Pennsylvania’s CIO, CTO step down

Pennsylvania’s two top technology officials stepped down from their roles on Friday.

As first reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer, State Chief Information Officer Amaya Capellan and Chief Technology Officer Brian Andrews have departed their roles for unspecified reasons. In a post on LinkedIn on Friday, Capellan said “leadership and I agreed that this was the right time for a transition.”

The rest of her boilerplate statement references her work strengthening the state’s network and security, her “deep respect and appreciation for … public servants” and the “incredible privilege” of working for the state over the last two years.

Capellan, who did not respond to a request for comment, took the state CIO role in 2013, leaving a role at Comcast where she helped launch its Xfinity App and the Xfinity Mobile wireless service. She also did stints at the professional services firm Booz & Company and the ad agency FCB Global.

Upon taking the role, she told this publication that she wanted to “clear blockers that get in people’s way and make their jobs hard.”

While attending a technology conference this year, she flagged progress on several projects, including at the Commonwealth Office of Digital Experience, or CODE PA. That office led a project measuring the time savings that ChatGPT was bringing to state employees. Gov. Josh Shapiro claimed last March the chatbot was saving employees an average of eight hours of toil per week.

Capellan also pointed to projects that consolidated dozens of websites and streamlined processes for procuring new technology products.

Bryanna Pardoe, who’s been leading CODE PA, is now serving as the state’s interim CTO, the Inquirer reported. A spokesperson from the governor’s office said it does not comment on personnel matters.