Seattle’s Chief Technology Officer Brings Expertise in AI, Cybersecurity, and Community-Centered Innovation to Nation’s Premier Public-Sector Research Institute
SACRAMENTO, CA, UNITED STATES, March 3, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Center for Digital Government (CDG), a division of e.Republic, today announced that Rob Lloyd, Chief Technology Officer for the City of Seattle, will join the organization as Executive Director, effective March 30, 2026. Lloyd brings nearly three decades of technology leadership across state and local government, most recently serving on Seattle’s Mayor’s Cabinet and overseeing a team of almost 600 employees and a roughly $300 million annual budget.
In his new role, Lloyd will lead CDG’s research and advisory programs, including its Digital Communities initiative and the Center for Public Sector AI, and will serve as a senior voice on the technology challenges facing state and local government. He joins a distinguished bench of former public-sector executives at CDG, deepening the organization’s commitment to delivering practitioner-driven insight to the government leaders it serves.
Lloyd’s appointment comes at a pivotal moment for public-sector technology. State and local communities across the country are navigating simultaneous pressures: the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence, an evolving cybersecurity landscape increasingly shaped by AI-enabled threats, generational workforce transitions, and persistent challenges around housing, public safety, and affordability. Lloyd has led through all of these issues firsthand and brings to CDG a practitioner’s perspective on how technology leaders can build the cross-functional alignment – between CIOs, city managers, department directors and chiefs, and elected officials – necessary to turn technology investment into community outcomes.
Prior to Seattle, Lloyd served as Deputy City Manager and Chief Information Officer for the City of San José, the twelfth largest city in the United States, where his teams pioneered advances in responsive resident services and co-founded National 311 Day with Google.org, and led the city to back-to-back #1 rankings in CDG’s Digital Cities Survey in 2020 and 2021. Earlier in his career, he served as CIO and Chief Security Officer in Avondale, Arizona, and CIO and Utility Director in Ashland, Oregon, where he led a successful turnaround of the city’s municipal telecommunications utility.
Lloyd’s relationship with e.Republic and CDG spans more than 25 years, beginning early in his career when he first engaged with the organization’s research and peer networks as a young city IT leader.
“Rob is exactly the kind of leader who elevates what’s possible for the public sector technology community,” said Teri Takai, Chief Programs Officer of the Center for Digital Government, and two-time former state CIO. “His record of driving resident-centered innovation and delivering results at scale in two of the nation’s most complex municipalities makes him an extraordinary asset to CDG. We are thrilled to welcome him and know his expertise will directly benefit the state and local government leaders we serve every day.”
Among the most recognized technology executives in public service, Lloyd’s accolades include the ORBIE CIO of the Year (twice), Governing Public Official of the Year, City Executive of the Year (four times), recognition on the AI 50, a Silicon Valley Business Journal C-Suite Award, Cybersecurity Genius Fellow, and multiple Top 25 Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers honors from Government Technology magazine. His teams have also earned a Regional Emmy Award for overall excellence, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance Visionary Trailblazer Award in both 2024 and 2025, and recognition in TIME Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2025 for CiviForm.
“Communities across the country are facing increasingly interconnected and consequential challenges, and no single city, county, or state can solve them alone,” said Lloyd. “What has always made government special is the willingness of leaders to share what works and help one another succeed. At a time when demands on public-sector technology professionals have never been greater, we need stronger peer networks, clearer frameworks, and faster pathways to scale proven solutions. The Center for Digital Government is uniquely positioned to catalyze that collaboration across jurisdictions nationwide. I’ve respected this organization for more than 25 years, and I’m honored to help strengthen its impact on communities and the leaders that serve them.”
Lloyd steps down as Seattle’s CTO on March 27, 2026. During his tenure, his team recovered more than $130 million in technology projects, executed the city’s IT Strategic Plan, and managed a $21 million operating budget reduction while improving service reliability and employee retention. Mayor Katie Wilson has appointed Tracye Cantrell as Interim CTO, effective March 28. Lloyd will remain based in Seattle in his new role.
About the Center for Digital Government
The Center for Digital Government is a national research and advisory institute focused on technology policy and best practices in state and local government. CDG is a division of e.Republic, the nation’s largest data, media, and events company for state and local government and education. Learn more at www.govtech.com/cdg.
About e.Republic
e.Republic is a mission-driven company focused on helping government and education organizations navigate change and drive innovation. Through market intelligence, media, and events, e.Republic provides trusted insights that connect industry leaders and public-sector decision-makers. Learn more at www.erepublic.com.
Heidi Lorenzen
e.Republic
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