appoint Sauerhoff as executive director and state CIO.
Sauerhoff stepped into the interim role in January following the departure of Amanda Crawford, who was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to serve as commissioner of insurance. DIR’s leadership transition also included the exit of Deputy Executive Director Steve Pier, who was named executive director of the Texas Workforce Commission.
Before taking over DIR, Sauerhoff most recently served as the agency’s chief AI and innovation officer (CAIO), a role he assumed in October 2025 to lead the agency’s AI Division and support responsible AI deployment across Texas government. With his appointment as executive director and state CIO, DIR confirmed he will no longer serve as CAIO. His prior roles include serving as the state’s chief information security officer and chairing the Texas Cybersecurity Council.
“I am grateful to the DIR Board and Governor Abbott for allowing me the privilege of leading the state’s technology agency, and the dedicated people that power it,” Sauerhoff said in DIR’s announcement. “It’s an exciting time for public sector technology, and I look forward to partnering with our many stakeholders to continue to transform how Texas government serves Texans.”
He also recently was named president of the GovRAMP board, a role that put him at the center of national conversations about secure technology adoption and risk-based decision-making in government.
Prior to joining DIR, Sauerhoff worked as a circuit IT security officer for U.S. Courts, as deputy director with the Marine Corps Reserve, and as a communications specialist in the U.S. Air Force. He holds a master’s degree in information security and privacy from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity from Champlain College.
Sauerhoff takes the role as DIR continues work tied to statewide modernization, AI strategy and the shifting structure of Texas cybersecurity operations.
This story originally appeared in Industry Insider — Texas, which is part of e.Republic, Government Technology’s parent company.
