Shannon Smith has been appointed as the new chief technology officer for the City of Seattle, with her tenure set to begin on June 8. This decision was confirmed by a city representative, although it has not been publicly announced yet.
Currently, Smith serves as a director at CAI, where she focuses on assisting U.S. cities and counties with strategic initiatives and tech operations. She has over a decade of experience in technology roles within Seattle’s government agencies, having previously worked as a senior IT manager for the City of Seattle from 2014 to 2017.
In her role as chief of staff for the CIO at King County for more than five years, Smith managed enterprise technology investments and played a crucial role in the COVID-19 response for Seattle and King County Public Health. She will oversee an organization comprising 633 employees and handle a significant operating budget of $280 million, alongside a capital budget of $20 million.
The search for a new CTO began in March following Rob Lloyd's departure, who left to lead the Center for Digital Government. The CTO position is vital, as it involves establishing the vision and strategy for Seattle's information technology resources.