(This article was originally published by the Office of the Mayor on May 30, 2024)
Seattle – Today, Mayor Bruce Harrell announced that he has selected Rob Lloyd as Seattle’s next Interim Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Director of the Information Technology Department (IT) following a national search. An accomplished government and technology leader with decades of experience working for cities and states, Rob will start his new role with the City on June 24.
“Seattle is a world-leading technology hub, and I am excited for Rob to join the team and support our One Seattle vision to be a world-leading government in the use of technology to better serve our communities,” said Mayor Harrell. “Rob is a well-known and well-respected leader in his field, and I believe his knowledge, experience, and commitment to public service will help him succeed in a role that is connected to everything we do as a city. I want to thank Jim Loter for his exemplary and long-standing work for the City, both as Interim CTO the past three years and across many roles for years before that.”
Rob joins Seattle from the City of San Jose where he was the Deputy City Manager with oversight of Transportation, Aviation, and Technology services, and before that their Chief Information Officer. In San Jose, he executed vision for a smart city with pioneering work in equity, privacy, and artificial intelligence, earning #1 honors in the Center for Digital Government’s Digital Cities Awards in 2020 and 2021.
“It is a privilege to join the City of Seattle and the Seattle community. The One Seattle Initiatives are compelling as they take on the challenges of today’s big cities in a direct, smart way,” said Rob Lloyd. “I’m looking forward to working with our teams and partners to make a difference in that mission. My thanks to the Seattle staff for their exceptional graciousness throughout the hiring process. This is an impressive organization at every level.”
Rob previously held IT executive roles for governments in Arizona, Oregon, and Colorado, and has served on the National Privacy Council, the National Equity Council, the Asian Pacific American Municipal Officials caucus, and is past president of MIX, the national association for local government technology executives. Additional professional recognitions include CIO of the Year for the San Francisco Bay Area; Silicon Valley Business Journal C-Suite Awards winner; StateScoop LocalSmart City Executive of the Year; StateScoop Top Cybersecurity Leaders; National Diversity Council Distinguished CIO; Government Technology Magazine Top-25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers; and Phoenix Business Journal’s Arizona Top Tech Execs.
“As the chair of the Parks, Utilities and Technology Committee, I was given the opportunity to interview several extremely impressive, qualified candidates seeking to become the new CTO of Seattle IT. Rob stood out not only for his experience and technical knowledge, but also his commitment to public service and his pioneering smart city work,” said Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth. “I know Rob will bring some new, innovative thinking to Seattle IT and help ensure that our City is leveraging technology to serve all its residents and delivering technological solutions to City departments. I look forward to introducing Rob to my fellow councilmembers during the confirmation process. I want to sincerely thank Jim Loter for his leadership as Interim CTO, and for continuing to support the City and the department during this time of transition.”
The CTO search process started this spring with extensive engagement and listening sessions with Seattle IT and other City employees to identify what the most critical work and skills for this role would be. A national search and recruitment effort led to over 300 applications for the role, which then went through additional rounds of screening and interviews with City staff and labor partners. Four finalist candidates were then interviewed by the Mayor before he made the selection. Interim Director Loter will remain with the department to continue to work on behalf of Seattle’s communities and support the transition to a new CTO.
Seattle IT is a trusted partner that provides secure, reliable, and compliant technologies that improve government service, while delivering responsible technological solutions to the City workforce and residents of Seattle. Seattle IT supports residents through their long-standing digital equity programs including the Technology Matching Fund Grants. Over the span of 30 years, the City has spent millions of dollars combined with in-kind donations and corporate sponsors to work to close the digital divide in our community. Seattle IT is the backbone of many other public facing department programs, ensuring technology is running smoothly allowing these programs to work seamlessly so residents have access to services they rely on.
What People Are Saying
Seattle Interim Chief Technology Officer Jim Loter
“I’ve had the pleasure to know Rob Lloyd for several years. He is an experienced innovator with a national reputation for strong leadership. I’m excited to work with him and I welcome him to the City of Seattle.”
Mark Ronaldson, Sales Director, State and Local Government, and Education, Amazon Web Services
“This is great news for the City of Seattle. Rob has a long track record of driving innovative initiatives, fostering collaboration across government, and a genuine passion for leveraging technology to better his community. His leadership will be critical to enhancing essential services for the people of Seattle.”
Barb Wilson, Microsoft Government Affairs
“Microsoft is thrilled to welcome Rob Lloyd to Seattle. We share Rob’s unwavering commitment to digital equity to ensure that all members of the community benefit from technological advancements. At this moment when emerging technologies bring new opportunities, Rob is the innovative leader Seattle needs to lead digital transformation. His convening of a multi-city collaborative has helped accelerate the responsible adoption of AI across the country. Under his leadership, we are confident Seattle will deliver powerful and innovative technology solutions for the City and our community”
Tim Woodbury, Vice President, NuHarbor Security
“What a win for Seattle! Rob’s command of technology would be noteworthy on its own, but it’s his dedication to communities and compassion for humanity that makes Rob so special. Simply put, Rob Lloyd is the very best at harnessing technology to make positive impacts in the daily lives of people. An exceptional leader, teammate, and partner, Rob is well known for his creative solutions and hard earned wisdom. I have no doubt that Rob will do great things for Seattle.”
Frank J. Grimmelmann, President & CEO, Arizona Cyber Threat Response Alliance
“Having known and worked with Rob Lloyd closely for over a decade, Seattle is getting a CTO who stands out for his strong ability to execute effectively, always upon a strong ethical foundation. His emphasis is on building a strong collaborative culture and team. An innovative and strategic leader, his focus is on delivering pragmatic secure solutions given the pace of digital transformation and the escalating cyber threat environment. Couple this with his proven ability to integrate tech, focused initiatives and resource management, Rob is a national leader who will produce exceptional outcomes for the City of Seattle. I wish him well in his new endeavors.”