Herndon, VA, Dec. 19, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This week, the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) and The Chief Data Officer (CDO), for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Carlos Rivero announced the success of eight Data Governance Town Halls throughout the Commonwealth. Launched in August of this year, these town halls were designed to create a dialogue between state, locality, and community stakeholders on the benefits of data governance, sharing, analytics, catalogs, and data talent development.
“These town halls allow our officials to better understand how to utilize the data assets they have to best benefit our citizens.” Dr. Keyanna Conner, Secretary of Administration, Commonwealth of Virginia.
During the data town halls, Rivero initiated discussions around the FAACT Initiative (Framework for Addiction Analysis and Community Transformation) to demonstrate the value data governance, sharing, analytics, and intelligence can bring to communities in need. The FAACT Initiative, currently active in Winchester and Roanoke, was designed to provide state, locality, and community leaders with the data and decision-support tools needed to address the multi-dimensional issues associated with addiction, opioids, and substance use disorder.
“Each town hall has been a source of inspiration through the diversity of participants, their thought-provoking questions, and the stimulating conversations that result. Engaging our communities in discussions about informed, actionable decision-making through data sharing and analytics has and will continue to be game-changing for the Commonwealth.” Carlos Rivero, CDO, Commonwealth of Virginia.
Data Town Halls were held in seven geographic regions throughout Virginia.
“Connecting state, local, and community employees through data is important to the ongoing growth and development of the Commonwealth. I’m excited to see how these town halls inspire the innovative and progressive use of data analytics.” Ed Albrigo, CEO, CIT
About the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT)
Investing for Commonwealth Growth | CIT concentrates on the early commercialization and seed funding stages of innovation, helping innovators and tech entrepreneurs launch and grow new companies, create high paying jobs and accelerate economic growth throughout the entire state of Virginia. Founded in 1985, CIT accelerates next generation technologies and technology companies through commercialization, capital formation, market development initiatives, and expansion of broadband throughout Virginia. Our programs include | CIT GAP Funds | Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF) | Virginia Founders Fund | Broadband/Rural Broadband | Smart Communities | Cybersecurity | Unmanned Systems | SBIR/STTR Support (Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) & Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs) | University Partnerships | Startup Company Mentoring & Engagement. CIT’s CAGE Code is 1UP71. Contact: 2214 Rock Hill Road #600, Herndon, VA 20170 | 703.689.3000 | www.cit.org
You can also follow CIT on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.
About the Administration Secretariat of the Office of the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia
The five state agencies in the Administration secretariat manage the Commonwealth’s buildings and grounds, administer employee policies and benefits, oversee elections, safeguard human rights, work to improve manager-employee relations in state government, direct state funds to constitutional officers, and oversee the Commonwealth's information technology. www.administration.virginia.gov
About Keyanna Dr. Conner, Secretary of Administration, Commonwealth of Virginia
Dr. Keyanna Conner currently serves as Secretary of Administration for the Commonwealth of Virginia. In her role, she oversees the Department of General Services, the Department of Human Resource Management, the Department of Elections, The Virginia Information Technologies Agency, and the Compensation Board. Previously, she served as State Director and Director of Government and Community Affairs for U.S. Senator Mark R. Warner, where she was the primary point of contact between the Senator’s office and representatives of state and local governments, public agencies and constituency organizations. Prior to joining Sen. Warner’s Senate office, Dr. Conner was senior advisor on Sen. Warner’s 2014 re-election campaign. Dr. Conner received her undergraduate degree in chemistry at Hampton University, and her doctoral degree in organic chemistry at the Commonwealth of Virginia. She grew up on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
About Carlos Rivero, Chief Data Officer, Commonwealth of Virginia
Carlos Rivero is the Chief Data Officer for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Prior to his appointment, Rivero served as Chief Data Officer and Chief Enterprise Architect for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration in Washington, D.C. Rivero has also worked at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center in Miami, Florida, as a physical scientist and as a Research Associate at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, where he developed a passion for geospatial information systems, ecological modeling, and data.
Rivero earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies from Florida International University and a Master of Science in Business Intelligence and Analytics from Saint Joseph’s University, focusing on database design, data management, business intelligence, big data, and data analytics.