Governor Gary R. Herbert announced today he has selected Mark VanOrden to serve as Executive Director of the Department of Technology Services and the state’s Chief Information Officer. VanOrden has been serving as the acting Executive Director, and was chosen to permanently fill the position for his exemplary leadership and his notable skills in information technology.

Governor Herbert had this to say of Utah’s new CIO: “I asked Mark to step in and lead the Department of Technology Services during a difficult time and he did so with great effectiveness. I trust he will continue to lead our state to a new level in transparency and government access. Utah.gov has won more than 100 awards, and provides more than 1,000 state services. Mark will continue that innovation for years to come. ”

VanOrden first began working as a programmer for the State of Utah in 1982 at what was then called the Department of Employment Services. Since then, he has implemented a number of projects for job services and unemployment case management applications.

In 2006 Mark was appointed as the IT Director for the Department of Workforce Services, where he managed a staff of more than 120 people and a budget of more than $30 million.

“I am very honored to be selected by Governor Herbert to serve in his cabinet as the Chief Information Officer,” VanOrden said. “Any success I have experienced in the past 30 years as a state employee is a result of being part of great teams made up of talented and committed people.”