“We have a risk-averse mindset in government because it’s citizens’ dollars, and you’re always worried,” she told GT recently. “But you have to take some risks in order to get the reward.”
Her ideal scenario would be to equip every agency in Indiana with risk registers and heat maps to document their top risks. This would bring some of the maturity she aspires to in enterprise risk management (ERM), a priority she advocates for within and outside of the state. She recently initiated a conversation on the practice with officials at NASCIO, for example.
In Indiana, her team completed a cybersecurity risk assessment for all local health departments last year. After all, the health data sharing agreement the state has with localities represents risk. She also oversees a compliance center of excellence, working with various state agencies to ensure their processes observe all relevant regulations. Another major facet of her work is business continuity and recovery, helping agencies craft plans to ensure the stability of critical applications in the event of an emergency.
Despite her many technical responsibilities, among them managing all IT policies for the state, Bag identified a need for a professional group for women in technology, so she founded one. Born in March 2020 right as the pandemic took hold, Government Women In Technology has grown to nearly 150 women who meet each month to talk about both challenges and opportunities they run into in the course of their work. It’s an important avenue of connection and camaraderie that now includes women from dozens of state agencies.
“That has been a huge source of energy for me personally and for all these women who have joined,” she said.
A big supporter through-out her career of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, the goal for Bag is not to hit specific numbers of people from certain categories. “It’s diversity of perspectives, experiences, backgrounds, learning experiences that I love having on my team,” she said.
