Chattanooga, Tenn., CIO steps down
Tyson Morris, the chief information officer of Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Friday announced he has departed the city.
Morris joined the Tennessee city’s government as the top tech official in 2022, replacing Brent Messer, who’d spent eight years with the city in various roles, including CIO, chief innovation officer and senior technology adviser to the mayor and city council. In a LinkedIn post Friday, Morris said the decision to step down was not “made lightly” and comes after reflection on his personal and professional goals.
“The past two years have been among the most fulfilling of my professional career, thanks to the dedication, talent, and passion Mayor [Tim] Kelly’s administration brings to our city every day,” Morris said in the LinkedIn post.
Under Morris’ leadership, Chattanooga received the State and Local Champion Award in 2023 from Amazon Web Services for its digital transformation efforts using cloud technology. During his tenure, the city also took part in the Bloomberg City Data Alliance in 2022, which provided mayors and senior city staff with data training and executive education and expert coaching to improve the city’s use of data.
“I want to thank Tyson for his more than two years of dedicated service to the people of Chattanooga, and I wish him the best in his next chapter,” Kelly said according to a report from Chattanoogan.com. “Under Tyson’s leadership, city government and our partners have done award-winning work to increase access to technology, use data to improve infrastructure and city services, upgrade city cybersecurity, and leverage our tech assets to move our community forward.”
To serve as interim CIO, Kelly appointed city Intelligent Cities Director Jerele Neeld.
“As for the future, I have no doubt that the City of Chattanooga will continue to thrive and innovate. Our foundation is strong, and our vision for a more modern, dynamic, and forward-thinking city is well within our reach,” Morris continued in the LinkedIn post. “I look forward to seeing the remarkable ways the Department of Technology Services will continue to transform our city and serve its residents.”
