Texas Government IT Sees Wave of Leadership Changes in 2025

Several Texas public agencies and municipalities saw changes in their top technology leadership during 2025, highlighting a period of transition across the state’s public-sector IT landscape.

In Dallas, Jeffrey Stovall was appointed as chief information officer, bringing more than a decade of public-sector IT leadership experience from Charlotte, N.C. Stovall is set to begin in January 2026, taking over from Bill Zielinski, who retired from public service in April 2024.

San Antonio’s longtime CIO, Craig Hopkins, also announced his intention to retire in early 2026 after leading the city’s IT department since 2017. Hopkins plans to remain through the transition to help onboard his successor. Under his leadership, the city’s IT portfolio grew to encompass more than 340 employees and a $330 million technology investment across over 40 departments.

Elsewhere, the city of Austin named Brian Gardner as its new deputy CIO. Gardner had previously served in several technology leadership positions with the city of Dallas, including interim CIO. He was credited with establishing Dallas’ first cyber fusion center and security operations center during his tenure.

In El Paso, Araceli Guerra was elevated to the position of deputy city manager. The city appointed Carolyn Patrick, a longtime employee in the IT department, as its next CIO.

At the state level, Casey Kennedy stepped down as CIO and director of information services for the Texas Office of Court Administration after 15 years in the role. Kennedy oversaw IT for the state judiciary, including support for the Supreme Court of Texas and numerous appellate courts. The agency has launched a search for his successor, who will serve as CIO and information resource manager for the state’s judicial system.

In addition to full CIO transitions, the year brought changes in key deputy roles. The Texas Department of Public Safety named John Kelley as deputy CIO and assistant chief of information technology. Kelley previously led infrastructure services at Texas Health and Human Services and has more than 20 years of IT experience in both the public and private sectors.

Meanwhile, Texas Health and Human Services expanded its IT leadership team with two new appointments: MacGregor Stephenson as chief deputy CIO and James Huang as deputy CIO of artificial intelligence. Stephenson transitioned into his role after serving as director of strategic operations within the agency, while Huang was promoted from his advisory position to lead AI initiatives beginning April 1.