After serving in various positions in the Office of Technology Services (OTech) over the years, starting in 1989 as a software specialist at the Health and Welfare Data Center, Mike Baker has been promoted to deputy director for operations. Among his duties, Baker is in charge of retiring outdated and unused technologies, as well as tenant managed services, the department’s service desk and its disaster recovery program. As the state’s main data center, OTech provides computing and networking services to state, local and federal agencies.
OTech Deputy Director Mike Baker Photo: Bill Foster, Techwire.net
Three California officials were among 13 individuals named "Local Innovation Champions of Change" by a White House award recognition program focused on innovation, reported Government Technology. Award recipients are those "who have committed themselves to creating a more open and innovative government through entrepreneurship," says the White House website.
The California champions are: Carolyn Hogg, chief information officer for the City of Fresno, Jay Nath, chief innovation officer for the City and County of San Francisco and Rob White, director of economic development for the City of Livermore.
Carolyn Hogg is working with the San Joaquin Valley Regional Broadband Consortium and other organizations to bring wireless broadband to rural areas to improve farming, distance learning and tele-health.
Rob White is the interim CEO of the i-GATE Innovation Hub, a broad super-regional partnership that is focused on Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories/CA as economic engines.
As the chief innovation officer for San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, Jay Nath is working with the technology community to help reinvent government in the digital age. According to the White House website, he has formed partnerships with sf.citi, Code For America and other institutions to create more open government and related new businesses.
Techwire correspondent Ashley Nelson has been hired as Senior Account Executive at Text 100, a global public relations firm. Nelson is based in San Francisco.
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Tech Moves keeps up with various open positions and new assignments of state and private-sector technology professionals around Sacramento and California. Please feel free to send your tips and suggestions to Elise Armitage at elise@techwire.net.
