Security Tops List of State CIO Priorities for 2016

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LEXINGTON, Ky., Tuesday, November 10 — As the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) celebrates 10 years of its survey of state information technology leaders on critical state CIO priorities for the coming year, security, cloud services, and consolidation continue to top the list as state CIOs look toward 2016. The prioritized rankings of strategies and technologies reflect voting by state CIOs and are available for download at www.NASCIO.org/topten.

This year, NASCIO’s annual top 10 ranking shows IT security strategies and tools are at the top of the list across the states, with security topping the list of priority strategies for the third consecutive year. Cloud services and consolidation/optimization traded positions for second and third compared to the previous year.

Darryl Ackley, NASCIO president and New Mexico chief information officer stated, “It is not surprising that these three priorities continue to be a top priority among a majority of our states. However, as we see data analytics and legacy modernization move up the list, you’re seeing a good illustration of how the responsibilities of the state CIO are expanding. Balancing innovation with legacy investments remains a challenge for our states.”

“An interesting facet of the 2016 state CIO voting is the profile of the respondents,” stated NASCIO Executive Director Doug Robinson. “This year there are 19 new CIOs that participated in this annual ranking of state priorities for the first time. We can see they are seeking innovative ways to attract and retain talent with state IT workforce appearing on the list again in 2016. However, even more interesting, is the appearance of enterprise vision and roadmap for IT for the first time in our 10 years of tracking these priorities.”

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. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the top 10 priorities ranking, check the NASCIO Twitter feed and website for interesting facts about the past decade and how state CIO priorities have, and haven’t changed.

NASCIO Members and Conference Attendees Give Back to Salt Lake City, Host City of the 2015 Annual Conference

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LEXINGTON, Ky., Tuesday, November 3 — State, associate, and corporate members of the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) donated a record $7,665 to the Sunnyvale Afterschool Program at the Refugee and Immigrant Center, Asian Association of Utah this October. Funds for the local organization were raised leading up to and during NASCIO’s 2015 Annual Conference held in Salt Lake City. In addition to funds raised, NASCIO contributed $5,000 – providing a grand total donation of $12,665 to the local organization as part of NASCIO’s Give Back program.

Donations made through the NASCIO Give Back program will support the Sunnyvale Afterschool Program in their important work by providing funding to upgrade the program’s computer lab and purchase learning acceleration software to help students build a strong foundation of literacy skills and core math concepts.

“The vast majority of the refugee youth we serve at Sunnyvale Neighborhood Center experience a large educational gap. The youth are placed in grades and classrooms that are far beyond their current level of understanding. One of the primary missions of the Sunnyvale Neighborhood Center Afterschool Program is to close that gap,” said Peter Frost, youth and family services supervisor for the Refugee and Immigrant Center, Asian Association of Utah. “Through the generous donation of NASCIO’s give back program the Sunnyvale Neighborhood Center Afterschool Program will be able to purchase a computer based learning program designed to identify any learning gaps so that specific educational lessons can be tailored to the individual refugee youth’s needs.”

Learn more about the Sunnyvale Afterschool Program and the Refugee and Immigrant Center at the Asian Association of Utah at http://aau-slc.org/. 

NASCIO Issues First Paper in Series on Data Management

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LEXINGTON, Ky., Tuesday, October 27 — The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) today released the first in its series focused on data management. Recognizing the importance of data management in state government, NASCIO established its Data Management Working Group under the auspices of the NASCIO Enterprise Architecture and Governance Committee. The working group plans to develop a set of early briefs on making the case for data management and how to get started.

NASCIO has a long history of supporting data management beginning with its Enterprise Architecture Toolkit version 3.0 and subsequently a number of publications on data governance, open data, analytics, cloud services and records management. This latest initiative will add to the portfolio of reports resulting in a developing library of publications, webinars and conference sessions. Data and information are indeed critical assets of government. These assets must be properly exploited to make better decisions and to support collaboration across agencies and jurisdictions.

“We are facing the same issues across all the states in managing our data and information,” said NASCIO Executive Director Doug Robinson. “We are focusing efforts on data management not only because of our existing investments in data and information, but also in anticipation of the continued growth in data from a host of sources including the Internet of Things.”

Read the brief at www.NASCIO.org/publications.

NASCIO Releases Toolkit for State Cybersecurity Leaders

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SALT LAKE CITY, Ut., Wednesday, October 14 —Today the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) released its first toolkit for state chief information security officers (CISOs) – Moving Forward: Leadership Toolkit for State CISOs. The guide contains information on the tenure and critical leadership traits of state CISOs, examines survey responses, gives “advice from the trenches,” and details other critical success factors for state CISOs.
Each year, NASCIO conducts a survey of the state chief information officers (CIOs) to identify and prioritize the top policy and technology issues facing state government. Cybersecurity continually tops the list of concerns for state CIOs and this heightened concern calls for CIOs to have the right people in place to combat and prevent cyber attacks.
Additionally, the position of state CISO continues to mature as roles and responsibilities are increased.
“Cybersecurity remains a top issue for state CIOs,” said Darryl Ackley, NASCIO president. “By providing state cybersecurity leaders with tools and support, we are working to elevate their position in the state and assist in their efforts to address cyber threats.”
The 2015 Leadership Toolkit, along with additional cybersecurity resources, may be found on NASCIO’s Cybersecurity Awareness resource page at www.NASCIO.org/cybersecurity.

NASCIO Recognizes Exceptional Contributions in State Government

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SALT LAKE CITY, Ut., Tuesday, October 13 — The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) presented the State Technology Innovator Award to three deserving public servants during NASCIO’s 2015 Annual Conference in Salt Lake City.
The NASCIO State Technology Innovator Award honors outstanding individuals who have made contributions to advance state technology policy through the promotion of best practices, adoption of new technologies and advancements in service delivery. Nominees must be an employee, elected official, appointed official or other appointee representing state government. Nominations were gathered from NASCIO members as well as non-members. The following are the recipients of the 2015 NASCIO State Technology Innovator Award:
The Honorable Terry Branstad, Governor, State of Iowa
Governor Branstad is Iowa’s and the Nation’s longest serving acting Governor, serving from 1983 to 1999 and beginning again in 2011. During his tenure, Branstad has been a strong proponent of technology advancements, demonstrating leadership in technology innovation and supporting best practices for technology management for two decades. From signing legislation in 1994 that resulted in today’s Iowa Communication Network providing broadband internet capability to all 99 Iowa counties and state agencies to supporting the first in the nation driver license application for smart phones to utilize social media and other digital platforms to increase transparency and engagement, Governor Branstad is a true technology innovator.
Chris Clark, Executive Director, Office of Administrative and Technology Services, Cabinet for Health and Human Services, Commonwealth of Kentucky
Clark has served the Commonwealth of Kentucky for over 25 years through a number of IT leadership positions. Prior to being named the executive director of the Office of Administrative and Technology Services, Clark served as technology program manager for kynect, Kentucky’s Health Benefit Exchange. Clark was instrumental in the success of the exchange, which has been regarded as one of the country’s most successful state-based insurance exchanges. In Clark’s current role, he is leading the expansion of the Cabinet’s Quality Health Information (QHI) initiative, which is radically changing the health profile of the state.
Jeff Kline, Program Director, Electronic and Information Resources (EIR) Accessibility, State of Texas
In his role, Kline has developed and implemented innovative programs in EIR accessibility that are allowing people with disabilities across the nation to access and use EIR – the practice of providing electronic information and services through multiple methods so that communication is not contingent on a single sense or ability. Kline led a multi-state workgroup with leaders in IT and procurement from 10 states and one federal agency to develop a simple, universal set of policy criteria. Procurement organizations and vendors can use these criteria to increase accessibility in IT products and services over the long term.
Visit www.nascio.org/awards/sti to view the profiles of current and past recipients of the NASCIO State Technology Innovator Award.

NASCIO, Grant Thornton and CompTIA Release 2015 State CIO Survey

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SALT LAKE CITY, Ut., Tuesday, October 13 – The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO), Grant Thornton LLP and CompTIA today released the 2015 annual survey of state chief information officers (CIOs), The Value Equation: Agility in Sourcing, Software and Services, which shows that the role — and necessary leadership skills — of successful state CIOs is rapidly evolving to keep pace with the changing IT and business landscape.
In this sixth annual survey, state CIOs were asked to share their perspectives on a number of topics, with a particular focus on the emerging role of the CIO as a broker of shared services; the use of incremental software development approaches to accelerate the delivery of value to customers; and characteristics respondents felt were most valuable for and critical to the success of a state CIO.
“State CIOs continue to preside over an increasingly diverse set of service delivery models and sourcing options,” said Doug Robinson, executive director of NASCIO. “At the same time, customer expectations continue to rise, so state CIOs must be agile enough to adapt to changing circumstances and to rapidly deliver business value.”
All respondents to the survey said they expected in the future to be functioning as a broker of shared services for at least some of their services. This is clearly the state CIO business model of the future – the differences will be in the mix of services provided and in the proportion of assets owned and operated by the state.
“The state information technology and business landscape continues to change, reflecting both emerging approaches to delivering IT products and services, and also the faster-paced, more complex environment faced by state CIOs,” said Jennifer Grutzius, director of state and local government and education at CompTIA.
Finally, the survey asked state CIOs to rank the three most important leadership traits critical to the success of a state CIO. By a wide margin, “Communicator” was viewed as the most important, with “Strategist” and “Relationship Manager” ranked as the second and third most important. CIOs also were asked what they viewed as the most critical dimension of their role, and cited “Enterprise vision and strategy” as the top choice.
“This year’s survey covered a wide variety of topics,” said Graeme Finley, managing director in Grant Thornton’s Global Public Sector practice. “but a common theme emerged throughout the survey – the importance of delivering value to the business customer. The state CIO organization must increasingly be seen as the provider of choice if it is to succeed, and the state CIO will lead this evolution.”
The report is available on the NASCIO website at www.nascio.org/StateCIOSurvey

NASCIO Honors Craig Orgeron of Mississippi for his Exceptional Service to the State and NASCIO

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SALT LAKE CITY, Ut., Tuesday, October 13 – The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) recognizes Craig Orgeron, PhD, past NASCIO president and chief information officer (CIO) for the state of Mississippi, with the association’s Meritorious Service Award. Orgeron was honored during a special ceremony Monday evening at the NASCIO Annual Conference in Salt Lake City.
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.
Orgeron has more than 25 years of information technology experience and currently serves as the executive director of the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services and chief information officer for the state of Mississippi. In this role, Orgeron provides statewide leadership in the provision of services that facilitate cost-effective information processing and telecommunication solutions for agencies and institutions.
Orgeron has been a member of the NASCIO Executive Committee since 2011 when he joined as a director. Since then he has held the offices of secretary-treasurer, vice president and president. Orgeron has also served on numerous NASCIO committees and has represented NASCIO at regional and national conferences as a speaker and panelist.
“Craig is highly deserving of this honor,” said NASCIO 2014-15 President and Ohio CIO Stu Davis. “He exemplifies all the best qualities you want in a public servant, in a leader and in a colleague. The state of Mississippi and the entire NASCIO organization have benefited greatly from his expertise, passion and commitment.”

NASCIO Announces New Executive Leadership

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SALT LAKE CITY, Ut., Tuesday, October 13 — Top state information technology leaders have been selected to serve as new program year Executive Committee for the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO). The association is now led by Darryl Ackley, New Mexico secretary and chief information officer, and NASCIO president for the 2015-16 program year. Ackley succeeds Ohio Chief Information Officer and Assistant Director Stu Davis.
NASCIO’s 2015-16 Executive Committee leaders are:
Executive Committee Officers:
President – Darryl Ackley, Secretary and Chief Information Officer, New Mexico
Vice President – Mark Raymond, Chief Information Officer, Connecticut
Secretary/Treasurer – Calvin Rhodes, Chief Information Officer, Georgia
Past President – Stu Davis, State Chief Information Officer and Assistant Director, Ohio
Executive Committee Directors:
Thomas Baden, Chief Information Officer, Minnesota
Chris Estes, Chief Information Officer, North Carolina
James Fowler, Chief Information Officer, Kentucky
Gale Given, Chief Technology Officer, West Virginia
Craig Orgeron, PhD, Chief Information Officer, Mississippi
Jim Smith, Chief Information Officer, Maine

NASCIO Recognizes State Chief Information Security Officers with Jarrett Scholarship

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SALT LAKE CITY, Ut., Monday, October 12 — The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) awarded the Thomas M. Jarrett State Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Scholarship to three deserving CISOs during the 2015 Annual Conference in Salt Lake City.
This is the third year for the scholarship program, which was created to pay homage to Thomas M. Jarrett, past president of NASCIO (2004 – 2005), for his passion for cybersecurity. The scholarship grants current CISOs the opportunity to attend the NASCIO Annual Conference.
The following individuals were selected to receive this year’s scholarship due to their dedication and leadership in cybersecurity:
Danielle Alvarez, Chief Security Officer, State of Florida
Since the establishment of the Agency for State Technology (AST) on July 1, 2014, Alvarez has been working diligently to develop strategy, policy, and process for the state of Florida. Alvarez has effectively operated in all major information technology (IT) silos, strategically positioning her to thread security into all operational platforms and processes. She is currently leading the Florida Cybersecurity Framework adoption effort, as well as the statewide Risk Assessment.  Alvarez’s scholarship nominator, Florida Chief Information Officer Jason Allison said “with Danielle leading these initiatives, Florida is directed to a more secure and resilient future.”
John Essner, Chief Security Officer, State of New Jersey 
Through Essner’s leadership, the state of New Jersey’s Executive Branch adopted and implemented the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, completed a strategic plan, and completed a risk assessment (GAP Analysis); Essner also initiated the precursor to the New Jersey Cybersecurity Integration Cell (NJCCIC) which provides a consolidated approach to cybersecurity. Essner has provided leadership for the Information Analysis Center, a training for state employees on their role in preventing negative cyber events, asset classification implementation and maintenance, cyber incident management and reporting, and mobile device management implementation and integration. New Jersey Chief Information Officer Steven Emanuel nominated Essner for this honor.
Bill Nash, Chief Information Security Officer, State of Wisconsin
Nash has been instrumental in Wisconsin’s transition to an enterprise-wide cybersecurity plan, producing a comprehensive enterprise security roadmap from the ground up.  As a leader, Nash focuses on empowering others to make decisions that protect the state. He was heavily involved in the rollout of the state’s cybersecurity awareness training program which provides state employees with fundamental cybersecurity concepts and steps they can take to protect state systems.  Nash was nominated for the scholarship by David Cagigal, chief information officer for the state of Wisconsin.
Learn more about the recipients at www.nascio.org/awards/tjcs.

NASCIO Recognizes Outstanding Achievement in State Government

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SALT LAKE CITY, Ut., Monday, October 12 — Eleven exemplary initiatives were chosen as recipients for the National Association of State Chief Information Officers’ (NASCIO) 2015 Recognition Awards for outstanding achievement in information technology in state government.
Recipients were announced this evening during the NASCIO Annual Conference in Salt Lake City. This marks the 27th consecutive year NASCIO has honored outstanding information technology achievements in the public sector through the awards program.
“It has been a great privilege to co-chair the NASCIO Awards Committee,” said Oklahoma Chief Information Officer Bo Reese and Delaware Chief Information Officer James Collins in a joint statement. “The volume of quality submissions demonstrates the integral role information technology plays in delivering government services. Citizens are the ultimate beneficiaries of the impressive innovations occurring across the country.”
The 2015 awards recipients are as follows:
Cross Boundary Collaboration and Partnerships
State of Colorado: Universal Application
Cybersecurity
State of Colorado: Secure Colorado: Achieving Quick and Sustainable Risk Reduction
Digital Government: Government to Business
Commonwealth of Virginia: Enhancing Customer Service through the Mobile Collectors Application
Digital Government: Government to Citizen
Commonwealth of Virginia: Electronic Death Registration and Birth Certificates on Demand
Disaster Recovery/Security and Business Continuity Readiness
State of Oregon: Oregon-Montana Disaster Recovery
Emerging and Innovative Technologies
State of Oregon: OReGO: Oregon Road Usage Charge
Enterprise IT Management Initiatives
State of Ohio: IT Optimization: Driving Business Value
Improving State Operations
State of Idaho: Internet Unemployment System (iUS)
Information Communications Technology Innovations
State of Minnesota: Connecting 100,000 Minnesotans with Jobs: Using Technology to Transform Government
Open Government Initiatives
State of Michigan: Enterprise Information Management
State CIO Special Recognition
State of North Carolina: North Carolina Innovation Center
Projects and initiatives from NASCIO member states, territories, and the District of Columbia were eligible for nomination. Recipients were selected by NASCIO’s Awards Committee from a field of more than 100 nominees. Learn more about the recipients at www.nascio.org/awards/sit.