North Dakota appoints former epidemiologist as chief data officer

North Dakota Information Technology, the state’s technology bureau, announced Tuesday that Kimberly Weis, its former director of data and analytics, will serve as the state’s chief data officer.

Weis will be responsible for driving innovation, enhancing efficiency and achieving “better outcomes” for stakeholders, according to a department press release.

“When I started my career in epidemiology nearly 22 years ago, I was passionately committed to the mission of advancing public health goals,” Weis said in the press release. “As my career progressed, I found myself being evermore drawn to data and the value it can provide to improving not just health, but the overall well-being of North Dakotans.”

Weis worked as an epidemiologist for the state’s Department of Health in 2004 after starting her career in genetic epidemiology at the University of Minnesota. Weis also served as a research analyst and later a assistant director on the North Dakota Department of Human Services data analytics team.

“We are thrilled to announce Kim Weis as our new chief data officer. Kim’s expertise and passion for harnessing the power of data to drive insight align seamlessly with NDIT’s mission,” North Dakota CIO Kuldip Mohanty said in the release. “Her leadership will play a pivotal role in steering our data initiatives to new heights, driving innovation, and ensuring that data remains a cornerstone in our mission to empower, improve, and inspire success across the state.”