Leadership

Executive Branch Information Technology (EBIT)

Jeff Maxon

Chief Information Technology Officer

Jeff Maxon Jeff was appointed Chief Information Technology Officer (CITO) in October 2023. He has been with the State of Kansas since 2009, most recently serving as the State’s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)

Jeff brings a wealth of experience to the role. In his 12 plus years with the State, he has forged relationships with agency leadership and the legislature. His work on cybersecurity from a whole-of-state approach has improved the cyber posture of Kansas and created collaborative opportunities for how state, local, and critical infrastructure work together.

While with the State, Jeff has been the recipient of several awards including recognition in 2022 as a top Global CISO by Cyber Defense Magazine. He holds licenses and professional certifications, including Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), and Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK). In addition, Jeff serves as a Cyber Defense Systems Operations Craftsman for the Kansas Air National Guard. He holds a Master of Science in Information Assurance and Cybersecurity from Capella University and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Science from Washburn University.

Office of Information Technology Services (OITS)

Tanya Rodriguez-Heffel

Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

Tanya Rodriguez-Heffel Appointed Chief Technology Officer for the State of Kansas in July 2021, Tanya plays an integral role in the strategic direction, development, and evolution of our state’s digital strategy across all technology stacks including information security and privacy. Tanya is committed to working across state agencies to provide technology solutions that will help Kansas position as an innovation leader.

Tanya’s extensive experience in the private sector includes Director of Technical Operations & Client Services for Georgetown University Law Center where she was the Director of Technical Operations, Client Services and Access Identity. In that role, she re-engineered operational, technical and support processes and platforms to deliver enhanced technology solutions and customer service to faculty, staff, and students. Prior to her time at Georgetown, Tanya served as CISO with SecureIT, as well as the Senior Director of Monster Government Solutions. At each of these organizations, Tanya has improved processes and responded to the needs of her customers.

Tanya holds a Dual Bachelor’s degree and an M.S.S from Virginia Tech.

Tanya and her Team provide Infrastructure Services to the State of Kansas as highlighted below:

Data Center as a Service
Mainframe as a Service
Email & Collaboration
Voice Services
Data Network Services
Web Services

For a detailed description of Infrastructure Services provided by the Office of Information Technology, please visit our Infrastructure Services website.

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Shelia Johnson

Chief Experience Officer (CXO)

Sheila Johnson Shelia joined OITS in August of 2021 as the Chief Experience Officer.

Shelia brings 20+ years delivering exceptional customer service within the information technology arena. Her wealth of end-user support knowledge in various 24/7 support operations will provide the leadership required for this critical role within OITS. Shelia comes to us from Greektown Casino-Hotel as their Director of Information Technology.

She holds licenses and professional certifications, including CompTIA Security + and Project Management Professional. She has a MS in Information Technology from Grantham University and a BBA from the University of Mississippi- School of Business Administration.

Shelia provides Professional Services to the state of Kansas as highlighted below:

Service Desk
ServiceNow Platform
Professional Services
NOC/SOC

For a detailed description of Professional Services, please visit the Professional Services page.

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(Vacant) Chief Information Technology Architect

The CITA and team provide the following services:

Oversight of KITO Projects as outlined in statute
Kansas Project Management Training Program
IT Accessibility Compliance

For a detailed description of Kansas Information Technology Office Services, please visit the KITO website.

Kansas Information Security Office (KISO)

John Godfrey

Chief Information Security Officer

John came to OITS from LionHeart Cybersecurity Advisors in Kansas City, KS. As the CISO-in-Residence and Founder of the organization, he worked with clients to develop and implement IT and cybersecurity strategies, advise them on governance, compliance, audit, and capability strategies, and guide them on technology planning and cybersecurity alignment.

Prior to that John spent 10 years with The University of Kansas Medical Center where he served in multiple roles, that includes 6 years as CISO and Associate Vice Chancellor for Information Security.

For a detailed description of the Kansas Information Security Office, please visit the KISO site.

Cabinet Agencies