Katy Coba, DAS Director and State COO

It’s hard to believe another year is quickly coming to an end! We have accomplished a lot over the past year, from improving debt collection and enhancing sustainability efforts to streamlining the recruitment process and rolling out a succession planning strategy. You will see in this edition, we are preparing for some big things just ahead: the implementation of pay equity in January, legislative session beginning January 22, and the launch of our new HR information system, Workday, in February (just to name a few).

While I am looking forward to these big efforts, I also want to reflect on this past year and what makes being DAS Director and State COO so rewarding for me, and that is our staff. Across state government, our staff come to work every day to serve the public and make our state better. So I want to say thank you to them – it is a pleasure to work with you.

You have probably heard the Governor has appointed Terrence Woods as State Chief Information Officer. Terrence has served as Interim State CIO since early 2018, and the Governor’s choice speaks volumes about his performance, integrity and vision. I am looking forward to Terrence’s continued leadership and our collaborative work.

-Katy

We are proud to introduce our permanent State CIO – Terrence Woods – after serving as interim State CIO since April 2018. Woods has worked for the state for over 18 years and has served in many different capacities. He brings a leadership style that we are excited about, and his vision aligns with Governor Brown’s to serve Oregonians through user-friendly, reliable and secure state technology systems.

Woods has a passion for cultivating strong teams, and he takes great pride in his staff. He has an ability to help people find their niche, all the while challenging them and also watching them thrive. Under Woods’ leadership – and in alignment with Governor Brown’s vision – the Office of the State CIO is looking forward to making progress on initiatives that improve our systems and create value.

Fun fact about Woods: He is an outdoor enthusiast and, when he gets the opportunity, his two favorite outdoor activities are camping and letting loose on an ATV. 

Thank you for the opportunity to introduce our State CIO, and we look forward to collaborating with you in the future.   

You can reach Terrence Woods at 503-378-5644.

Adam Crawford joined DAS Oct. 1, 2018, as the agency’s Government Relations Director. In this new role, he is DAS’ primary point of contact for members of the Legislature, their staff, agency legislative coordinators, and local and tribal government partners.

Crawford came from the Legislature where he served as a legislative analyst for a range of policy committees including Marijuana Regulation, General Government, Economic Development and Trade, and ending in House Rules.

“I have had the privilege of listening, understanding and working through policy issues with both republican and democratic legislators,” Crawford said. “I am excited to bring that same problem-solving outlook to my work at DAS. Thank you to everyone who has helped get me up to speed! With the legislative session starting earlier than normal on January 22, learning the operations and policies of DAS is my first priority.”

You can reach Adam Crawford at 971-707-8106.

For several years, State Geospatial Information Officer (GIO) Cy Smith worked with members of congress, other state GIOs, and a variety of geospatial stakeholders in crafting language and advocating for the Geospatial Data Act (GDA) of 2018. After significant effort, the GDA was signed into law in October 2018; it will lead to better coordination and sharing of geospatial data among the federal government, local and state authorities, the private sector, and academia.

Smith worked with Oregon Senators Wyden and Merkley’s staff to get their co-sponsorship of the bill in early 2017. Since that time, Smith worked closely with Senator Hatch (Utah) and Senator Warner’s (Massachusetts) offices to craft language changes that would ensure the support of geospatial stakeholders across the country. He also enlisted the help of other state GIOs to promote support among other key members of congress.

This law is important for Oregon because it directs federal agencies to work with state and local governments to develop the National Spatial Data Infrastructure, and because it provides congressional oversight to make sure that happens. This ultimately means that more federal funds will flow to state and local governments to build framework data that they can all use.

Smith recently received a letter from Senator Hatch, thanking him for the significant role he played in helping to craft, negotiate, advance, and advocate for the GDA. Senator Hatch named Smith as a key contributor to the crafting of the GDA and noted that they couldn’t have enacted this legislation (which will “meaningfully help our nation”) without him.

In fall 2018, the DAS Sustainability Program published a final report, culminating a year-long effort to survey staff and leadership across all agencies on the topic of sustainability. The project was a collaborative effort among the Oregon Sustainability Board (OSB), the Governor’s Natural Resource Office, the DAS Sustainability Program and the Interagency Sustainability Coordinators Network. The survey received over 1,500 responses from leadership and staff across state government. It asked key questions that will guide upcoming sustainability initiatives and strengthen existing agency sustainability programs.

Results indicated both leadership and staff strongly support sustainability efforts – from paid staff time for sustainability to specific efforts such as resource conservation. Based on the findings, DAS and the OSB created16 recommended actions, from increasing training/communication specific to climate literacy to developing decision support tools that help agencies integrate sustainability into plans and programs.

The final report can be found on the OSB website. Questions or comments can be emailed to the DAS Sustainability Program.