South Dakota’s new CIO says he’ll balance short-term fixes with long-term modernization

Last month, South Dakota’s governor appointed Madhu Gottumukkala, who’d only been the state’s chief technology officer for a month, to become its statewide chief information officer. In the new role, he says he hopes his 24 years of IT experience will help him balance short-term tech fixes with long-term modernization goals.

Gov. Kristi Noem named Gottumukkala as state CIO and commissioner of the South Dakota Bureau of Information and Telecommunications on Sept. 3. Gottumukkala said he has already identified a number of short term priorities, such as establishing a “robust” data governance framework and instituting cybersecurity training for state employees. But, a number of his long-term modernization goals, which include improvements to some of the state’s legacy systems, he said will involve balancing current needs with the demands of any future enhancements or innovations.

Over the last couple of weeks, Gottumukkala said, he has been getting more familiar with the state’s systems and learning about where changes may be needed. He said each agency has its own priorities, systems and workflows, which is why he wants to bring the agencies under a unified technology strategy with a future-friendly focus.

“These systems are often deeply embedded in day-to-day operations, and modernizing them without disrupting critical services requires careful planning and coordination, and also another challenge is navigating the varying technology needs across multiple agencies,” Gottumukkala told StateScoop.

He added that catering to these varying state agency needs is another form of balance he hopes to strike, and that it’s particularly important when it comes to cybersecurity and data management, disciplines that involve every member of state government.

“This is not just implementing stronger protocols, but you’re also ensuring that every state employee understands their role in safeguarding the data and creating that shared sense of responsibility will be the key as we move forward,” he said. “This, for lack of a better word, modernization is essential for enhancing efficiency and responsiveness across the government services.”

Before joining South Dakota last month, Gottumukkala held various private-sector IT roles over the last 24 years. Most recently, he served as senior director of IT for business solutions at Sanford Health, a nonprofit health care system headquartered in Sioux Falls. There, he said, he led IT initiatives — such as improving operational efficiencies, AI chatbots and telehealth platforms — that were focused on improving patient care.

Before that, he was the chief technology officer of CallHealth, an online health care platform.

“As a chief technology officer at CallHealth, I launched an integrated virtual health care platform that delivers health care to the doorstep of the patient, which utilized [‘internet of things’] and different data exchange technologies, which brings significant cost savings and also improved security compliance,” Gottumukkala said. “These roles demanded a strong focus on emerging technologies, strategic thinking and also cross-functional team leadership, all of which are vital in my current role as a commissioner for the state of South Dakota, leading the Bureau of Information and Telecommunications.”

Gottumukkala said his health care experience showed him how using technology can make a difference in in people’s lives, and that he hopes to do the same while working for the South Dakota state government.

“Whether it was interoperability solutions or AI driven platforms, the focus was always on improving the patient experience and operational efficiency. So that experience has taught me the power of technology to transform lives at a personal level,” he said. “And having earned my Ph.D. in information systems from DSU, the Dakota State University, South Dakota has always been close to my heart, and this role gives me the opportunity to give back to the state that has been such an important part of my journey.”