California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday appointed Christopher Given as the state’s chief information officer and director of the California Department of Technology.
Christopher Given
If confirmed, Given, who has served as deputy secretary for technology and innovation at the California Government Operations Agency since last year, will replace Liana Bailey-Crimmins, who retired as CIO last month. Given said in an email that he’ll start his new role on Monday.
According to a bio on the California GovOps website, Given has more than a decade of experience as a technologist and civil servant, “empowering talented, multi-disciplinary teams to craft more accessible and effective government services.” The bio notes that he’s worked across ten federal agencies — including the Department of Veterans Affairs, Social Security Administration, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Administration for Children and Families. From 2024 to 2025, Given was the product lead of Direct File at the IRS, where he led a team designing a system allowing taxpayers, for the first time, to file online directly with the IRS.
He’s held roles with state governments of Connecticut and Illinois, and the District of Columbia. Given also taught at the Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.
California’s department has recently seen other leadership changes: Jonathan Porat, the state’s chief technology officer, stepped down this month.
Written by Sophia Fox-Sowell
Sophia Fox-Sowell reports on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and government regulation for StateScoop. She was previously a multimedia producer for CNET, where her coverage focused on private sector innovation in food production, climate change and space through podcasts and video content. She earned her bachelor’s in anthropology at Wagner College and master’s in media innovation from Northeastern University.