Connecticut CDO Steps Down to Pursue New Data Endeavor

Connecticut’s first chief data officer (CDO), Tyler Kleykamp, has decided to step down from the position he helped mold for a job in the academic sector.

Kleykamp announced his departure late Thursday night on Twitter where he expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to serve the state as CDO since 2014. He told Government Technology that the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management is working to fill his position quickly and it will remain vacant until a new CDO is hired.

“In terms of what I’ve accomplished, an initial focus of ours was really around open data,” Kleykamp said. “I’m really proud of the work that we did here in Connecticut, as an early adopter of open data as [far as] states go, and then a couple of years later being nationally recognized on a couple of occasions for our work in that space.”

He said in his new role, which he starts next week, he will be working with state leaders throughout the country to enhance the capabilities of data.

“I wasn’t actively looking for something, but a really good opportunity presented itself to me,” Kleykamp said. “In this new position, I’ll have the opportunity to take, not only things that I’ve either learned through my job or in Connecticut some of the good work that we’ve done here, but also take some of the best practices and good work that other states have done to help scale the positive impact that data can have broadly across more states. I am really excited to have the opportunity to have an impact that extends beyond Connecticut.”

Kleykamp is also one of the founding members of the State Chief Data Officer Network, which collaborates on best practices, interstate projects and more. Though Kleykamp will be leaving the group, he said it will thrive despite his absence.

“The state CDOs are an incredibly collaborative group and I’m confident the network will continue to grow and mature,” he said.