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Texas Department of Agriculture Names Tech Veteran Bunton as CIO

The new chief information officer will replace Bruce Hermes, who stepped down from the position in June.

A large machine cutting down gold stalks in a field.
The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) has named Chris Bunton, a veteran technologist and longtime public-sector employee, as the agency’s new chief information officer.

Bunton’s first day as CIO was Aug. 28, according to a TDA spokesperson. He replaces Bruce Hermes, the agency’s former CIO who held the role from February 2021 to June 2023.

Most recently, Bunton was director of infrastructure services and interim chief information security officer for the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). According to a TWC spokesperson, his last day with the agency was Aug. 25.

Before working with TWC, Bunton was director of infrastructure operations for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.

As director, he served on the agency’s transformation medical services delivery team, implemented key system critical monitoring, managed 12 IT sites statewide for state-supported living centers and directed a team of 80 employees supporting nearly 17,000 end users.

Prior to that, Bunton held various public- and private-sector jobs, including serving as an adjunct professor at Austin Community College; an infrastructure director and information security officer for the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services; an IT infrastructure manager for the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles; a manager for the Texas Department of Transportation; and an IT manager for Motorola.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer and information sciences and support services from St. Edward’s University and his certifications include Certified Data Management Professional.
Katya Maruri is an Orlando-based e.Republic staff writer. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in global strategic communications from Florida International University.