LEXINGTON, Ky., January 17, 2019 — The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) is honored to announce that NASCIO Executive Committee member and Indiana chief information officer (CIO) Dewand Neely has been appointed to serve as a NASCIO representative on the Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative (Global) Global Advisory Committee (GAC).

As a member of the GAC, Neely will assist in advising the United States Attorney General on information sharing issues. The GAC advances justice-related information sharing goals through the facilitation of issue-focused task teams and councils, developing guidance documents, best practices, policy templates and other resources addressing data sharing issues and priority challenges.

NASCIO President and Delaware CIO James Collins applauded Neely’s appointment saying, “NASCIO is honored to continue contributing to the work of the Global GAC and I am delighted that Dewand will serve on behalf of the association. His wealth of knowledge and experience will enable him to effectively represent NASCIO and the state IT community on this important Federal Advisory Committee.”

Neely has been Indiana’s CIO since October 2015, having been re-appointed by Governor Eric J. Holcomb in January 2017. Serving Indiana state government since 2003, Neely was one of the initial employees to join the newly created Indiana Office of Technology. Since that time, he has spent the last decade with the Indiana Office of Technology and has held several other senior positions within the office. Neely received his undergraduate degree from Purdue University’s School of Technology and his MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University.

To learn more about Global, please visit: https://it.ojp.gov/global.

LEXINGTON, Ky., Thursday, December 6 — In its annual message to the marketplace, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) has released the state technology leaders’ top priorities for the coming year. Security remains the top priority for the sixth year running with no change in the top four priorities from 2018.  The prioritized rankings of strategies and technologies reflect voting by forty-nine state CIOs and are available for download at www.NASCIO.org/topten.

Digital government remains as a high priority and is receiving more attention from state CIOs and agencies.  This is reflective of the increase in citizen expectations for how they want to do business with state government.

“In addition to the duty to safeguard state systems and citizen information, increasing efficiency and fostering innovation are clearly indicated as key objectives for state CIOs in 2019”, said James Collins, NASCIO president and chief information officer for the state of Delaware.  “It is promising to see that states also plan to focus on expanding partnerships and leveraging the power of data analytics for public good. Partnerships with state agencies and private IT companies are key ingredients for transitioning to NASCIO’s ‘CIO as Broker’ operating model.”

 “Identity and access management (IAM) appears on the top ten list for the first time,” remarked NASCIO Executive Director Doug Robinson. “Enterprise IAM approaches and solutions are gaining more traction in the states and are essential for managing secure employee access and supporting digital government platforms for citizens.”

NASCIO utilizes the annual list of priorities to develop strategic areas of focus for the coming year, formulate new committees and working groups and plan NASCIO conference sessions and publications.

SAN DIEGO, CA., Wednesday, October 24 – The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) recognized Mark Raymond, past NASCIO president and chief information officer (CIO) for the state of Connecticut, with the association's Meritorious Service Award. Raymond was honored during a special ceremony Tuesday evening at the NASCIO Annual Conference in San Diego.

To spotlight outstanding service, NASCIO created the Meritorious Service Award, honoring leadership in state government and dedication to the advancement of NASCIO's mission. NASCIO's achievements have largely been the product of the enthusiasm, focus and service of its members; this commitment to excellence has served as a catalyst to redefine the role of technology at the federal, state and local levels.

"In the nomination for the award, Mark was described as a ‘special leader who understands how to move an organization forward’, and I couldn’t agree more,” stated Bo Reese, NASCIO president and chief information officer for the state of Oklahoma. “I’ve worked with Mark as a peer and as a leader on the NASCIO Executive Committee, and he has been a standout in terms of strategic thinking and moving both NASCIO and his state forward.”

Mark has led the state of Connecticut for the last seven years as an advocate for enterprise-wide thinking and approaches to IT investments and projects. He’s been instrumental in the formation of the Information Technology Capital Investment Program, which invests in and creates interoperable systems. He also led the development of the state’s first cybersecurity plan and has been a leader in cybersecurity planning and execution not only for the state, but also for NASCIO having chaired the Cybersecurity Committee for three years. Mark was also instrumental in building a partnership with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to utilize their data center facilities for Connecticut’s disaster recovery needs, the efforts of which were recognized by NASCIO with a 2016 State IT Recognition award.

“When our administration began eight years ago, we were handed an information technology infrastructure that was severely behind the curve and in dire need of critical updates, which is why we made modernization of our systems a key priority.  I couldn’t have selected someone better than Mark Raymond to head this task,” said Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy. “Over the last eight years, he has played an essential role in upgrading Connecticut’s information technology systems. Operating obsolete information technology systems creates inefficiencies that cost taxpayers money, result in delays and inefficiencies, and in some cases the inability to allow agencies to share information is downright dangerous. Overseeing such a critical upgrade is no easy task. I have the highest regard for Mark. His decades of experience in this field have proven himself worthy of the recognition he is receiving today. And we are so very grateful for everything that he has helped us accomplish.”

Currently serving as Past President, Raymond has been a member of NASCIO’s Executive Committee for four years, He was President in 2016-2017 and, prior to that, served in the role of Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer. In addition to the Cybersecurity Committee, Raymond has also chaired NASCIO’s Programs Committee, Audit Committee, Nominations Committee and Awards Committee, and has represented NASCIO with testimony on the federal level and as a speaker and panelist at regional and national conferences.

SAN DIEGO, Calif,. Tuesday, October 23 — As internal and external pressures continue to mount, state technology leaders say they are confident that by building strong teams and embracing new products and development processes, state IT departments will be able to improve how they serve government agencies and residents. Those and other factors contributed heavily to the 2018 State CIO Survey, State CIO as Communicator: The Evolving Nature of Technology Leadership, which was jointly released today by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO), Grant Thornton LLP and CompTIA. The survey includes responses from all 50 state CIOs on a range of issues, from evolving business models to workforce and budget to access to innovation and facing the future. Respondents to this year’s survey represent more than 150 years of collective service as a state’s top technology official.

“The results of our 2018 survey highlight how state CIOs are addressing and planning for more transition in state government,” said Doug Robinson, executive director of NASCIO. “CIOs are building strong relationships with key stakeholders and focusing on enterprise vision and strategy, security and risk management, agency customer service and relationship management.”

“The era of IT infrastructure as a state CIO’s primary focus is squarely in the rearview mirror,” said Graeme Finley, principal with Grant Thornton Public Sector. “Technology is enabling government to operate and deliver services to constituents more efficiently, but at the same time, a CIO’s mastery of communication and negotiation skills is becoming increasingly essential to the top technology role in state government.”

“The insights provided in this year’s survey will help the private technology sector better tailor offerings to state governments,” said Jennifer Saha, Director of Public Sector Councils for CompTIA. “Knowing where CIOs are heading, and what obstacles stand in their way, allows the technology industry to better anticipate the often unique needs of each state. With that understanding, tech companies are able to provide better solutions and partner with states to accomplish their business goals.”

The 2018 State CIO Survey also highlights critical success factors for CIOs, legacy modernization funding and procurement, digital transformation and emerging technologies. The complete report State CIO as a Communicator: The Evolving Nature of Technology Leadership is available on the NASCIO website: www.nascio.org/2018StateCIOSurvey.