State of Arkansas names McGee as Chief Data Officer
by February 20, 2020 11:29 pm 744 views
The Department of Transformation and Shared Services (TSS) Division of Information Systems (DIS) announced Thursday (Feb. 20) that Joshua McGee, PhD, will become the state’s chief data officer (CDO). In this role, McGee will concentrate on policy and lead DIS’s efforts to improve data structure, security, and data use.
McGee is currently the associate director of the Office for Education Policy in the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas.
“We are excited to have Dr. McGee serve as the State’s Chief Data Officer in a collaborative effort with the University of Arkansas. His unique experience brings a fresh perspective to state government,” said TSS Secretary Amy Fecher. “This innovative, data-driven, and action-oriented approach aligns perfectly with transformation’s core mission.”
In his previous role as an Executive Vice President with the Arnold Foundation in Houston, McGee led a team that invested $50 million in data-driven efforts to improve public policy in six states and Washington D.C. The strategy paired state governments with dedicated university partners who integrated administrative data and deployed research to help policymakers resolve persistent challenges. These “Policy Labs” redirected more than $150 million in taxpayer resources toward more effective uses.
McGee holds a B.S. and M.S. in Industrial Engineering and a PhD in Economics from the University of Arkansas.