Tracy Barnes, Indiana CIO During COVID, Will Step Down

Indiana Chief Information Officer Tracy Barnes will leave his role with the state in January after more than four years of service.

Barnes was appointed Indiana CIO in March 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic after having served as chief of staff for the state’s lieutenant governor and supported creation of the Indiana Broadband Office. Before that, he had worked as the president and CEO of the computer consulting services firm ENTAP Inc. for more than 10 years.

The CIO was recognized last year as one of Government Technology’s Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers, not only for advancing state-level modernization efforts, but those at the local government level within Indiana as well. During the four years he has been with the state, his technology strategy has impacted cybersecurity initiatives, workforce strategies and human-centered design, among other things.

“Within weeks of being named to the position, he and his staff implemented steps nearly overnight to keep the state of Indiana operating during the pandemic as well as developing long-term policy critical to state government operational security,” Gov. Eric Holcomb said in a statement.

Barnes’ final day in the position will be Jan. 10.

His departure is not completely unexpected, as transitions in gubernatorial leadership — especially those with a political party transition — often lead to CIOs stepping down or being replaced. With Indiana preparing for Gov.-elect Mike Braun to take the reins from Holcomb, some leadership changes were expected.

In the state’s announcement, officials touted the Indiana Office of Technology’s (IOT) progress under Barnes’ leadership, including implementing cybersecurity protections across state and local governments. The agency created its first earn-and-learn program to reskill individuals into technology careers. IOT increased the number of digital services on the state’s single sign-on platform, Access Indiana, to 150. The office also led development of a centralized public records access portal and delivered on a multicloud strategy.

“Tracy has truly taken our state technology infrastructure efforts to the Next Level and brought solutions to growing cybersecurity issues at all levels of government,” Holcomb said in a statement, referencing his own Next Level Agenda.

A spokesperson for the state was not immediately available to respond to a request for comment.