GRAND FORKS — No one may have been more surprised than Corey Mock when new North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong asked him to join the administration as the state’s chief information officer.

Mock, who for years served Grand Forks as a lawmaker representing the Democratic Party, is one of 12 Cabinet members the incoming Republican governor announced shortly after the November election.

Armstrong’s invitation to serve “was totally unexpected,” Mock said, noting that it came after his “difficult” decision in early 2024 to not seek a fifth term in the Legislature.

The appointment apparently raised eyebrows in some strongly partisan sectors, but Mock said he has gotten nothing but favorable responses.

“I’ve only received messages of congratulations, and that’s from Republicans, Democrats and independents alike. It’s been quite evident that everyone agrees this is a nonpartisan office — there are no Republican and Democratic computers.”

Regarding his appointment, “I never thought of the political side of it until after I’d read one of the first articles,” said Mock, who served on the state’s Information Technology Committee for 16 years in the Legislature. “To me, this has never been a partisan position.”

From his perspective, political ideology is the “last (consideration) in this role — or any role, really,” he said.

“I’m an institutionalist, and proud of it. If anything, during my time in the Legislature, I became known for being stubbornly independent and focused on solving underlying problems, versus being a champion for a specific solution.”

As head of NDIT, Mock said his top priorities will be to ensure that, as an agency, “we continue to provide exceptional service.”

Mock, who served from 2008 to 2024 in the North Dakota Legislature — eight years representing District 42 and eight years representing District 18 — is obviously proud of the strides NDIT has made.

“We are the most connected state in terms of broadband access in the country,” he said. “It is an incredible accomplishment that’s taken decades of hard work and something that we should all be proud of.”

Among the most pressing challenges NDIT faces are issues related to cybersecurity, Mock said.

“We are one of the leaders in having a whole-of-government cybersecurity protection. You never want to need it, but when there is an incident, it’s so helpful having consolidated expertise that can step in and assist really every level of government.

“And technology is rapidly changing,” he said. “Looking at this session, we’ve got AI (artificial intelligence). … We know that there’s going to be some investments needed in AI — and waiting two years is probably not an option.”

Former Gov. Doug Burgum earmarked $15 million in the budget for AI-related grants, said Mock, who, in addition to his legislative experience, has built a career as a Realtor and leadership consultant.

He sees NDIT’s role as “not just helping with the technical questions, but that we’re anticipating future needs,” he said, “and making sure that, as we bring new technology in and we start making some investments and improvements, that we’re doing it strategically …”

During the summer and early fall, Mock reached out to colleagues, including appropriations committee chairpersons, returning legislators and both gubernatorial candidates, offering his help with any of the larger budgets he had worked on. He took this action “recognizing that we’re going to have some turnover – if there was anything I could do to help him or his team in the transition to get brought up to speed on where the Legislature had been. …

“From my perspective, that’s how a lot of this began — just offering to be a resource to him and his transition team as they were heading into the legislative session,” Mock said.

In a conversation in mid-November, Armstrong asked about Mock’s plans after his term ended “and quickly pivoted to, ‘I want you to run IT for me,’” Mock recalled. “It was totally unexpected — a true, I’d say, stunning response. It kind of set me back on my heels a bit, not even thinking that was even in the cards.”

After mulling it over for a few days, “I called him back and said, ‘I don’t have a compelling reason to say no. I serve at the pleasure of the governor; if you want me to join your team, I would be honored.’”

The appointment “speaks so highly of Kelly Armstrong wanting to build the right team,” Mock said. “Kelly puts his trust in his team (and) wants to put the right people in the job and let them do their job.”

“I think it’s heartening to see an elected official on a party ballot, so someone who represents a major political party, to look past the labels and to put people on his team that he knows and trusts regardless of their own political affiliation,” he said.

The origin of North Dakota Information Technology can be traced to 1969, he said, when it – as Central Processing — was part of the Office of Management and Budget, Mock said. In 1999, as the result of an interim legislative study, it became a separate agency — and, with that, a chief information office position was created.

Mock, the state’s ninth chief information officer since 1999, said he expects to be “out in the public and working with our team members and our agency clients as frequently as possible. I think that’s going to help us better understand what we can do to help improve state government and make sure that we’re using our resources efficiently and effectively.”

He intends to gain a first-hand understanding of how the workflow operates, he said.

As for the possibility of moving his family to Bismarck — the Mocks have three young children — that is something the couple will consider after the legislative session ends in the spring, he said.

He and his wife will make the decision, Mock said, based on “what makes the most sense for them — and for us.”