Arkansas Department of Information Systems adds Chief Privacy Officer

The Arkansas Department of Information Systems (DIS) announced that Jennifer Davis has been selected as the state’s first chief privacy officer. The position of CPO at DIS was created in conjunction with Act 912 during the 2017 General Assembly.

Davis, an attorney, served for almost four years with the Arkansas Department of Education where she advised the commissioner and state Board of Education regarding laws, rules and procedures and represented the department in litigation matters and before legislative committees. Prior to her
employment with ADE, Davis worked for DIS assisting the agency’s general counsel.

“As CPO, my goal is to work with other state agencies to establish a robust data privacy program that will provide a more efficient response to the needs of the citizens of Arkansas,” Davis said. “I look forward to understanding the unique needs and particular circumstances of each agency and collaborating with them to resolve any legal or analytical challenges of an enterprise privacy solution.”

The primary responsibilities of the CPO are to ensure agency compliance with laws governing privacy and access to protected data, and to assure that the use of technology does not erode privacy protections relating to the disclosure of personal information, according to the legislation that created the role.

“Mrs. Davis will work in partnership with the CDO by providing guidance to ensure that data sharing agreements protect individual privacy as required by law and by developing policies and processes designed to protect citizen data,” said DIS Director Yessica Jones.

Davis graduated with honors from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law in 2013. She also holds a Master of Science in operations management from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and a Bachelor of Science in information science from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.