Vermont CIO Shawn Nailor to Retire

Vermont CIO and Secretary of the Agency of Digital Services (ADS) Shawn Nailor is retiring at the end of June, the governor announced today. ADS Deputy Secretary Denise Reilly-Hughes will replace him in an interim capacity.

Nailor has been with ADS for most of the agency’s history. Vermont created the organization in April 2017, to replace the state Department of Information and Innovation. Nailor became the ADS deputy secretary just a few months later in August — a role he held for five years until he was tapped to take the lead. He became interim ADS secretary and state CIO in September 2022, before being formally appointed in January.

That tenure saw Nailor support ADS through its early years and through significant hurdles.

“His experience and work ethic proved valuable as we established the new Agency of Digital Services, and as we faced unforeseen challenges brought by the pandemic, which increased our reliance on digital solutions,” Vermont Gov. Phil Scott said in a statement.

Nailor had a long track record with Vermont state government that began with the Agency of Transportation (AOT). He worked first in engineering, then IT with AOT. His efforts would include assisting with response to 2011 Tropic Storm Irene by developing a crisis reporting map that helped first responders and residents stay informed about open roads.
Incoming Interim CIO Reilly-Hughes became ADS deputy secretary in January, at the same time Nailor was appointed permanent CIO. She came to the public sector after more than 20 years in technology in the private sector. Her background includes experience with “licensing contracts, technology strategy, customer success and executive leadership,” and she was one of the partners helping Vermont transition its workplace environment to the cloud, the state said.