South Dakota IT Leader Jeff Clines Named Wyoming State CIO

The state of Wyoming has found its next CIO, in South Dakota.

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon has appointed Jeff Clines — who has served as South Dakota CIO since April 2020 — as the new chief information officer of the Department of Enterprise Technology Services. His appointment, Gordon’s office said in a news release, is effective Sept. 9, a little more than three weeks away.

Clines will step in for state CISO Aaron Roberts, who has been doing double duty as interim CIO since April, when then-Interim CIO TR Sheehan departed.

“In this era of persistent cybersecurity threats, it is imperative that our state’s technology remain up-to-date and that we competently address cybersecurity challenges in order for our state government to function effectively,” Gordon said in a statement.

Prior to joining South Dakota as CIO and commissioner for the Bureau of Information and Telecommunications, Clines was director of IT for the Illinois Secretary of State. Before that, he served as director of Enterprise Applications for the American Heart Association in Dallas, Texas.

“I am thrilled to join Wyoming’s ETS team,” Clines, who has roughly 25 years’ experience in technology, said in a statement. “I eagerly anticipate collaborating with this talented group, and the leadership across state agencies, as we work together to serve Wyoming citizens.”

Clines entered IT in Texas after earning an associate degree in applied sciences, with studies in computer information technology, according to LinkedIn.