Release:
Calvin Rhodes to Leave After a Decade as Georgia CIO
JUNE 10, 2021
Georgia Chief Information Officer and Georgia Technology Authority Executive Director Calvin Rhodes recently announced that he is leaving his post, effective June 30. The longest serving active state CIO in the nation, he has served in the role since 2011.
“It has been my great privilege to serve the state of Georgia and lead the Georgia Technology Authority for the past 10 years,” Mr. Rhodes said. “I have been surrounded by an exceptionally dedicated and skilled team who are motivated by their desire to transform government and better serve Georgians.”
Under Mr. Rhodes’ leadership, the state made significant strides in its use of technology. He successfully led the state’s public/private partnership to transform state government’s IT enterprise and evolved its service delivery model. Digital maturity and cybersecurity also have been strong emphases over the past decade. Mr. Rhodes directed GTA’s oversight of the construction of the Georgia Cyber Center in Augusta, which opened in July 2018. More recently, GTA has lent expertise and resources to the state’s broadband deployment initiative, particularly in development of the statewide interactive broadband map.
“Marty and I are grateful to Calvin Rhodes for his service as Chief Information Officer for our state,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “Under Calvin’s leadership, Georgia led the way in modernizing our technology to ensure that our data is secure and our state remains competitive. We wish him all the best in the future.”
The state has earned national recognition during Mr. Rhodes’ tenure. Georgia maintained an A grade, the highest ranking possible, in the 2020 Digital States Survey administered by the Center for Digital Government. In addition, Georgia was among the nation’s top three states in the survey’s leadership category. Georgia has consistently performed well in the biennial survey, also earning an A in 2018, up from an A- in 2014 and 2016.
Georgia has been a frequent finalist and winner in the National Association of Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) State IT Recognition Awards, most recently earning a first-place award in 2020 for Cyber Dawg, a GTA-led, multi-agency security exercise aimed at sharpening technical response to ransomware attacks.
Mr. Rhodes is a past officer of NASCIO and received the organization’s prestigious Decade of Leadership Award in 2020. He was named 2018 CIO of the Year ORBIE Award for the nonprofit/public sector by the Georgia CIO Leadership Association. Computerworld named him a Premier 100 Technology Leader in 2016. In addition, Mr. Rhodes was selected by Government Technology as one of the nation’s Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers for 2016.
