FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 4, 2019

Media Contact:

Christina Dirksen, Strategic Communications Manager, DTI
(302) 739-9736 w Christina.Dirksen@state.de.us

DTI Employees Honored for Valued Partnership Contributions

DOVER, Del. — As part of National Public Service Recognition Week, Governor John Carney, Cabinet members, and the business community celebrated by applauding the extraordinary work of Delaware’s public servants, including a number of employees from the Delaware Department of Technology and Information (DTI). DTI team members were recognized in various categories for their collaborative efforts. The iVOTE Security Remediation team received the 2018 Governor’s Team Excellence GEAR-P3 Innovation & Efficiency Award and the Transit Mobile App and Fare Modernization and Jury improvement teams were each honored with the Governor’s Team Excellence Commitment Award. DTI’s 2018 Delaware Award for Excellence and Commitment in State Service nominee, Caleb Bontrager, was also recognized.

“Delaware is committed to working on collaborative solutions to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of outcomes and deliver enhanced, quality services to our citizens,” commented DTI Chief Information Officer James Collins. “The Governor’s Team Excellence Awards highlight the value of those collective efforts and what it means to cultivate cross-agency partnerships that work together to improve the quality of life for all Delawareans. We are proud of the work and impact of DTI’s talented employees; they epitomize exemplary performance and dedication to public service and we honor them for their valuable contributions to our State.”

The iVote Security Remediation Team worked proactively to ensure the protection and integrity of Delaware’s electoral process and voter data, prevent system hacks from cyber criminals, and increase voter confidence. Team members included: Lisa Wragg, Dominic Carretto, Tim Darcy, Alicia Long, Francis Hala, John Trabaudo, Brad Anderson, Robert Bell, Caleb Bontrager, Eric Austin, Brian Frey, Ron Jackson, Johnathan Welch, Charlie Grimes, Terry Wright, Hitesh Nariani, Chris Ramos and Langston Waples.

The cross-functional Transit Mobile App and Fare Modernization Team carried out the implementation of a new mobile fare payment option for DART riders called DART Pass. This DART-branded mobile ticketing application allows customers to securely purchase a number of fare types using their credit card and smart phone. The project was highly successful in reducing boarding time for riders, improving on-time performance on fixed routes, and enhancing the customer experience. Team members included: Beverly Swiger, Lisa Whisman, Tara Tyre, Geri Smith, Nicholas Gachahi, Doreen Thorn, Paul Merrigan, Mary Wahl, and Kim Townsend.

The Jury Improvement Innovation Team was responsible for the deployment of an upgrade to the Court’s technology that allows jurors to complete their questionnaires online, provide documentation to the court in digital formats, and create cost-savings processes for the internal judicial staff. The members of this team included: Kenneth P. Creedon, Kristin Dangello, Lisa Parker, Mei-Ling Cosgrove, Karen Horsey, Karen Taylor, Melanie Ewing-Lahutsky, Brian Clairmont, Ryan Fontello, Ann Hsu, Saoud Khan, Shawn Facen-Simmons, Amy Whitman, Kenneth Kelemen, Achille Tcheou, Nikia Wongus, Paul Kanich, and Robert Jacobs.

DTI’s nominee for the Delaware Award for Excellence and Commitment in State Service, Caleb Bontrager, was also recognized during the event. Caleb’s work on migrating Delaware’s legacy firewalls to modern firewalls, redesigning Delaware’s web content filtering solution and creating next generation Virtual private Network (VPN) services to allow State Employees remote access earned him the agency’s 2018 Top Performer of the Year Award.

The Governor’s Team Excellence Awards are presented annually to teams of up to 20 state employees and encourages teamwork by recognizing groups of state employees for their efforts to use continuous quality improvement tools to excel in leadership, team dynamics and communication to produce superior customer service and tangible results. For more information, please visit the Delaware Department of Human Resources at DHR.Delaware.gov.

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About the Delaware Department of Technology and Information

The Department of Technology and Information (DTI) is the state’s central IT organization, chartered to deliver core services to other state organizations and exercise governance over the technology direction and investments of the state. DTI provides enterprise services that enable other organizations to effectively fulfill their missions.

DigiGirlz Program Contacts:
Claudette Martin-Wus, DTI
(302) 739-9636, claudette.martin-wus@delaware.gov

HANDS ON TECH DAY FOR 8^TH AND 9^TH GRADE GIRLS

DOVER, Del. —Registration opens Monday March 18 for Delaware DigiGirlz 2019, being held for the first time in Sussex County on May 15! Girls in the 8^th and 9^th grades (or ages 13-15) are invited to spend a day filled with hands on learning that feature careers in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. DigiGirlz Day is designed to encourage young women to explore the possibilities available in those fields.

DigiGirlz is May 15, 2019 at Delaware Tech’s Campus in Georgetown starting at 8:30 a.m. It is free and open to 8^th and 9^th grade girls (ages 13-15) in Delaware public, private, charter and home schools. Individual students are also encouraged to participate. Pre-registration is mandatory – continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.

“One of the best parts of my job as CIO is introducing STEM opportunities to young people and that’s why I’m fired up that we get to bring Delaware DigiGirlz Day to Sussex County this year,” said Delaware Chief Information Officer James Collins. “With our partners we’re offering girls the chance to participate in hands-on STEM career track activities. From drones and chemistry to cyber security and artificial intelligence, we’ve got tons of stuff for girls to explore and try out for themselves. Our hope is that the seeds will be planted which will result in creating future STEM professionals.”

This year’s DigiGirlz Day features several different career track explorations including: game design, drones, 3D digital art and mixed reality robotic coding. Creating 3D Jewelry, learning about phishing, virtual reality, circuitry, social media and photo/video editing are additional offerings during the event.

DigiGirlz is sponsored by Delaware’s Department of Technology and Information, Microsoft, Delaware Department of Education, Delaware Technical and Community College, Wilmington University, University of Delaware, Cyber Streets, and the Delaware Center for Educational Technology.

Registration information can be found at https://digiknow.dti.delaware.gov/pages/DigiGirlz/2019/default.shtml

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About the Delaware Department of Technology and Information

The Department of Technology and Information (DTI) is the state’s central IT organization, chartered to deliver core services to other state organizations and exercise governance over the technology direction and investments of the state. DTI provides enterprise services that enable other organizations to effectively fulfill their missions.

www.dti.delaware.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 18, 2019

Media Contact:
Christina Dirksen, Strategic Communications Manager, DTI
(302) 739-9736 w Christina.Dirksen@state.de.us

GirlsGoCyberStart offers innovative online cybersecurity program, plus prizes and recognition for Delaware’s young women in grades 9-12

DOVER, Del. — Governor John Carney and Chief Information Officer (CIO) James Collins today announced that Delaware is again partnering with the SANS Institute on an initiative to empower high school girls by providing an opportunity for them to discover if they have an interest and aptitude for a career in cybersecurity. High school girls in grades 9 through 12 are invited to participate in the Girls Go CyberStart challenge in which they will compete for prizes and to win the opportunity for 50 additional students in their school to play, extending the competition. $200,000 in scholarships for high school juniors and seniors who do well in the game has also been made available. In Delaware, at least 10 high school girls will each win $500 scholarships to help them pay for college.

Girls Go CyberStart is a free, innovative, online game of discovery that guides participants through a variety of challenges and puzzles which tests decision-making skills and introduces concepts such as open-source intelligence, cryptography, and web application and more, to spark an interest in the field of cybersecurity.

In 2018, 287 girls represented 113 teams from 26 Delaware high schools that participated in Girls Go CyberStart. The goal for 2019 is to increase those numbers even more.

“Girls Go CyberStart is a really fun way for young women to try their hand at cybersecurity and parents like it because it’s free,” said CIO James Collins. “We have to be purposeful about creating opportunities that empower and inspire that untapped potential. We are grateful that the SANS Institute recognizes the importance and value of a diversified workforce and partners with us to achieve that goal.”

“The GirlsGo competition really impacted my view of cybersecurity and has caused me to consider a job in the field,” commented Olivia Lundstrom, a member of Padua’s 2018 Cyber Sister team. “I loved how fun and challenging it was to play, and it taught me a lot about cybersecurity that I would have never known had I not played.”

Students interested in participating do not need any programming or cybersecurity experience; only access to a computer and internet connection. Young women in high school in Delaware who excel in the GirlsGoCyberStart game will have the opportunity to win computers and other prizes from SANS.

“This is a phenomenal opportunity for young women to explore a high-demand career area.  Since no past experience is needed, there are no barriers to keep even more of our high school students from participating,” said Secretary of Education Susan Bunting.

Young women in high school in Delaware will be participating alongside students from across the nation. Registration will begin on February 18 and Girls Go CyberStart play will open on March 20.

When asked why SANS is partnering with Delaware in GirlsGoCyberStart program, SANS Director of Research, Alan Paller said, “Because the nation desperately needs more highly-skilled cyber professionals, and we have evidence that CyberStart improves the quality and preparation of people entering the cybersecurity field.  Women are significantly underrepresented in the technical side of cybersecurity. By opening CyberStart to thousands of girls in high school, and to all college students, we hope to help the nation identify the next generation of talented people who will excel in this critical field.”

Additionally, male and female college students will also be able to play this year in a companion program called Cyber FastTrack, which opens for registration on February 18. Play will being on April 5. Cyber FastTrack allows students who excel in both the CyberStart Game and CyberStart Essentials (an online course that extends the learning of CyberStart Game) to be eligible to win $2.5 million in scholarships for advanced cybersecurity training and to be introduced to employers for internships and jobs in the field.

For more information about cybersecurity, Girls Go CyberStart, or Cyber Fast Track please visit digiknow.dti.delaware.gov, girlsgocyberstart.org, and cyber-fasttrack.org.

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About the Delaware Department of Technology and Information

The Department of Technology and Information (DTI) is the state’s central IT organization, chartered to deliver core services to other state organizations and exercise governance over the technology direction and investments of the state. DTI provides enterprise services that enable other organizations to effectively fulfill their missions.

www.dti.delaware.gov
www.digiknow.dti.delaware.gov

About SANS Institute

The SANS Institute was established in 1989 as a cooperative research and education organization. SANS provides cyber security training and certification to professionals at governments and commercial institutions world-wide. Renowned SANS instructors teach over 50 different courses at more than 200 live cyber security training events as well as online. At the heart of SANS are the many security practitioners, representing varied global organizations from corporations to universities, working together to help the entire information security community.
https://www.sans.org

DELAWARE CIO JAMES COLLINS ELECTED PRESIDENT OF NASCIO EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

DOVER, Del. — The Delaware Department of Technology and Information (DTI) is pleased to announce that Chief Information Officer James Collins has been elected to serve as the National Association for State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) Executive Committee President for the 2018-19 program year. The organization made the announcement Sunday during its annual conference in San Diego. CIO Collins previously served as vice president and succeeds Bo Reese, Chief Information Officer for the State of Oklahoma as president.

“James has a history of hard work and of bringing good ideas to the table,” said Governor John Carney. “As Delaware’s chief information officer, James is tasked with leading our broadband expansion initiative, protecting the state from cyber-attacks, and promoting open data across Delaware. I’m confident that James will greatly contribute to the leadership of NASCIO, and I congratulate him on this achievement.”

“I am deeply honored to be elected to serve as NASCIO’s president and I am committed to continuing the outstanding work it does to support state CIOs and members,” said CIO James Collins. “NASCIO provides a forum for members to engage in unprecedented levels of collaboration, as well as opportunities to share ideas and best practices. I look forward to working with NASCIO staff, government leaders and our private sector partners to develop innovative solutions for the public good.”

NASCIO’s mission is to foster government excellence through quality business practices, information management, and technology policy. The Executive Committee is the elected governance body of NASCIO responsible for directing, through executive management, the general business of the Association. Duties include strategic planning, establishing membership policy, dues; and approving the annual budget and business workplan of the Association.

Under the leadership of CIO Collins, Delaware has worked diligently to expand broadband throughout the state — which boasts some of the highest speeds in the nation — increase citizen engagement, lead the effort to increase open data and utilize data analytics, and achieved 100% school connectivity. Additionally, Delaware is the only state to implement a single statewide Enterprise Resource Planning system supporting fiscal, payroll and human resources practices for all branches of government, including K-12 and higher education.

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About the Delaware Department of Technology and Information
The Delaware Department of Technology and Information (DTI) is the state’s central IT organization, chartered to deliver core services to other state organizations and exercise governance over the technology direction and investments of the state. DTI provides innovative enterprise services enabling other organizations to effectively fulfill their missions.
www.dti.delaware.gov
www.DigiKnow.delaware.gov

DOVER, Del. — The Delaware Department of Technology and Information (DTI) is pleased to welcome Solomon Adote as the new Chief Security Officer. Solomon will be responsible for enhancing and improving the state’s cyber security strategy, including the design and execution of the Delaware Information Security Program and the Continuity of Government and Disaster Recovery Program.

“Cyber security is more important now than ever and we are excited to welcome Solomon back to lead our efforts,’ said Chief Information Officer James Collins. “He brings a great blend of organizational and tactical information security experience that will be invaluable as our enterprise digital government strategy evolves.”

Solomon brings great experience designing comprehensive information security programs and deploying some of the industry’s leading technologies. He has also developed hybrid-managed and in-house Security Operations Centers (SOC) and led the architecture and implementation of secure computing environments for both public and private clouds. Most recently, he led FMC, Inc.’s global IT cyber security team for six years. He was responsible for the security of a complex, 90-site international manufacturing and corporate network. His team covered all aspects of cyber security —from network security, application security, incident response, identity and access lifecycle management, to internet and remote access. Solomon also previously worked as an IT security technical lead at QVC Inc., the third largest e-commerce company in North America, where he secured a dynamic Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliant credit card processing environment with a web presence in multiple countries.

Solomon’s educational accomplishments include a Master of Science in Computer Information Technology degree from Regis University and various industry leading certifications including: Computer Information Security Management (CISM), Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP), Cisco Certified Network Profession in Security (CCNP-S), Certified Ethical Hacker (C|EH), and SANs Firewall Security Analyst, among others.

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About the Delaware Department of Technology and Information
The Department of Technology and Information (DTI) is the state’s central IT organization, chartered to deliver core services to other state organizations and exercise governance over the technology direction and investments of the state. DTI provides enterprise services that enable other organizations to effectively fulfill their missions.
www.dti.delaware.gov