He will take over the position on Aug. 31, heading operations for Nevada's Enterprise Information Technology Services Division within the Department of Administration, the lead IT services provider to state agencies.
Cunningham, whose self-described specialty is "comprehensive information systems security management," has spent the last four years as the Information Security Officer for Nevada's Washoe County School District, and previously spent several decades in the private sector under various posts.
According to his LinkedIn, he was recently employed in a security role with workers' compensation insurance company Employers, and also worked as an independent technology consultant for some 18 years. He has "extensive experience in cybersecurity operations, disaster recovery, business continuity planning, and policy and strategic planning" and is also a certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), the Governor's office said.
“Alan brings the kind of knowledge and experience we absolutely need in the State right now,” said Gov. Steve Sisolak in a prepared statement. “Now more than ever, the security and integrity of our state IT infrastructure is critical. Alan deeply understands that landscape and knows how to move us forward in the ever-changing world of IT strategically and safely so that our state agencies can continue to provide the essential services Nevadans rely on every day.”
Before Cunningham's arrival, Nevada's CIO position was briefly occupied by Michael Dietrich, who served as state CIO between April 2018 and September 2019.
