North Dakota governor appoints interim tech chief as CIO

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum on Thursday appointed Greg Hoffman, who’d been serving as the state’s interim chief information officer, as the state’s full-time CIO.

Hoffman, who served as deputy CIO beside former statewide CIO Kuldip Mohanty, served as Mohanty’s interim replacement after he resigned in May to spend more time with his family.

Before serving as deputy CIO, Hoffman spent eight years leading the North Dakota Information Technology’s administrative services division. According to a press release, he joined the state government in 2005 as a budget analyst.

“Greg possesses a deep understanding of NDIT’s operations and knows the importance of strong customer service. He collaborates with agency partners to deliver technology solutions to best serve North Dakota citizens,” Burgum said in the release. “We’re grateful for Greg’s nearly two decades of service. We look forward to his leadership of NDIT as it continues to prioritize customer service, employ emerging technologies such as AI, and enhance cybersecurity to ensure that citizen data entrusted to the state remains safe and secure.”

In the press release, Hoffman said he intends to focus on customer service, generative artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and improving government’s data literacy.

“Together with our talented team, we will continue to innovate and deliver technology solutions that best serve the citizens of North Dakota, ensuring their data is secure and their needs are met efficiently and effectively,” Hoffman said in the release.

As CIO, Hoffman presides over the state’s $275 million technology operating budget and 500 technology staff.

North Dakota Information Technology in January announced it had promoted Kimberly Weis, one of the state’s data and analytics directors, as statewide chief data officer. Weis, a former epidemiologist at the North Dakota Department of Health, has been tasked with ensuring that data is a key part of the state’s IT strategy.