A Seat at the (Governor’s) Table: IT Joins the Cabinet
Nevada CIO Timothy Galluzi details a recent organizational change that acknowledges technology as the “great enabler” of state government, positioning his team to be a more strategic partner to other departments.
During the past several years, many state chief information officers have added an important new title to their resumes: cabinet secretary. And while organizational structures in state IT offices vary, the close association between CIOs and their state’s top elected leader signals a broader trend toward more visibility and influence for the role of technology in making state government work.
At last week’s NASCIO conference in Minneapolis, CIO Timothy Galluzi of Nevada told GT about a recent organizational change for the state’s former Enterprise IT Services Division. Enabled by recent legislation, the newly minted Office of the CIO now sits within Gov. Joe Lombardo’s office.
“We are the great enabler of business operations, and we needed to elevate the conversation to the strategic level,” Galluzi explained, “to be a part of those cabinet meetings so we can hear about the challenges that the departments are facing and be able to provide them some support.”
Next up, Galluzi is establishing a technology governance group in order to collaborate with key stakeholders on IT policy statewide. He is hopeful that the enhanced role of IT can help build on some of the “pockets of excellence” in agency IT shops, such as the the Department of Health and Human Services’ “No Wrong Door” project and the digital transformation underway at the Department of Motor Vehicles.
“It’s just a good time to be in government technology in Nevada,” Galluzi said.
Noelle Knell is the executive editor for e.Republic, responsible for setting the overall direction for e.Republic’s editorial platforms, including Government Technology, Governing, Industry Insider, Emergency Management and the Center for Digital Education. She has been with e.Republic since 2011, and has decades of writing, editing and leadership experience. A California native, Noelle has worked in both state and local government, and is a graduate of the University of California, Davis, with majors in political science and American history.
Lauren Kinkade is the managing editor for Government Technology magazine. She has a degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley, and more than 15 years’ experience in book and magazine publishing.
