Tyler Kleykamp, Director, State Chief Data Officers Network, Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation, Georgetown University

The Chief Data Officer (CDO) is a new role within state government, with Colorado being the first state to appoint a CDO in 2010. By 2016 there were approximately 10 state CDOs, and there are approximately 25 state CDOs or equivalent positions across the country today. States are recognizing that data is a strategic asset and they have great potential to unlock it for public good -- for example to integrate data to better serve high need safety net users or to respond more quickly to natural and public health disasters. As the role has grown, CDO responsibilities, reporting structures, authority, and resources vary state by state. Some state GIS offices report to the CDO while others work in partnership with them. 

This session will cover best practices for successful statewide data programs, how geospatial technologies and practitioners can partner with CDOs to support improving public policy and service delivery, especially as states begin to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.