Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn lauded Schrier’s stewardship of the city’s many technology initiatives.
"Under his leadership, Seattle has begun to connect more of our neighborhoods to high-speed fiber broadband, set national standards for accessing information online, and helped create and improve other innovative and effective ways to get the people of Seattle better engaged with their government,” McGinn said in a statement.
In recent years, Schrier has been credited with successfully overseeing upgrades to the region’s public safety radio and communications network, and the city’s voice and data network. During his tenure, Seattle laid down hundreds of miles of fiber-optic cable to support broadband access for city workers and the public at large.
“I am most proud of the rock-solid information technology systems and networks which employees of the Department of Information Technology provide to the 11,000 other employees of the city, and to Seattle’s citizens,” Schrier said in a statement from e.Republic. “I will bring that same level of expertise, innovation and determination in my new role as deputy director of the Center for Digital Government.”
Under Schrier’s leadership, Seattle became known for its innovative website. The city’s government portal garnered the Best of the Web award from the Center for Digital Government in 2011. Schrier’s organization also developed a transparency website,data.seattle.gov. Schrier’s duties also included management of the Seattle Channel, the city’s TV station.
Schrier became Seattle’s CTO in 2003, a capstone of three decades in public service. He worked for the city of Seattle for 30 years, starting as a data processing system analyst. He then ascended to other jobs capacities within Seattle’s IT operations, including at the city’s emergency operations center. Schrier served actively in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and later as a reservist commander for a training group based at Fort Lewis, Wash. He has also been a police officer in Dubuque, Iowa, as well as a high school science and math teacher.
Schrier was named one of Government Technology magazine’s Top 25Doers, Dreamers and Drivers in public-sector IT for 2008. He has also written a blog on technology in city government, called Notes From a City CIO, for e.Republic's Digital Communities program.
Erin Devoto, deputy director of Seattle Department of Information Technology, will serve as acting CTO.
