Retiring Tennessee CIO says she treasures the teamwork in state government

When Stephanie Dedmon departs state government at the end of the month, she won’t be thinking about legacy modernization or cybersecurity. She’ll be thinking about her team.

“We’ve worked hard to build an inclusive culture that is a positive work environment, where people feel like they are empowered and trusted and encouraged to be innovative and to do good things,” Dedmon said. “I’m proud of that positive culture that we created.”

Dedmon, whose last day with the state will be June 30, has spent the last several months overlapping with and training her successor, Kristin Darby, to ensure a seamless transition. (Dedmon had a similar transition period with her predecessor, Mark Bengel, who retired in 2018.) 

“I think she’s going to be well prepared,” Dedmon said. “She has great experience, and I think she’ll continue to lead our state forward and do great things.”

As Dedmon reflected on her time in Tennessee, she called out how landmark events, like the COVID-19 pandemic, tornado disaster response and other crises pulled her team together and enabled them to do better work for residents.

“Those events, while absolutely horrific, have a way of bringing you closer and making you proud of what your team does and how everybody comes together,” she said. “Those are moments that stand out to me. Twenty years went by very quickly …  but I’ve been so blessed with many roles and great opportunities.”