The Governor's Office issued a press release today announcing the new CIO. There's also a story in the Deseret News. The choice is Val Oveson.

I've known that Val was going to get the nod for some time. Val's not as technical as some of the possible contenders, but he brings with him a wealth of government service, as you can tell from reading the press release. The Governor has told me several times that he's not after a course correction, but someone to push the existing program forward and follow-up on my recommendations. Given that, I think Val is a great choice because he knows well how to navigate the dark maze of government. He'll have a great chance at implementing the plan and making it work. One of the biggest agenda items in the next few months is legislative changes to the CIO statute.

I have known Val for over a year and he's been involved in a few projects, including credit card and electronic payment issues. He's been very helpful and easy to work with. I had a long meeting with him last week and plan to meet with him again in the future as he gets up to speed. I'm anxious that he succeed because I think the Governor's vision of breaking down silos is the right one for eGovernment and homeland security.