NYDOCSUBMIT.COM - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Chief Information Officer
• State 's Chief Information Officer ( CIO )

Angelo "Tony" Riddick was named the state's Chief Information Officer (CIO) in December 2020, and now leads the office of Information Technology Services (ITS). He comes to ITS with extraordinary credentials. Most recently, Tony served as the Chief Information Officer and Director of the Bureau of Information Technology for the U.S. Virgin Islands. He has an extensive and diverse background in information technology in both the public and private sectors. Tony is also a retired US Army Colonel with more than 30 years of active military service. COL(R) Riddick (Tony) received numerous military and civilian awards including the Army Legion of Merit, numerous joint and army meritorious, commendation and achievement medals. He was awarded the coveted Army Ranger Tab, Airborne Wings and Combat Action Badge for combat service in Iraq. In addition, Tony was awarded the StateScoop State Employee of the Year award for his efforts in disaster recovery when he spearheaded the effort to standup communications resources after the devastating category 5 storms that ravaged the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. In 2022, Tony was named the StateScoop GoldenGov State Executive of the Year. He holds an associate degree in business from Marion Military Institute, a Bachelor of Business Administration from Albany State University and a Master of Quality Systems Management with the National Graduate School of Falmouth, Massachusetts.

Job Titles:

• Chief Information Security Officer
• Director of NYS ITS Cyber Command
• New York 's Chief Information Security Officer ( CISO )

Chris DeSain has served as New York's Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) since June 2022. In this position, Chris and his team are responsible for monitoring and maintaining the security of the state's information systems and data from cyber intrusion and attack. Chris brings 24 years of valuable experience in the cybersecurity field to the role, including nearly 20 years in leadership positions across New York State government. He recently served as the Director for the Office of Counter Terrorism Cyber Incident Response team under the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES). Earlier in his career, he helped build the New York State Police (NYSP) cyber program, crafted the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) regulations, and became the first civilian CJIS Information Security Officer in the nation. During a previous tenure as Director of NYS ITS Cyber Command, Chris formed the "Red Team" and established proactive threat response to ensure timely remediation of potential threats and vulnerabilities.

Job Titles:

• Deputy Chief Information Officer for Operations

Jennifer Lorenz has more than 20 years of experience as a leader and operational manager of information technology systems. She now serves as the Deputy Chief Information Officer for Operations at NYS ITS. In this role, Jenn oversees day-to-day operations and is responsible for governing the framework for introducing new systems, programs and technologies to New York State agencies, as well as ensuring alignment between IT, client business strategies and financial objectives. Before assuming the Deputy CIO role, Jenn led the NYS ITS Chief Portfolio Office. Her technical expertise has led to numerous service improvements and statewide technology transformation efforts. She is a results-oriented leader who advocates for leveraging technology to solve business problems and create process efficiencies.

Job Titles:

• Chief
• General Counsel
• Chief General Counsel to NYS ITS
• Key Member of the NYS ITS Leadership Team

Marcy S. Stevens, has served as Chief General Counsel to NYS ITS since January 2020. In this role, she is the chief legal and policy officer for the agency and is responsible for all legal matters pertaining to and affecting NYS ITS, as well as in its capacity as a statewide service provider. Marcy has been with the agency since 2016, previously serving as ITS Deputy Counsel and Director of Litigation & eDiscovery. Marcy has more than a decade of legal experience in the public and private sector. Prior to joining NYS, Marcy worked as a civil litigation attorney, most recently at a national law firm in the commercial and liability defense litigation practice, where she served as a member of the national eDiscovery triage team and represented corporate clients in high-exposure tort claims and employment matters. Marcy is a key member of the NYS ITS leadership team, as well as a respected resource across the state for her ability to bridge the gap between complicated legal and policy matters and their intersection with technology tools, information security and data privacy issues. Marcy holds a Juris Doctor (JD) and Master of Business Administration from Western New England University Schools of Law and Business, as well as a bachelor's degree from Syracuse University.

Job Titles:

• Chief Privacy Officer
• State 's First - Ever Chief Privacy Officer

Michele Jones is New York State's first-ever chief privacy officer. In this new capacity at NYS ITS, she is responsible for driving the state's strategy in protecting the personal and confidential data of New Yorkers amid a rise in digital service offerings and new data privacy laws and regulations. Prior to joining ITS, Michele served more than 10 years in various roles, including General Counsel and Deputy Director of Risk Management, as well as Compliance/Data Protection Officer for Capital Region BOCES, where she was a key member of the executive team. She also managed vendor engagements, developed information privacy and security awareness training, and spearheaded the campaign to shift BOCES culture towards data privacy and security awareness. Michele is a graduate of Albany Law School and holds a certificate in Human Resource Management from Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations.

Job Titles:

• Deputy Chief Information Officer for Technology / Chief Technology Officer
• State 's Chief Technology Officer ( CTO ) and Deputy Chief Information Officer

Rajiv Rao serves as the state's Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Deputy Chief Information Officer for Technology at NYS ITS. First named CTO in 2015, Rajiv is dedicated to advancing innovative solutions for agencies and the people of New York, as well as implementing the state's long-term technology roadmap. He is responsible for the building and operation of all core infrastructure standards, as well as exploring technology objectives that can deliver enormous value to NYS, such as containerization, data analytics, machine learning, rapid application development, robotic process automation, and artificial intelligence. He is also focused on delivering digitized services and modernizing the ecosystem that consumes digital services, citizens, and state employees. With more than 23 years of executive leadership experience, Rajiv has been with NYS ITS since its inception and was a key player in New York State's IT consolidation. In 2012, Rajiv was named chief architect for the design and build of the state's data center, a process which involved over 50 agencies, 180,000 desktops, 20,000 servers, and 1,500 miles of fiber network across the state. The data center is located in the largest zero-energy, multi-use facility in the world. Prior to joining NYS ITS, Rajiv worked for the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance. Rajiv was honored with the 2022 National Association of State Chief Information Officers' "Technology Champion Award," which recognizes one individual annually for outstanding leadership and contributions in the field of IT in the public sector and for promoting excellence in government. He was also named one of Government Technology's 2022 Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers. In 2021, Rajiv was presented with the Service to the Citizens State and Local Government Award, and appeared on City and State's statewide Telecommunications Power 50 list. In 2019, Rajiv was named Government Technology Magazine's New York State IT Leader of the Year for his exceptional leadership and contributions to public service in New York State, and he was also nominated for State Scoop's 2019 State Leadership of the Year Award. In 2018, he was the recipient of the National Association of the State Chief Information Officers' State Technology Innovator Award, which was established to recognize outstanding individuals who have made contributions that advance state technology policy agenda while promoting best practices, adopting new technologies, and advancing service delivery. Rajiv received the Championship Award for Data Center Engineering in 2015, State Scoop's 2014 Most Inspiring Newcomer Award, the Center for Digital Government's Best of NY Outstanding IT Service and Support Award in 2013 and Best of NY Green IT Award in 2012.

Job Titles:

• Chief Communications Officer
• Chief Communications Officer for NYS ITS

Scott Reif has served as Chief Communications Officer for NYS ITS since February 2020. In this role, he is responsible for all internal and external communications for the agency, as well as providing critical support to more than 50 client agencies. As a member of the Executive Team, he works directly with the agency's Chief Information Officer (CIO), Deputy CIO, General Counsel and others to operate an agency with more than 3000 employees. Prior to arriving at ITS, Scott served as Press Secretary and Chief Spokesperson for the New York State Senate Majority, before assuming the duties of Communications Director. For more than 12 years, Scott played a key role in the Senate in the development and execution of the chamber's legislative agenda, budget priorities and overall messaging. He handled media inquiries from local, state and national reporters, and he advised Senate members preparing for television interviews and floor debates. From 2002-07, Scott served as the Public Information Officer for the New York State Division of the Budget for five full budget cycles, overseeing open public leaders' meetings to enhance transparency and promote on-time budgets. Scott is a Central New York native and graduate of the State University of New York (SUNY) at Oswego, where he received a bachelor's degree in communications. He lives just outside of Albany.

Job Titles:

• Chief Portfolio Officer for NYS ITS

Stacy Panis has served as the Chief Portfolio Officer for NYS ITS since May of 2021. In this role, she is responsible for managing all the Chief Portfolio Office (CPO) teams that work directly with New York State agencies on their IT needs, as well as the Project Management Office and the Portfolio Governance and Strategy Unit. Stacy has nearly three decades of experience across a number of important NYS agencies, including the Department of Taxation and Finance, the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, and the Office of Mental Health. She joined ITS when it was created in 2012. Stacy received a Bachelor of Science from Syracuse University, where she completed a dual major in accounting and public relations. She was raised in Clifton Park and now resides in the town of Knox.

Job Titles:

• Chief Financial Officer
• Chief Financial Officer for NYS ITS

Stuart Poole has served as the Chief Financial Officer for NYS ITS since November 2021. In this role, he is responsible for preparing and managing the agency's overall budget, guiding vendor management, and overseeing administrative and other HR-related functions. Prior to joining ITS, Stuart spent 24 years with the New York State Division of the Budget (NYSDOB), where he held a wide variety of roles and amassed a wealth of experience in the following subject areas: operations, assistance to localities, public protection, special education, public assistance and information technology. He rose to Assistant Unit Chief before joining NYS ITS. Before his work with the State, Stuart was an airborne infantry soldier with the United States Army. He holds a master's degree in Public Administration from the Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy in Albany. Stuart has volunteered to assist African nations on best budget practices. He lives in New York State's Capital Region.