DENVER, Feb. 17, 2026 — The Colorado Governor’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) is proud to announce that Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Jill Fraser and Enterprise Applications Manager Brandon Archuleta have been named finalists for the 2026 APEX Awards presented by the Colorado Technology Association (CTA). The APEX Awards celebrate the individuals and organizations driving the Colorado tech industry forward, recognizing those who set the standard for excellence in technology and innovation.
Jill Fraser is nominated for Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of the Year for fundamentally transforming the State of Colorado's IT security program from an obstacle into a trusted partner that actively enables mission delivery. Her leadership is rooted in a clear strategy of service, trust and transparency. She aligns people, processes and technology to reduce risk and achieve measurable enterprise value.
Fraser prioritizes customer-focused service by listening to and iterating with state agencies while fostering a culture of trust and accountability within her team. Through these partnerships, she helped agencies reduce costs associated with changing requirements and implemented streamlined processes to lessen customer burden.
Brandon Archuleta is a finalist for the Emerging Leader of the Year award, which honors technology professionals ages 21 to 40 who make significant contributions to their organizations and show great potential for leadership. Archuleta oversees the modernization of Colorado’s statewide child welfare systems, including the Trails system and the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD).
Archuleta is recognized for his technical and operational achievements. Notably, he accelerated the modernization of the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) within one year, overcoming six years of stagnation. He also automated vulnerability-reporting pipelines, achieving a 95% or higher remediation rate for the program-wide critical vulnerabilities. Beyond technical results, Archuleta serves as a lead mentor for OIT’s Apprenticeship Program, partnering with ActivateWork to build inclusive career pathways for underrepresented professionals in the public sector.
The winners will be announced at the 2026 Colorado Tech Summit + APEX Awards on Wednesday, Feb.18, at the Grand Hyatt Denver.