Former U.S. House CIO tapped to run Virginia’s IT agency

Nelson Moe, the former chief information officer for the U.S. House of Representatives, will start as Virginia’s new CIO on June 8, according to a release from the governor’s office.

Moe will work toward modernizing the state’s information technology program, the release said.

In his new position, Moe will pull from his experience in the House, where he worked to develop an overarching IT vision, grow enterprise strategic planning processes and establish tighter cybersecurity operations. As U.S. House CIO, Moe was responsible for providing IT services and project management for House members, leadership, committees and staff, according to the release.

Moe left his job in the House in April after serving the chamber for more than 10 years — 3 1/2 as CIO. Since his departure, he advised several small IT and cybersecurity companies on service development. Moe also contributed to the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology and the Government Technology Research Alliance.

Before his job in the House, Moe worked in the private sector for several IT startups and small companies, and also served in the Navy as an officer on a nuclear submarine.

Moe replaces former state CIO and current Chief Administrative Officer for the Virginia State Corporation Commission Sam Nixon, who left the post in early March. Since Nixon’s departure, Eric Link, the Virginia Information Technologies Agency’s executive director of legal and legislative services, had been serving as interim CIO.

According to VITA, Link will return to that position once Moe starts.

In a statement, Gov. Terry McAuliffe called Moe a “high-energy, results-driven information technology executive with a track record of leadership in a variety of roles throughout his career.”

One of Moe’s top challenges will be figuring out what to do when the state’s contract with Northrop Grumman Corp. expires in 2019, Nixon told StateScoop in March. Currently Northrop Grumman provides the state with a variety of IT services.

“This outsourcing arrangement was the right thing to do, but it was back in the brick-and-mortar era,” Nixon said. “We need to look at what the right IT sourcing model for Virginia will be toward the end of this partnership.” The original agreement was penned nearly 10 years ago.

Moe comes to the job amid a major cybersecurity push from the governor’s office. Earlier this year, McAuliffe announced the creation of the first state information sharing and analysis organization, and, earlier this month, the governor unveiled a public-private partnership to address smart vehicle cybersecurity.

Moe said in a statement that it was a “distinct privilege” to be selected as the CIO for Virginia.

“I look forward to being part of the Commonwealth’s team and serving the citizens of this great state,” Moe said.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch first reported Moe’s appointment as the new state CIO.