Johnathan Porat Tapped for California Technology Officer Role

Jonathan Porat, who was named the state’s chief technology innovation officer (CTIO) in December, has moved to the role of California chief technology officer (CTO).

Porat, a relative newcomer to the state and to the California Department of Technology, was previously an IT engagement manager and federal, state and local government liaison for the city of Seattle from 2018 to 2022. He was a regulatory economist in the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy from 2013 to 2018. Before that, Porat was a policy analyst in the federal Office of Management and Budget from 2012 to 2013.

Though his new CTO title is similar to that of CTIO, the roles are different. In his new position, Porat oversees CDT’s Office of Technology Services (OTS), which includes Platform Services, Infrastructure Services, Data Center Support Services and the Office of Enterprise Architecture. In his previous role as CTIO, he had oversight of CDT’s Digital ID initiative, Technology Innovation Services, Data and Geospatial Services and Web Services.

“I am delighted to congratulate Jonathan on his recent appointment as state chief technology officer,” state Chief Information Officer and CDT Director Liana Bailey-Crimmins told Industry Insider — California in an email Friday. “In today’s rapidly changing technology landscape, his leadership and insight are greatly valued to provide the effective delivery of digital services to our customers, and innovative digital solutions for our residents.”

Porat received his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Florida and his master’s degree in public policy from George Washington University.

In CDT’s February newsletter, “CDT Connect,” Porat wrote a commentary in which he emphasized the department’s priorities and some of the projects it worked on, including the state’s Digital Vaccine Record program and the first statewide digital California Design System. These projects, Porat wrote, focused on “equitable, accessible, and resilient websites, applications, and implementations of cutting-edge technology without losing sight of what matters most: serving Californians.”

Porat’s appointment to his new role by Gov. Gavin Newsom was announced in a news release last week. This position, which requires state Senate confirmation, has an annual salary of $192,900.