As state CIO, Hoffman will lead the North Dakota Information Technology (NDIT) department, overseeing its $275 million operating budget, and providing direction to its 500 team members. Notably, in North Dakota, the CIO is part of the governor’s cabinet.
Hoffman was tapped to serve as interim CIO following the May 31 departure of former CIO Kuldip Mohanty, who came onboard in February 2023 and took a business-style approach to state IT work.
The new CIO began his work as interim on June 1. Before that, Hoffman had served as deputy CIO since April 2022. Previously, he had led NDIT’s Administrative Services Division since 2014. Hoffman has been with NDIT since 2005, first having joined as the agency’s first budget/rate analyst. He has bachelor’s degrees in accounting and business administration, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Mary in Bismarck.
According to a news release Thursday, Gov. Doug Burgum appointed Hoffman in part for his leadership experience and knowledge of the agency’s functions.
“I am committed to building on our recent progress by focusing on customer service, leveraging emerging technologies like AI, growing the data literacy of government overall and continuing an emphasis on our cybersecurity posture,” Hoffman said in a statement.
The state’s former CIO, Mohanty, previously told Government Technology that North Dakota is “on the cusp” of innovation, arguing that technology — including artificial intelligence — does not wait to disrupt. He had credited the governor’s future-forward approach to emerging technologies as supporting responsible advancement.
Hoffman emphasized the role of the people working for the state and said the work ahead will be accomplished with the support of a “talented team” providing technology solutions that improve government service delivery.
“[Hoffman] collaborates with agency partners to deliver technology solutions to best serve North Dakota citizens,” Burgum said in the news release.
An NDIT spokesperson was not immediately available to respond to a request for comment.