State Chief Information Officer Amy Tong, who’s led the California Department of Technology for more than five years, is moving to a new executive role in state government at month’s end.
In a request for proposals, the California State Water Resources Control Board is calling for assistance in creating a new data system.
“Leaders of tech companies and government leaders are more committed to cybersecurity than I’ve ever seen. They are taking immediate steps, working to drive collaboration between government and industry, and I believe they have assembled the right team of security ‘rock stars’ to make it work,” writes Vitaliy Panych, California’s chief information security officer.
In a request for proposals, one of California’s best-known and most-used departments calls on IT vendors capable of helping it achieve a key part of an enterprise-level refresh.
The latest California Department of Technology Vendor Forum offered IT companies the latest word on current and upcoming procurements as well as ongoing IT work and process updates.
The section chief will oversee two key teams in addition to managing the budget, monitoring staff work and ensuring adherence to the strategic goals of the California Department of Technology.
The two chief positions — one for transformation and digital stabilization, the other for digital identity — are part of the growth promised by state Chief Technology Innovation Officer Rick Klau, who heads the Office of Enterprise Technology.
State Chief Information Officer Amy Tong and Chief Technology Officer Liana Bailey-Crimmins updated attendees Friday on several far-reaching IT projects and initiatives now underway. They spoke at the Techwire State of Technology California Industry Forum.
The state chief information officer will be moving next month to the Office of Digital Innovation, where she will serve as director, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office announced Wednesday.
The online event will feature remarks from the top leaders of the California Department of Technology, a discussion of the Cal-Secure cybersecurity road map, a review of 2021 and a look ahead to 2022, and a question-and-answer session for those in the industry.
Positions are available with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, the Secretary of State’s Office and the California Department of Veterans Affairs.
State departments with open tech positions include the California Department of Motor Vehicles, the Office of Systems Integration, the Department of Social Services, the Department of Technology and the State Water Resources Control Board.
“That’s my goal here — to take some of those things I did in the state of Utah and help others with their strategies on how they can do that,” Michael Hussey told Techwire.
The state has announced 18 broadband projects across California aimed at activating an “open-access middle-mile network” – and reflecting billions in federal funding.
The California Public Utilities Commission has been working to follow state Auditor Elaine Howle’s technology recommendations since 2015, and the auditor’s latest update, published this week, reports that it’s still a work in progress.
Departments seeking to fill key positions include the California Department of Aging, Covered California, the Employment Development Department and the California Department of Technology.
As part of Techwire’s ongoing efforts to inform readers about state agencies, their IT plans and initiatives, here’s the latest in our periodic series of interviews with departmental IT and cybersecurity leaders.
The California Department of Technology spent millions on IT goods last month, with its most expensive purchases going to a familiar vendor.
State technologists built many new tools in response to the pandemic, often on a tight timeline. Despite some early glitches, experts told CalMatters the state did an overall positive job given the circumstances.
“I have written or co-written several cybersecurity strategic plans over the years, and I think California’s approach is right on target. ... A proper cybersecurity plan should be viewed through the lens of Cal-Secure — as a road map that sets the stage for the future, and in government that means preparing for the people, processes and technology resources to carry out the mission,” writes Mark Weatherford, chief strategy officer for the National Cybersecurity Center.
Chinyere “Chi” Emodi has worked in IT leadership roles for the California Department of Technology, the Financial Information System for California and Los Rios Community College District. In her new role, she will also serve as deputy director for the Office of Statewide Project Delivery.
The California Department of Technology will award the competitive Technology Modernization Fund grants to state government entities that best meet a series of project criteria, including implementation within a year.
California currently has more than 100 different job openings posted on a state website that are all within the Information Technology Specialist I classification, and many of which can pay more than $100,000 annually.
Data curated by the state Department of General Services shows that agencies as a whole spent more on IT goods and services last November than in any other month since then.
The Legislative Analyst’s Office, which advises lawmakers, has reviewed several funding streams for broadband that have been made available by the federal government and codified in the state budget.
“My goal is to build automation of the infrastructure,” Shamal Siwan says, “to create the DevSecOps culture that is taking security requirements and putting that into a DevOps mindset where automation is the key to unite people, so that everybody follows the same process … so we can ship faster, better, and avoid outages.”
“I am hopeful this approach of condensing and aligning these prior efforts into Cal-Secure can succeed in maturing the state’s cybersecurity posture,” said Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, the Ventura County Democrat who chairs the Assembly’s Select Committee on Cybersecurity.
Candidates are sought by the California Employment Development Department, the Department of Motor Vehicles, the California Department of Public Health, the state Department of Justice and the California Department of Technology.
The state’s chief information officer, Amy Tong, took cover Thursday morning, along with cat Jelly, for the annual earthquake safety drill. This year, more than 7.5 million Californians took part in the preparedness exercise.
“Over the course of more than six years, Neeraj has been the face of the FI$Cal project,” Director Miriam Ingenito told Techwire. “He has spent countless hours working on developing and implementing the right solutions for the FI$Cal system; his accomplishments and contributions are innumerable.”
The chief information officer will direct and manage six IT programs: System Requirements and Testing, Application Services, Service Management and Support Services, Enterprise Services/Configuration Management, the Information Security Office, and the coordination of contracted staff.
The leadership courses and boot camps offered by the California Department of Technology’s Office of Professional Development, now offered virtually, have drawn more applicants from within state government as well as from counties and cities across California.
“I believe that FI$Cal will continue to push the envelope and lead the way for California government entities in the adoption and use of modern technologies, systems and practices,” says Miriam Ingenito, director of the Financial Information System for California.
The National Association of State Chief Information Officers recently honored people and projects that have demonstrated innovation in technology within the public sector, including from California.
The departments seek candidates for roles including principal platform engineer, project director, data and analytics manager, and section manager.
Techwire’s sister publication Government Technology does a deep dive into how the cyber landscape has evolved to an almost unrecognizable degree in the past 20 years. Here’s a look at recent history, an analysis of policy changes aimed at battling today’s threats, and a consideration of what the future may hold.
Positions in recruitment include an innovative design manager, an account director, a product lead and a procurement manager.
The California Department of Technology spent millions on IT goods last month, with some of its most expensive purchases being in the areas of hardware and support.
The veteran technologist has worked in the public and private sectors. Before joining Microsoft in 2014, he was with what’s now the California Department of Technology.
Thought leaders from industry, government and academia will gather online Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss the risks of cyber intrusion and ways the public and private sectors can work against those threats.
The manager will oversee the California Department of Technology’s data centers in Gold Run and Vacaville. The business analyst will work as a liaison between the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s lines of business and its IT operation.
Several bills signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom would provide funding for technology modernization and bring some additional oversight.
Entities with IT jobs in recruitment include the California Department of Technology, the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Employment Development Department, the California Department of Public Health and the Office of Systems Integration.
Miriam Ingenito will provide an update on what her department has been focused on in the past year, what’s on the front burner now, and what opportunities may lie ahead for those in the vendor community.
Requirements for the various positions include expertise in infrastructure and systems engineering, drones and data.
In a virtual Techwire Member Briefing, state Chief Technology Innovation Officer Rick Klau laid out his plans as his Office of Enterprise Technology moves to grow its staff by almost 50 percent.
The California Government Operations Agency is seeking an executive director and two staffers to spearhead the launch of the state’s new Cradle-to-Career Data System.
The Information Security Leadership Academy, one of four offered by the California Department of Technology’s Office of Professional Development, is designed to train and upgrade the skills of those working in the public sector.
The Best of California Awards during the California Virtual Digital Government Summit acknowledged high-achieving state IT officials and significant recent IT projects.
The new second in command in the state Office of Enterprise Technology, Phoebe Peronto of San Francisco, shares professional roots in the startup world with her new boss, state CTIO Rick Klau.
The position with the nation’s largest public pension fund has been open since February, when the former CISO, Liana Bailey-Crimmins, was appointed state chief technology officer and moved to the California Department of Technology.
The state Legislature sent several bills with potential significance to IT vendors to Gov. Gavin Newsom for a signature.
“If a state is interested in offering a service similar to what we launched in California, they can take our code, connect it to their own back end, and generate digital vaccine records for their residents,” writes Rick Klau, California's chief technology innovation officer.
In an Invitation for Bid, the California Department of Technology is seeking technology to assist the California Department of Conservation in enhancing how earthquake data is generated and reported.
Russ Nichols of the California Department of Technology will deliver a key address at the meeting of the Municipal Information Systems Association of California. The group’s president, Roseville CIO Hong Sae, will deliver his “State of the Association” address, as well.
“I’m thrilled to be joining CDT as the state’s first chief product officer,” Michael Cave said. “This is an outstanding opportunity to help both CDT and the state of California.”
Requirements for the position include a strong understanding of IT policy, information security, procurement, and enterprise architecture standards, and expert knowledge of principles of IT project management, approval and oversight processes for IT projects, and the Systems Development Life Cycle.
Rick Klau, California’s chief technology innovation officer, hit the ground running when he joined state government earlier this year. He’s been focused primarily on how the state can best use technology in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
The entity selected has a long history of working with state and local government to improve Internet access. Here, it will focus on “developing the fiber network, creating rural exchange points, and collaborating with the California Public Utilities Commission and Caltrans” on, generally, middle-mile broadband.
The agencies seeking applicants include the California Department of Technology, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
“I try to share with my staff that evidence of we are doing a great job is when we are invisible, and our coworkers get their job done seamlessly,” says Jorge Henneke, chief information officer for the California Conservation Corps.
“The state technology community holds Pam in high regard,” state Chief Information Officer Amy Tong told Techwire via email. “Throughout her career, she has taken on many difficult roles to advance California’s technology efforts. We welcome her appointment and look forward to her success.”
The California Department of Technology has spent more than $20 million on IT goods so far this month and made the majority of its top five most expensive purchases with the same vendor.
Individuals and teams in state government technology are eligible for the awards, which are given in a variety of areas. Nominations will be accepted until Sept. 17.
The Department of Water Resources is seeking an agency project management officer to serve the department and its parent entity, the California Natural Resources Agency. Separately, the California Department of Technology is recruiting for an assistant chief of its Acquisition and IT Program Management section.
The Department of Motor Vehicles, the California Department of Technology and Covered California are all seeking candidates with leadership experience.
The California Department of Technology has made gains in recent years, and it says a new funding mechanism for how the state pays for information security is expected to yield positive results.
State entities dealing with technology and public health are accepting applications for these executive- and senior-level positions.
The Office of Systems Integration and the California Department of Technology are seeking candidates for key positions in these specialized areas.
The Oct. 5-6 summit, according to the organizers, is designed “to gather and educate the entire spectrum of California’s cybersecurity professionals, whose job functions and expertise range from highly technical to executive.”
Many provisions from the proposed legislation – which centered on creating more efficient and transparent IT projects and systems – were included in a budget trailer bill that Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed into law.
Three linchpin state entities and departments are looking for four technology staff and specialists in areas with impact across the enterprise.
The California Department of Technology made fewer than five purchases of IT services in July – but spent in the mid-six figures, with most of it going toward just one initiative.
The state’s chief information security officer, Vitaliy Panych, offers his support for a new state funding model that ensures a better cybersecurity posture in the future.
Subbarao Mupparaju, an award-winning technology executive in the private and public sectors, has set his sights on new goals with a different state agency.
Positions in recruitment include a manager role with the California Environmental Protection Agency, a cyber analyst role with the California Department of Technology and three positions with the city of San Rafael.
The changes relate to the Project Approval Lifecycle, Special Project Reports and Post Implementation Evaluation Reports.
The California departments of Technology and Pesticide Regulation are looking for IT vendors to build an integrated, electronic tracking solution and will convene those interested early next week.
“Akamai’s outage impacted CAL FIRE and seven other state government websites,” California Department of Technology spokeswoman Amy Norris told The Sacramento Bee. The data resources provider was able to correct the problem, which it said was not the result of a cyber attack.
Departments with noteworthy tech openings include the departments of Technology, Public Health and Social Services.
The Emerging IT Leaders Boot Camp is open to members of the public-sector workforce who are currently serving in entry-level IT supervisory or managerial positions that wish to strengthen their leadership skills.
The entities are seeking a web developer, an IT manager, a release manager and an IT specialist.
One-time coronavirus fiscal recovery monies in the enacted Fiscal Year 2021-2022 California budget are dramatically increasing the state technology agency’s budget.
Desirable qualifications for the IT manager I position include the ability to anticipate and manage complex issues affecting many organizations, “including the ability to develop policy and integrate all aspects of a strategy to assure resolution of issues.”
“Subbarao has successfully led several technology improvement initiatives, and his efforts resulted in transforming FI$Cal ITD into one of the most efficient and capable IT teams in the state of California,” said FI$Cal Director Miriam Barcellona Ingenito. “He has positioned our IT division to support the system operations and enhancements, technology operations and upgrades, and continuous improvements to FI$Cal’s posture for years to come.”
“I’m getting ready to write at least a mid-five-figure check,” said board CIO Bill Glaholt. “I said, ‘Hold on. You’re telling me that for less than $1,000, I’m going to be able to ... build the thing that I want to, using your tool?’ Sign me up!”
The document, which summarizes the Legislature’s version of the new state budget, offers considerable detail on IT and innovation projects that lawmakers approved or denied.
“The IT Spec III will work with the Windows Service Areas to develop continuous integration/continuous delivery solutions, containerization, use of open-source solutions, and database optimization,” the job posting says. “The ITS III possesses extensive lT technical knowledge, which includes emerging ‘cutting-edge’ technologies.”
The California Student Aid Commission was a small department with a big problem: It needed a new grant management system, but didn’t have the money for a high-dollar “waterfall” venture. So its chief information officer broke the project into pieces and served as his own general contractor.
California still doesn’t have a complete 2021-2022 fiscal year state budget. But Gov. Gavin Newsom made much of it official Monday by signing a package of legislation – and also reached accord with lawmakers on a broadband budget trailer bill.
“By the time I got my second dose towards the end of [April],” writes state Chief Technology Innovation Officer Rick Klau, “my team ... was looking into how we could give Californians the option of having a digital vaccination record — one that is harder to misplace, and won’t get ripped, dog-eared or disappear in the wash.”
The California State Lottery and the departments of Health Care Services and Technology are recruiting for IT manager and procurement staffers.
The California Department of Technology has chosen John Cleveland, who’s been serving as manager of the Statewide Security Operations Center for the past two years.
The departments with open recruitments include the California Department of Technology, the State Controller’s Office, the California Department of Public Health and the Department of Health Care Services.
The California Department of Technology’s five most expensive purchases of IT services through Wednesday included COVID-19 and cloud-related offerings.
Months in the making, the new contract from the California departments of Technology and Parks and Recreation is expected to give state entities the chance to deploy new connectivity or bolster existing service.
The California Department of Technology’s five most costly purchases of IT goods through Thursday were all made with the same vendor and resulted in a nine-figure expense combined.
The responsibilities of these key roles include oversight for IT governance, portfolio support, project intake and infrastructure support.
At the recent California Department of Technology Vendor Forum, officials analyzed pending legislation with likely relevance for state and local IT shops and vendors.
Officials from the California Department of Technology and the Department of General Services shared the latest on current and upcoming IT and innovation projects at the CDT Vendor Forum.
The 16-year-plus California Department of Technology employee has been promoted to a position elsewhere in the department that will make use of his skills.
The departments with key recruitments include the California Department of Technology, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Office of Systems Integration and Covered California.
As the legislative session continues, lawmakers are scrutinizing several proposed bills on topics including “motor voter” registration, disclosure of security breaches and automation.
Planet Technologies and Microsoft were the vendors for the project, which allowed the state agency to make the transition easily. Lucky timing was also a factor.
The California Cybersecurity Industry Workgroup is collaborating with academia, state government and industry to broaden California students’ exposure to cybersecurity as a career path.
State Chief Information Officer Amy Tong will also speak at this month’s event about tech-related legislation and the California Department of Technology’s move to the Ziggurat building in West Sacramento.
The state agencies with key openings include those covering technology, utilities and transportation.
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation has submitted a Budget Change Proposal seeking funding to hire a vendor and design a new electronic pesticide tracking solution.
Steve Gordon, the Department of Motor Vehicles’ director, provided an update on ongoing technology work around a new platform, mobile drivers' licenses or identity cards, and Real ID work, as well as areas of potential future procurement.
The state Assembly Appropriations Committee placed numerous bills in suspense last week, halting their progress through the Legislature – but let a handful of technology legislation continue onward.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed 2021-2022 Fiscal Year state budget has grown to $267.8 billion in its May revision and could fund a variety of IT- and innovation-related projects.
The California Department of Technology’s top five most expensive purchases of IT goods in April totaled nearly $4 million and included devices, hardware and support.
The department is working with two technology providers to update how it engages on training and pricing, partially in response to state legislation.
A slate of broadband-related bills now before state legislative committees would bring more than $10 billion in funding to bear on closing the digital divide, and ensuring unserved and underserved areas get high-speed Internet.
The California Department of Technology’s five most expensive purchases of IT goods in March were more costly by comparison than in recent months and were made with the same vendor.
The California Department of Technology has submitted two budget change proposals that, if approved, could streamline how residents access online services and activate the next steps in updating a key site.
Assembly Bill 1323 from San Francisco Democrat David Chiu seeks to improve the state’s record on large, successful, cost-effective legacy IT modernizations. It cleared the state Assembly Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection on Thursday.
Two of the appointees are award-winning veterans of state government; the third is from the private sector. The appointments were announced Tuesday evening by the governor's office.
The California Department of Technology has issued an Invitation for Bid seeking “fully managed statewide rural broadband connectivity service” for government customers.
Stephanie Tom and Andrea Spears, two deputy directors in the California Department of Technology, both were named to continue in their leadership roles — Tom in Broadband and Digital Literacy, and Spears in the Office of Statewide Project Delivery.
The Blockchain Working Group altered timelines for two recent meetings in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The group will hear from tech officials at two major state agencies next week and consider a definition for the electronic ledger technology.
The goal is to have statewide WiFi and broadband connectivity across California's 280 state parks and 22 field districts.
During the premiere DMV Vendor Day, agency officials discussed with vendors how they hope to make the department more technologically modern and responsive to residents, less than a year before the federal Real ID deadline.
The solutions created by more than a dozen collaborating departments addressed everything from emergency response to hiring to the advent of cannabis regulation.
Upcoming Events
5 Ways to Automate Cyber Resilience and Close Identity Security Gaps: Webinar, May 7
We invite you to our semi-annual California Government Users Group on May 7th for a half-day session focused on Oracle technologies. This event provides:
