Earlier this month, I was happy to be welcomed back to the Department of FI$Cal (FI$Cal) in a new capacity. From 2015-2021, I was the chief information officer at FI$Cal and now, in my new role as chief deputy director, I am excited to continue to build on the hard work of the department.
For more than 30 years, I have been in the public and private sectors in business and technology leadership roles. For the past decade, I have worked for the state of California, first as the state chief enterprise architect at the California Department of Technology, then as chief information officer at FI$Cal and the Department of Housing and Community Development. During this time, I have been privileged to work with many passionate people on a number of business and technology solutions, which have given me valuable insights that I am eager to bring to my new role.
In September 2022, with the passage of Assembly Bill 156, the FI$Cal project was formally deemed complete and a road map of activities was outlined for the coming years. I plan to bring my experience planning, executing and completing statewide IT projects to help FI$Cal achieve the goals outlined in AB 156, as well as work on the ongoing initiatives and projects of the department. Throughout my career, I have been tasked with working on transformational projects, whether it be mid-size projects, or large-scale projects such as FI$Cal. These opportunities have required an ability to understand issues, identify priorities and ultimately provide solutions to a wide array of needs with a dedication to customer service.
As we move forward, the road map set forth in recent legislation gives us a laser focus on our future activities and will allow us to build on the work we’ve already been doing for the past few years. Among this work, I am excited to continue:
- Providing world-class customer service by developing resources that focus on aiding end users, so they can close their books on time.
- Onboarding departments as quickly and as smoothly as possible.
- Improving the system through functional enhancements and technological innovations to make sure the system continues to serve the evolving needs of state departments effectively and efficiently, while ensuring the system remains modern over time.
- Prioritizing security by implementing Cal-Secure initiatives to ensure we are providing industrial strength security and availability of the system.
- Working with the State Controller’s Office to support them on their Book of Record integration.
When it comes to success, it has been said that preparation is magic. In our stride to achieve success for our end users, partners and the people of California, we are well-positioned to accomplish these goals. With the foundation of technology, well-established processes and collaboration, and with our staff who are already hard at work, we are in an excellent position to continue to serve the 152 departments already using FI$Cal and the departments we will onboard in the future.
We are at an exciting juncture as a department, and working on these and other initiatives for a system of this scale is a unique challenge. I am looking forward to meeting that challenge along with our FI$Cal team and partners. Above all, I am happy to come home to this department. I am here to do all I can to help FI$Cal continue to be the best place to work and to continue to provide outstanding customer service and support to the departments we serve.
