While state CIOs come in all shapes and sizes, it was interesting that the last two CIOs we interviewed on Federal News Network have both been IT leaders at universities prior to their state appointment.

Tim Bottenfield made the longest journey, traveling over 2,000 miles from Auburn University in Alabama to his post as Montana CIO in Helena, appointed by Gov. Steve Bullock in 2018. However, what really caught my eye was the fact that Bottenfield’s primary background prior to his IT career involved a far different field, or so I thought.

By John Thomas Flynn