Catherine Kendall, chief information officer of nearly three years at the state Department of Conservation (DOC), stepped down in February, sources confirmed to Techwire. Her exit, after about two years and six months in the position, returned Kendall to the same private-sector company she left in August 2016 to join the state.
Her last day as CIO was Feb. 15, DOC Media Relations Manager Don Drysdale told Techwire on Wednesday. Also on Feb. 15, Wendy Weaver, a data processing manager III, was named acting CIO, Drysdale said via email.
DOC is “actively seeking” Kendall’s replacement, Drysdale said, and has posted a job listing on CalCareers that closes Thursday.
Kendall has rejoined KAI Partners Inc. of Sacramento, where she had been director of delivery for more than five years before becoming Conservation CIO. She is now service delivery director, the company confirmed. The company offers management consulting and technology services to public- and private-sector clients in Northern California and elsewhere, per its website. In a statement, Kendall said the missions of the California Natural Resources Agency and the DOC, one of its departments, “aligned well” with her own values.
”Working for the state was an invaluable opportunity to see firsthand the unique challenges that public-sector managers and executives face. I encourage other experienced IT professionals to serve the state as it is not only a great learning experience, it is also the opportunity to support state IT professionals and provide them with new and creative ideas for service delivery,” Kendall said. She indicated she’d always planned to return to KAI Partners but is now able to do so with “much greater appreciation and sensitivity to the needs of state IT managers and executives.”
“I look forward to continuing to serve the state in my new position at KAI Partners,” she added. In her biographical information on DOC’s website, the agency pointed out she had consulted with state clients before becoming CIO.
Also in a statement, KAI President and CEO David Kendall pointed out that Catherine Kendall had been able to leverage “her considerable private-sector experience” at the state to create lasting stakeholder value within and without government.
“Catherine had an insider's perspective on the significant challenges facing a public sector CIO. Her experience — especially where she was not as successful as she had hoped — will be invaluable insight in her service delivery director role as she continues to serve the state of California in her new capacity,” David Kendall said.
In the CIO job listing, the state highlighted DOC’s wide portfolio and asked readers about their interest in joining the agency that oversees “operations of land conservation, mining, earthquakes; and oil and gas regulations” for the state programs described as “vital to California's public safety, environment and economy.”
“The services DOC provides are designed to balance today's needs with tomorrow's obligations by fostering the wise use and conservation of energy, land and mineral resources,” the listing said.
Duties, DOC said in the job description, include offering advice relative to “infrastructure, web, network and desktop services” consistent with the state IT governance model; policy advice to the Division Director, Department of Finance, legislative staff and execs on “technically complex state-of-the-art technology issues; developing, implementing and maintaining “sensitive scientific and other electronic data” per schedules and regulations; and ensuring IT standards are developed reviewed and updated as necessary.
The position’s duty statement describes it as 40 percent “general management” including designing and establishing DOC’s IT organizational structure to meet IT goals; 30 percent tech operations including setting IT and telecommunications objectives; 20 percent business advocacy including standing up an IT steering committee to “prioritize IT investments and projects”; and 10 percent “marginal functions” such as directing maintenance and enhancement of existing GIS programs and development of an agency-wide GIS data repository.
