NASCIO gives ‘technology champion’ award to website designer

The National Association of State Chief Information Officers on Tuesday awarded Justin Devero, the web modernization manager for the State of Oklahoma, with the 2024 Technology Champion Award for his work on redesigning the state’s website.

The new site, Oklahoma.gov, provides access to all state government services, including housing, financial assistance, digital driver’s license applications and fishing permits, among others. According to NASCIO, Devero’s office migrated more than 90 state agency websites and 30,000 webpages into the new platform, centralizing web content across desktop and mobile devices for greater accessibility for Oklahomans.

“As states strive to keep up with today’s digital-first landscape, Justin’s efforts serve as a prime example that a successful approach is not built bureaucratically, but rather with citizen experience at the core,” said David Stroth, vice president of state and local sales at Adobe, who nominated Devero for the award.

Stroth also described Devero as a “visionary leader whose pioneering spirit has been a catalyst for the state’s digital transformation journey.”

With the Technology Champion award, first created in 2003, NASCIO says it aims to recognize officials who make outsized contributions to public sector technology.

Oklahoma CIO Joe McIntosh said Devero “has been instrumental” in his efforts to provide state residents consistent citizen-centric digital experiences.

“His commitment to delivering trusted and streamlined services has been pivotal in transforming how the state interacts with its citizens,” McIntosh said. “I am immensely proud of Justin and his team’s efforts in revolutionizing our digital landscape and setting new benchmarks for public service in the technology realm.”