DENVER - Governor Jared Polis announced today that Colorado’s Chief Information Officer and executive director Dr. Theresa Szczurek will be departing from her post at the Governor’s Office of Information Technology on September 4, 2020. Szczurek was appointed by Polis in January 2019.
“We can’t thank Theresa enough for her work to advance the state’s IT culture and enhance virtual access to government services in Colorado. She dedicated herself to improving customer satisfaction and ensuring that these essential services are delivered effectively and efficiently to Coloradans,” said Governor Polis. “Theresa has also been critical in helping the state leverage IT to weather the impacts of the COVID-19 global pandemic. We wish her the best as she takes the next step in her career.”
“The opportunity to serve Colorado has been an extremely rewarding and meaningful journey. Information technology is essential to many state services. It has been an honor and privilege to work on behalf of the Governor and his administration as a catalyst for change, side-by-side with my team of employees who are passionately committed to serving the people in this beautiful state we call home. I came in to pursue a passionate purpose, did what needed to be done, and now am ready to move on to the next opportunity,” Szczurek said.
The Governor’s Office will begin the search for this Cabinet-level replacement immediately. Anthony Neal-Graves, Colorado Broadband Office Executive Director and OIT Chief Operations Officer, will serve as Interim CIO. Neal-Graves has been with the State of Colorado since March 2017, and his knowledge and expertise will ensure continuity at OIT during the search for Szczurek’s replacement.
Szczurek, who was one of the few female state CIOs in the nation and recently received the first-ever 2020 Colorado CIO of the Year® ORBIE® Award in the public sector category, led digital transformation in the state with the launch of the historic Colorado Digital IDTM in the myColoradoTM mobile app. Szczurek was instrumental in working with the Colorado Department of Revenue on the Sales and Use Tax Simplification (SUTS) system, launched in May 2020 ahead of schedule and under budget.
Szczurek also led numerous IT initiatives to quickly support pandemic response efforts, including ensuring network and application continuity for a largely remote state workforce, keeping essential state systems operational - and building new ones, and equipping COVID-19 Alternate Care Sites with IT systems. Szczurek, a technology entrepreneur and role model for female leaders, is a senior global executive and strategist who has served in leadership roles with various organizations and boards of directors.