Gov. Kristi Noem made the announcement Feb. 26, and Clines will begin his new role April 6. He is currently serving as director of information technology with the Illinois Secretary of State, a position Clines has held since March 2018.
The BIT in South Dakota operates under the purview of the Department of Executive Management and oversees IT across state government.
“Staying on top of our technological needs is so important in today’s environment,” Noem said in a statement. “Jeff’s diverse background will position him to lead BIT in a way that ensures we are attracting and retaining the very best talent we need to maintain and modernize our state government’s IT needs.”
Heather Perry has been serving as interim commissioner since September 2019, following outgoing commissioner Pat Snow.
“Technology has increasingly become critical to our way of life, from smartphones to technology in agriculture,” Clines said in the statement. Clines could not immediately be reached for additional comment on Monday.
Clines has previously served as director of enterprise applications with the American Heart Association.
