Virginia Welcomes New Chief Data Officer with Big Plans

Pfeil, appointed by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin in April, is just the second particular person to carry the title of chief information officer within the state. He succeeds Carlos Rivero, who left the job final November.

“Whereas it might be a brand new title right here in state authorities, CDO has existed within the non-public sector for a really very long time. And very similar to non-public business, we’ve information in all places all through our surroundings with quite a lot of stakeholders and businesses,” Pfeil says. “It’s crucial that we set up widespread methods to leverage all of this information to facilitate clever decision-making processes.”

Pfeil’s Non-public Sector Background Ready Him for the Public Sector

Pfeil describes the function of CDO as not solely a technologist, but additionally a catalyst for change and somebody who will need to have good communication abilities to drive that change.

That is Pfeil’s first foray into authorities work following almost 30 years within the non-public sector. Most not too long ago, he was vp and managing director of information safety and governance on the monetary providers firm OneMain Monetary. He has additionally labored as chief architect for TechDemocracy and as CISO for MFS Funding Administration and Pioneer Investments. 

EXPLORE: Virginia nonprofits and personal corporations are compiling safety finest practices.

When requested how his earlier experiences within the non-public sector ready him for his new place as CDO, Pfeil says it wasn’t an awesome leap as a result of data safety is especially information safety and governance, with basic ideas that span all sectors and industries.

“A few of the advantages of getting monetary sector expertise translate nicely right here, resembling range of information stakeholders and the complexity of information attributable to totally different functions and outcomes,” he says. “Simply as in monetary providers, many individuals do not perceive the worth of some information they work with outdoors of the fast context of what they use it for. This usually creates obstacles to sharing it. We’re hoping to vary that.”

Information Sharing and Analytics Are High Priorities for the New CDO

As StateScoop reviews, the Virginia Workplace of Information Governance and Analytics has helped legislation enforcement and well being authorities observe patterns and developments, together with the monitoring of opioid overdoses. The ODGA additionally helped monitor COVID-19 outbreaks and enact mitigation measures.

Pfeil highlights the Virginia Open Information Portal, a collaborative undertaking of ODGA and the Library of Virginia to develop entry to state information. The portal permits customers to see tales and dashboards, create visualizations, filter information and import it into different methods utilizing utility programming interfaces.

“Safe and applicable information sharing is prime to the success of our society as a result of data helps engagement,” ODGA’s web site states. “Commonwealth information is a strategic asset that when leveraged, can drive innovation, enhance high quality of life, and promote financial progress.”

DIVE DEEPER: How leaders are sharing information and breaking down information silos to enhance providers.

DataSAGE, Virginia’s Safe Analytics and Governance Surroundings, launched in 2020, is one other instance, with greater than 1,400 information methods that maintain open and restricted information property, together with de-identified information in addition to personally identifiable data. DataSAGE is the technical implementation of the Commonwealth Information Belief, which then-CDO Rivero described to Forbes as “a protected, safe and legally compliant data sharing atmosphere that establishes constant necessities for belief members by a standardized information sharing settlement course of.”

Pfeil additionally factors to the Commonwealth of Virginia Enterprise Reporting Answer, a “value-added element to taking part within the Commonwealth Information Belief that gives Commonwealth businesses the infrastructure, system lifecycle administration providers and human sources wanted to handle the deployment and consumption of enterprise intelligence merchandise.”

CoVERS permits businesses to publish the enterprise intelligence merchandise they want with out having to develop and handle their very own digital infrastructure, which frees them to deal with serving residents, Pfeil says.

Trying forward, Pfeil’s targets for the CDO workplace are easy: “Execute on what we do nicely and alter what we do not. Proceed to construct consensus and belief between businesses, in addition to with my workplace. Help the place we will, and make a change for the higher.”