Alabama appoints first IT secretary
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Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley announced Monday the appointment of Brunson White as secretary of information technology, a role he will assume immediately.
“Brunson will be given a tremendous responsibility to streamline the state’s information technology and help us improve efficiency across state government,” Governor Bentley said in a prepared statement. “His experience makes him ideal for this position. He’s been responsible for major information technology projects. He’s a proven leader in project management. He will be able to take the skills that made him successful in business and apply them to improving efficiency in state agencies. Brunson will help us organize I.T. to make it more efficient, to save taxpayer dollars and to make it more secure.”
White previously worked for Energen Corporation in Birmingham for 33 years, where he recently retired as senior vice president. While there, he oversaw approximately $100 million in information technology projects.
“For too long, the state’s I.T. structure has been decentralized, and that has resulted in a lack of overall efficiency,” White said. “We can correct that. We can ensure that more I.T. systems are compatible between state agencies. We can optimize the state’s I.T. resources. This will help our agencies run more efficiently while also benefitting taxpayers and state employees alike.”
In March, Governor Bentley signed into law a bill that created the new IT secretary position responsible for taking the lead on IT procurement consolidation and implementation across all state agencies.