South Dakota governor promotes tech chief to CIO

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem on Tuesday named Madhu Gottumukkala, the state’s recently appointed chief technology officer, as the state’s new chief information officer and commissioner of the South Dakota Bureau of Information and Telecommunications.

Gottumukkala, whom Noem named as CTO last month, now replaces Jeffrey Clines, who had served as South Dakota’s CIO since 2020. Clines recently accepted a role as the CIO of Wyoming, which he’s slated to begin on Monday.

Before joining the South Dakota state government, Gottumukkala held various private sector IT roles, most recently serving as senior director of IT for business solutions at Sanford Health. He currently serves on an advisory committee for the College of Business and Information Systems at Dakota State University.

According to the governor’s announcement, Gottumukkala will officially start in the state CIO role on Monday.

“I’m deeply grateful to Governor Noem for the trust placed in me and eager to make a meaningful impact by driving innovative and secure technology solutions across our state,” Gottumukkala said in the announcement. “I look forward to working closely with our government and communities to enhance our digital infrastructure, empower our citizens, and build a stronger, more connected future for all South Dakotans.”

In her announcement, Noem called Gottumukkala “the right person” for the job.

“He will focus on putting our citizens first, protecting their data, and helping all of state government serve the people of South Dakota,” she said.