Cleveland Finds Tech Leader in Education, for Expanded Role

Cleveland’s mayor has chosen its next chief innovation and technology officer (CITO), hiring an experienced private- and public-sector technologist for the role, which has grown since it became vacant in April.

The city announced Monday that Stephanie Wernet has been selected as the CITO, a position that was expanded this spring to oversee multiple departments including Urban Analytics and Innovation, and Resident Experience and Support. She will be taking on a role most recently held by Froilan Roy C. Fernando, who joined Cleveland in 2022 and stepped down in April.

“Our new CITO is a forward-thinking leader with the right blend of experience to drive digital transformation for the City of Cleveland, with a deep skill set in a wide range of IT disciplines, from e-commerce and business development to education and cybersecurity,” Mayor Justin M. Bibb said in a news release, adding: “I am confident that Chief Wernet will help us innovate and expand the role of technology to better serve residents.”

Wernet has spent the last eight years as CIO, vice president of information technology, and vice president of purchasing at Breakthrough Public Schools, a network of charter schools in Cleveland, according to LinkedIn. There, she transformed the IT department to be “more secure, responsive and efficient,” per the city. This included transitioning 4,000 students and 500 staff to online learning when the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Prior to joining Breakthrough, Wernet founded Cleveland consulting firm Takai & Co., according to LinkedIn. Her time in the private sector also includes more than seven years at Goodyear, where she was vice president of e-commerce and CIO and vice president of information technology. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan, and an MBA in general business administration and management from Stanford University’s Stanford Graduate School of Business.

In her new position, Wernet will oversee Cleveland’s new open data portaland 311 services — both areas of responsibility added this year.

“The city of Cleveland has made great progress in its work toward a more modern and responsive City Hall, through the open data project, the overhaul of 311 and increasing access for residents to interact and conduct business with the city online,” she said in a statement. “I am excited to take this work to the next level and deliver on Mayor Bibb’s commitment to enhance city services and make data-driven decisions through better technology.”