DIR Reshapes Leadership Team Under New CIO

Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) Executive Director and state CIO Tony Sauerhoff has announced a series of leadership appointments and organizational changes that formalize his senior team and reshape several top roles at the agency.

The announcement touches multiple leadership posts, including deputy executive director, chief of staff and deputy CIO.

Josh Godbey has moved into the deputy executive director role after serving four years as DIR’s general counsel. Before joining the agency in 2022, Godbey spent more than 14 years at the Texas Attorney General’s Office, where he held roles including assistant attorney general, senior attorney for financial litigation, deputy division chief and division chief in the Financial Litigation and Charitable Trusts Division.

John Hoffman has been named deputy CIO following the transfer of Steve Pier, who most recently held both the deputy executive director and deputy CIO posts. Hoffman has been with DIR for nearly 16 years, including earlier service as assistant director and division director for Communication Technology Services, interim state CIO in 2020 and deputy state CIO and chief technology officer from late 2020 to late 2025. Before joining DIR, he held senior telecommunications and program management roles in the private sector. Hoffman will retain his title of chief technology officer.

Brittney Booth Paylor now serves as chief of staff after most recently working as chief public affairs officer. Her background includes communications, government relations and legislative work both inside and outside state government. She joined DIR in December 2020 as director of media and government relations, later serving as director of public affairs and then chief public affairs officer. Before that, she was director of government relations at the Office of the Texas Attorney General and previously worked in lobbying, legislative and journalism roles.

DIR also named Jennie Hoelscher general counsel while she retains her role as chief privacy officer. Michelle Romero now serves as deputy general counsel. Jenny Jackson, chief compliance and risk officer, has joined the executive leadership team as a permanent member. Marie Simonds will become chief financial officer, bringing what DIR described as almost three decades of experience in financial strategy, organizational management and large-scale technology implementation.

“As we look to the future of technology in Texas, these leadership changes ensure that DIR remains aligned, focused and best positioned to deliver on our priorities as an agency,” Sauerhoff said in the announcement. “DIR is committed to operating with clarity and efficiency to continue supporting how Texas serves Texans.”