DENVER – Governor’s Office of Information Technology Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Executive Director Anthony Neal-Graves was selected as the APEX Awards 2021 Advocate of the Year. Hosted by the Colorado Technology Association for its 20th year, this award recognizes the exceptional individual who is making a real difference in advancing the technology industry in Colorado and through their leadership are helping to ensure our state’s status as a prominent tech hub - now and in the future.
After decades in leadership roles at Intel Corporation, Lucent Technologies, AT&T, and AT&T Bell Laboratories, Neal-Graves was appointed by Gov. John Hickenlooper in 2017 to lead the newly formed Colorado Broadband Office within OIT. During his tenure as Executive Director of the Broadband Office, Neal-Graves established key partnerships in the Colorado General Assembly that enabled the successful bipartisan legislation in 2018 to fund the Broadband Grant Program with over $115 million. In November 2020, Gov. Jared Polis appointed Neal-Graves as CIO and Executive Director to lead a diverse organization that is transforming IT in state government to support agency partners and benefit Colorado residents.
Neal-Graves said, “It is an honor to be chosen for this prestigious award. Our vibrant technology community benefits all industries, and all Coloradans. My mission while working for the state has been to influence policies and garner support to expand Colorado’s technology landscape so that our communities may continue to thrive.”
Awards were presented last evening during a virtual APEX Awards Ceremony.