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Darby, an independent director with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati and previously the CIO for HarmonyCares, according to the state, will start work with the Tennessee Division of Strategic Technology Solutions (STS) March 31. HarmonyCares provides in-home clinical care and hospice care for some 70,000 patients in 15 states.
In December, Dedmon, state CIO since October 2018, announced she would retire in July. A veteran executive, she served as deputy CIO for nearly three years before being elevated to the lead role, and worked alongside then-CIO Mark Bengel on a consolidation that followed a reclassification of state IT jobs. With the consolidation in its final stage, Dedmon was recognized in March 2018 as one of Government Technology’s Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers.
Darby brings a blend of financial and technical expertise to the position of CIO, likely her first role in state government. Previously, she has served as enterprise CIO for Envision Healthcare; and as CIO for Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Tenet Healthcare, and the Risk Management Foundation of the Harvard Medical Institutions, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) Commissioner Jim Bryson announced her appointment Monday via news release. STS, with 1,157 employees, reports to Bryson, according to DFA communications.
“I look forward to working closely with Kristin as she continues to make significant strides in technology innovation and service delivery for our state,” the commissioner said in the release. “She brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record for success in transformative and strategic technology leadership.”
During the transition, Dedmon said the incoming state CIO will be briefed on all STS projects in progress.
“Over the next few months, Kristin and I will collaborate closely to ensure a smooth and effective transition as Kristin steps into her new state leadership role, and I will prepare to retire on June 30,” Dedmon said via email.
In recent years, Tennessee’s IT division has modernized state unemployment insurance, offender management and child welfare, enhanced cybersecurity, taken state services to the cloud, and moved digital accessibility forward. STS employees support residents, state agencies and state employees.
Darby holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and management information systems from the University of South Florida, and a master’s of business administration from Henley Business School in England. She is a certified public accountant and a certified fraud examiner.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated with a comment from state CIO Stephanie Dedmon.
