By Secretary Carlos Ramos, California Technology Agency
Secretary Carlos Ramos, California Technology Agency
As laid out in our 2012 IT Strategic Plan, the California Technology Agency is committed to adding value to State government through leadership, streamlining operations, focusing our oversight efforts on ensuring success, and providing tools and systems that make a difference in the lives of Californians.
One vital focus to our efforts to ensure IT success in California is streamlining and rationalizing the State’s IT policy and project lifecycle framework. The Technology Agency has implemented an initiative, collaborating among 15 department and agency CIOs to reduce bureaucracy without compromising due diligence and to increase the success of IT projects and their business outcomes.
To date, the initiative has accomplished several successful changes designed to streamline our operations and ensure that the Technology Agency asks only for information that will use, and that the information is collected in the most effective way possible. The group continues to work to streamline a variety of processes affecting departments and projects, and in the next year plans to revise the entire project lifecycle from concept through completion. By streamlining the IT project lifecycle to make more components reusable, reducing review points and focusing on outcomes that matter to project owners, we expect to improve the success of projects and increase the value IT adds to Californians.
Having exceptional staff is another key aspect to implementing the State’s IT strategic plan, and in that regard I would like to highlight three recently hired staff in critical positions brought on to ensure we have the services, infrastructure, and workforce needed to succeed in the future.
Ron Hughes and Jeff Uyeda, recently appointed as the Director and Chief Deputy Director of OTech (respectively) bring a wealth of knowledge and experience that will help propel the data center to be a world class operation and provider of choice to State and local governments.
Ron brings a combination of private sector experience and a deep understanding of California government and our technology environment with over 20 years of experience in the design, operation and construction of national and international data centers. Jeff has a great deal of experience in technology and a deep knowledge of the administrative workings of government with over 30 years of experience in California State government and the private sector. Combined, these two will help ensure that OTech provides the services needed to keep California running as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Another key to the strategic vision for California IT is recruiting and retaining a dynamic workforce to support the ever changing demands of IT. With this in mind, I have created the Agency’s first ever Office of Professional Development, focused on ensuring that we have the skilled workforce we need to meet the challenges ahead. For this critical position, Kari Gutierrez will serve as Assistant Secretary, bringing extensive IT experience to the position having served the State of California for 33 years in various technical and management positions.
As the Secretary of the California Technology Agency, I am committed to ensuring that our IT program produces the best outcomes for Californians. With our strong leadership team and a focus on efficiency, I am certain that IT will continue to provide real value to State government and to all Californians.
