Oregon's tech titans in government, State Chief Information Officer Terrence Woods, and his right-hand, Deputy State CIO Jennifer Bjerke, have snagged top honors in the StateScoop 50 Awards. Woods was named State Executive of the Year, while Bjerke took home the State Leadership of the Year Award, placing them amongst the echelons of go-getters who've made public service more than just a job.
These accolades aren't handouts. They're earned. The StateScoop 50 Awards, going strong for 11 years now, recognizes those who don't just show up to their government IT desks but those who transform them into launchpads for innovation and effectiveness. Woods and Bjerke were picked from a pile of hundreds nominated for these coveted spots, according to the State of Oregon Department of Administrative Services.
Behind the hardware and code, it's people like Woods and Bjerke who keep the wheels of progress turning in the Beaver State. Appointed as State CIO and Director of EIS back in 2018, Woods has a treasure chest of experience—over 20 years in leadership. He's been the mastermind behind several strategic masterpieces such as the publication of the EIS 2023-2026 Strategic Framework Version 2.0 and spearheading Oregon's Data Strategy to throw open the doors for the state's potential.
Meanwhile, Bjerke, who stepped up as Deputy CIO also in 2018 after proving her mettle as State Strategic Technology Director, has been pivotal in cutting through red tape to deliver swifter, more modern services to Oregonians. Woods himself commended her, saying, “With Deputy Bjerke’s leadership, we are making progress on our goals to streamline state government and modernize our systems to better serve Oregonians. It’s an honor that we were both awarded for our collective efforts,” as shared by the State of Oregon Department of Administrative Services.
The full roster of this year's StateScoop 50 winners is up for anyone's eyes on the StateScoop website. They'll even be doling out interviews with the winners in the days to come, giving a peek into the minds of those reshaping the digital landscape of state governance.
