New Colorado CIO, Leroy Williams- First priority is completing telecommunications backbone

Colorado’s technology czar, John Hansen, has resigned his Cabinet-level post to accept a CEO job for an out-of-state company, Gov. Bill Owens announced.

By Roger Fillion, Rocky Mountain News

http://www.insidedenver.com/drmn/business/article/0,1299,DRMN_4_2519700,00.html

Owens named Leroy Williams, the state’s chief information officer, to replace Hansen as Colorado’s technology secretary.

Hansen couldn’t be reached for comment. It wasn’t immediately known what company he will be heading. Hansen has served in Colorado state government for three years and became technology secretary in July.

"John Hansen will be missed," said John Raeder, CEO of Denver-based IQNavigator, a business software company. "He reached out to the entrepreneurial community."

Williams, 38, was appointed CIO last year and has sought to move many government functions to the Internet.

That way, for example, hunters and anglers could get licenses online, and consumers could do the title process for a new car electronically from the dealership.

Williams said in an interview that his top priority is capitalizing on Colorado’s recently completed high-speed data and telecommunications backbone, known as the Multi-Use Network. He also wants to expand the network to allow more users to take advantage of it.

"We’ve got to get that infrastructure built out," Williams said.

[email protected] or 303-892-2467