California Gov. Gavin Newsom has named Christopher Given the director of the Department of Technology, subject to approval of the state Senate.
Separately, the Department of Technology said that Given has been appointed the state’s chief information officer (CIO).
He is succeeding Liana Bailey-Crimmins in both positions. She announced retirement plans earlier this year.
Given will bring plenty of direct state and federal government experience to the new jobs.
He has served as deputy secretary for technology and innovation at the California Government Operations Agency since 2025.
Given is a longstanding federal government tech leader, including as a digital services expert with the U.S. Digital Service over several years spanning 2016 to 2024.
From 2024 to 2025, he was the Direct File product lead at the IRS.
“I look forward to working alongside dedicated technologists and leaders across the state to deliver services that raise the bar for what Californians expect from government,” Given said as part of the Department of Technology’s social media announcement of his appointment as state CIO.
