Indiana data chief Josh Martin to step down
Josh Martin, Indiana’s chief data officer and executive director of the Indiana Management Performance Hub, last week announced on LinkedIn he’ll leave his role before Gov.-elect Mike Braun takes office on Jan. 13.
Martin joins state Chief Information Officer Tracy Barnes, who last month announced he will also leave his role before Braun is sworn into office. Martin was appointed to the permanent chief data officer role in 2020 after a year of serving as interim CDO. Prior to that, Martin served roles as the Management Performance Hub’s chief of staff and program director within Indiana’s Office of Management and Budget. He joined the state’s government in 2012.
As the state’s data lead, Martin in 2021 kickstarted Indiana’s data proficiency program, an in-house training program for state employees interested in becoming proficient in data management. Martin said in 2023 that more than 1,800 state employees had taken the program and earned badges in data literacy.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, which was at its peak around when Martin was promoted to the full-time CDO role in 2020, Martin told StateScoop that “for 70 straight days” his office helped state agencies share data with the governor and other officials so they could make decisions about business closures and mask mandates.
“It’s been an incredible honor to serve the people of Indiana, working alongside a talented team to advance data-driven governance and improve outcomes for Hoosiers. I’m immensely proud of the progress we’ve made, including establishing the Indiana Management Performance Hub, developing Indiana’s first statewide data strategy, and fostering a culture of data literacy across state government,” Martin wrote on LinkedIn. “I’m particularly grateful for the opportunity to have led the state’s data response to the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring data-informed decision-making during a critical time.”
Braun last month named Pete Miller as his pick for the new executive director of the Management Performance Hub. The announcement, which contained 20 Cabinet selections, did not say if Miller will also fill the chief data officer role.
