Denver CIO’s role expanded to be city and county’s first CAIO
The City and County of Denver has expanded the role of CIO Suma Nallapati to be its first chief AI and information officer, overseeing the development and deployment of artificial intelligence across the government’s agencies.
Mayor Mike Johnston announced Monday that Nallapati will oversee the city’s strategy for scaling AI across various city and county functions, including internal service automation, permit reviews, emergency response, sustainable infrastructure and resident engagement.
Nallapati’s new title, Denver said in its release, reflects the government’s commitment to leveraging AI as “a responsible, resident-centered tool to improve public services and ensure technology serves all communities equitably and ethically.”
Nallapati has over 20 years of experience in technology leadership in both the public and private sectors, and previously served as the secretary of technology and CIO for the state of Colorado, and the chief digital officer of Dish Network. In her role as Denver’s CIO, Nallapati has launched several AI initiatives across the city and county government, including the Sunny chatbot and an effort to solicit AI solutions that could transform city operations and improve the resident experience.
As CAIO, Nallapati will focus on several key areas such as developing and implementing Denver’s AI strategy, including standards for governance and equity, and using transparency to build public trust by publishing dashboards and engaging with communities on the ethical use of AI.
“Denver is positioning itself as the nation’s most forward-thinking AI city,” Johnston said. “Suma has been a visionary leader in technology, and with this expanded role, she will ensure that AI is not only effective but also ethical, inclusive, and deeply human-centered. This is about more than just implementing technology; it’s about building public trust, closing opportunity gaps, and ensuring every Denverite has a voice in the future we’re building.”
Nallapati added: “AI is no longer just a tool — it’s a core capability for a more responsive, resilient, and resident-focused government. I am honored to lead this next chapter as we responsibly scale AI to improve lives, close equity gaps, and deliver smarter public services for every Denverite.”
The roles of several top technology officials at the state and local level over the last few years have been expanded to include AI duties. Nikhil Deshpande, who originally served as Georgia’s chief digital officer, took on an added role as the state’s chief AI officer in 2023, and Josiah Raiche was named to lead Vermont’s combined data and AI teams as the state’s chief data and AI officer in March of 2024.
