State

Colorado governor picks former Denver tech chief as statewide CIO

Gov. Jared Polis announced he picked David Edinger, Denver's former CIO, to lead the state's Office of Information Technology.

By Keely Quinlan

November 17, 2023

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis speaks at a press conference the morning after a gunman opened fire at a King Sooper's grocery store on Monday on March 23, 2021 in Boulder, Colorado. Ten people were killed in the attack. (Chet Strange / Getty Images)

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Thursday announced he picked David Edinger, Denver’s former chief information officer, to serve as statewide CIO and lead the state’s Office of Information Technology as its executive director.

According to a press release, Edinger will take over on Monday from Tony Neal-Graves, who has served as state CIO and executive director of OIT since 2020. Neal-Graves, whose official last day is Dec. 1, announced his retirement over the summer.

During his tenure with the City and County of Denver, which began in 2008, Edinger served in a variety of capacities, starting in public safety operations, the release said. In 2011, he was named Denver’s chief performance officer, where he created Peak Performance, a tech innovation coaching program for city and county employees. In 2018 he was appointed Denver’s CIO, where he led efforts to reduce cybersecurity incidents, virtualize operations during the COVID-19 pandemic and improve agencies’ performance.

He was also named 2023’s CIO of the year by the Colorado Technology Association. Prior to his time in the public sector, Edinger the co-founder and CEO of Broadwing, a private equity startup.

“I am thrilled to announce David Edinger will lead the Office of Information Technology and want to thank Tony Neal-Graves for his impactful tenure and commitment to public service,” Polis said in the news release. “David’s passion for technology is driven by its ability to accelerate innovation and grant people easier access to the services they need.”

Edinger called the appointment an “honor.”

“With so many challenges and opportunities in both government and technology, there isn’t a more exciting place to be,” Edinger said in the release. “I’m honored that Governor Polis has given me the opportunity to serve all Coloradans. When you combine great people with technology and a spirit of innovation, good things happen. I can’t wait to lean into the employee-led transformation already underway at OIT.”