Norman Jacknis Biography

Norman J. Jacknis was appointed Westchester County's first CIO in January 1998. As the county's information technology commissioner, he directs all of the county government’s technology efforts, including all computer systems, desktop/office computing, the several hundred mile, high speed data network, phone, cell, video and radio communications, geographical information systems, the county's Web presence and E-government activities, multi-media, graphics/design, and the records and archives center. His department also provides these services to municipalities and other nonprofit community organizations. Dr. Jacknis serves as one of the few local government CIO’s on the New York State CIO Council, where he is also co-chair of the technology committee that sets the standards and architecture for the State. He represents the County Executives of America on technology issues at the federal level and is a member of the national Partnership for Intergovernmental Innovation. Under his leadership, Westchester County’s IT department has won numerous awards, including the Center for Digital Government’s top ten digital counties in the country and American City & County's Crown Communities Award for technology. Last year, Government Technology Magazine selected him as one of the nation’s “Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers who, using technology … broke bureaucratic inertia to better serve the public.” Dr. Jacknis has also been very active in community affairs. Among other activities, he is president of the Fairfield-Westchester Chapter of the Society for Information Management (a national association of senior IT executives), president of the New York State Association of Library Boards, past president of the Westchester Library System, and chairman of the Westchester Alliance for Telecommunications and Public Access (the local Internet society and a part of the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee). He received his Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. degrees from Princeton University.