Arkansas

Arkansas’ New Information Services Director Is State Veteran

Published

1 year ago

March 7, 2025

Arkansas’ New Information Services Director Is State Veteran

Arkansas has named a new leader for its state Division of Information Services (DIS), making their relationship official after roughly one year.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has named Jay Harton, a veteran of state service, as the division’s director, the Department of Transformation and Shared Services announced Friday. Harton stepped in as interim director in February 2024, and previously spent nine years as DIS’ chief operating officer (COO).

“Jay’s leadership has been essential in implementing Arkansas Forward and ensuring Arkansans are safe as modern technology advances, and I look forward to his continued leadership as the head of the Division of Information Systems,” Sanders said in a statement.

Harton replaces Jonathan Askins, who served as DIS director from June 2021 to February 2024, according to LinkedIn. His title then was chief technology officer (CTO); according to state code, the director also serves as CTO.

The division is part of Arkansas’ Department of Transformation and Shared Services, which was created in 2019 to consolidate more than 42 state agencies into 15 departments. DIS is responsible for IT products and solutions — alongside cybersecurity — for state agencies, public schools, cities, counties and public safety organizations. Arkansas Forward, which the governor referenced, is the state’s plan to improve IT administration across the state, improve customer experience, reduce cyber risk, and trim up to $130 million in annual costs.

“I am honored to assume the role of director for DIS,” Harton said in a statement. “I am grateful to Gov. Sanders for this opportunity to continue serving the great state of Arkansas alongside the dedicated professionals at DIS.”

As COO, Harton managed the division’s daily operations and strategic initiatives. As division director of Enterprise Solutions starting in April 2013, he oversaw strategic technology, improvements and operational enhancements; as a manager, he oversaw Windows systems support. He has around 29 years in Arkansas state government service.

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Arkansas

Arkansas Governor joins national A.I. workforce initiative

Published

7 hours ago

June 25, 2026

Press Room

Arkansas Governor joins national A.I. workforce initiative

LITTLE ROCK, AR (KATV) — Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has joined a new national artificial intelligence initiative that launched Thursday, June 25.

RAISE US, started by former Governor Eric Holcomb of Indiana and Gina Raimondo, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce is a nonpartisan national organization that will partner with governors, employers, workers and training organizations to help the workforce transition to an AI economy.

“As artificial intelligence transforms America’s economy, we have one clear message: technology should empower people, not replace them. By leveraging our Arkansas LAUNCH initiative, and with the resources and expertise provided by RAISE US, Arkansas will turn that mission into reality. We want the Natural State to be a leader on education, workforce training, and up-skilling, and this new partnership gives us the tools we need to build a model for the entire nation.”

The organization will design and pilot incentives to retrain workers, new approaches to support job transitions, and training models tied to employer demand.

RAISE US launches with more than two dozen American companies and philanthropies and initial state partnerships in Connecticut, Maryland and Utah.

“America has a technology strategy for leading the global AI competition. It does not yet have a people strategy — and we cannot lead without one,” Raimondo, who will serve as CEO of RAISE US, said.

“If we build the best AI systems in the world and leave millions of Americans behind, we won’t have won anything; we’ll have automated our own decline. I believe AI will create new jobs and industries over time, but the transition could be disruptive, and it’s already underway. We shouldn’t fearmonger, but we can’t pretend our training and worker support systems are ready either. It’s time for innovative and practical solutions. This moment demands ambition, urgency, and creativity. We’ve assembled the country’s top companies, best economists, and bipartisan governors at a scale rarely seen — all to advance new ideas and incentives, pilot them with governors and business, and scale what works.”

Governor Sanders is partnering with RAISE US to support Arkansas LAUNCH, an AI-powered career navigation platform that connects students and jobseekers to personalized learning and employer-linked career pathways.

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