Paul D'Andrea
According to an announcement, Mohanty’s resignation is effective May 31. He cited “family reasons” for his departure, stating a desire to spend more time with his family.
The CIO has been in place a little more than a year, having begun as leader of North Dakota Information Technology (NDIT) in February 2023. In November, he told Government Technology about his business approach to state IT, and called this a pivotal moment in the state’s work: “We’re on the cusp of doing some amazing things.”
North Dakota Deputy CIO Greg Hoffman, who was appointed in April 2022 by former CIO Shawn Riley, will step in immediately as interim CIO. Hoffman has more than 20 years’ experience, including more than a decade at NDIT, where he served as the finance director and director of administrative services before becoming deputy CIO.
In his resignation letter, Mohanty emphasized his confidence in the path the state’s current executive leadership team is taking, according to the governor’s office’s announcement.
“I had the utmost pleasure of leading an amazing team of leaders within North Dakota Information Technology in delivering value to our citizens in collaboration with our agency partners,” Mohanty said in a statement.
During his time with the state, Mohanty leveraged nearly three decades of private-sector IT experience to lead NDIT through several major initiatives including, this year and last, crafting and revising an AI policy.
Kuldip described AI to GT as an example of a technology that does not wait to disrupt industry, likening it to a highway on which everyone is licensed to drive but lacking experience. He said the state’s approach to regulating the technology is centered around becoming educated about both risks and best practices.
“Kuldip brought a deep understanding of system operations and a strong focus on customer service during his impactful 15 months as CIO, ensuring that NDIT was able to meet the needs of its agency partners so they could better serve North Dakota citizens,” Gov. Doug Burgum said in the announcement.
In the Flickertail State, the CIO is a member of the governor’s cabinet, responsible for providing NDIT with the leadership and vision to manage its $275 million operating budget and nearly 500 full-time team members. Burgum also offered his thanks to Hoffman for filling the interim CIO role.
