March 25, 2021 – The California CIO Public Sector Academy Awards added a new twist this year—a Hall of Fame category.
Between 2020 and early 2021, the California government technology scene saw many changes. It witnessed the tremendous role technology played in slowing the spread of the pandemic. It also saw the retirements of several veteran government tech leaders. At the March 25 virtual CIO Academy awards ceremony, three were inducted into the CIO Academy Hall of Fame.
Ellen Ishimoto
Ellen Ishimoto’s career spanned 36 years—all in state government. She spent thirty of those years in the IT field, including seven years as CIO for the California State Lottery. She held various leadership roles at the Department of Transportation and the Teale Data Center and served as chair of the State of California Enterprise Architecture Committee.
Following Richard Roger’s appointment as deputy state CIO, Ellen stepped in to fill the roles of acting state chief technology officer and acting deputy director for the Office of Technology. She served for nearly two years until retiring at the end of 2020. Like Rogers, she works as a retired annuitant at CDT.
Andrew Armani
Andrew Armani retired in mid-2020 after 30 years of technology innovation. His accomplishments set a high bar for government technology that will be tough to match. He was instrumental in creating the Information Technology Executive Council (ITEC), the governing body used today. The CIO Academy was his brainchild and a good example of his innovative thinking. His last position was as an Agency Information Officer for not one but two large state entities—Government Operations Agency and Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency.
Today, Andrew is a founder and partner in Sacramento-based AnSuTech Consulting.
Richard Rogers
Many consider Richard Rogers a pioneer after he followed his father and two brothers into state service. That was just the first step in his 35-year career. Gov. Jerry Brown’s appointment made him the state’s first-ever chief technology officer, and his final appointment by Gov. Gavin Newsom as deputy state CIO and chief deputy of CDT vaulted him to the highest office held by any Black technology leader in California.
Richard worked to educate, train, and motivate future technology leaders through public speaking, participation in CDT’s academies, and participation in its mentoring program. He continues to be a strong proponent of workforce diversity. Retired in February 2021, he works for CDT as a retired annuitant and remains one of the state’s best technology assets.