Inyo County Welcomes New Chief Information Officer
INYO COUNTY WELCOMES CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER
Inyo County recently welcomed a new face to its ranks to take on the leadership position responsible for the information systems, equipment, and communications throughout the organization.
The Board of Supervisors has approved a contract with Noam Shendar to serve as the county’s Chief Information Officer – a reconfiguration of the role formerly known as Information Services (IS) Director. Shendar steps into a vacancy left by IS Director Scott Armstrong who recently accepted the county’s offer to serve as Regional Broadband Coordinator. In the wake of Armstrong’s departure, county leaders decided to update both the job title and job description to meet the needs of the department and be consistent with professional standards.
Leading an eleven-person team, including Assistant CIO Jayme Westervelt, Shendar is responsible for not only planning, organizing, and directing work in the IS Department, but also providing the vision and strategic direction that ensures the county’s ability to successfully integrate people and technology to improve business processes, create efficiencies, guarantee transparency, and thoughtfully implement systems that support good governance.
More specifically, Shendar is charged with:
- Planning, organizing, evaluating, budgeting, and prioritizing recommendations regarding the acquisition, installation, and maintenance of all county technology and information systems;
- Overseeing security initiatives and implementing effective approaches that keep agency assets, data, and staff safe;
- Driving customer-facing technology solutions which better connect people to county services; • Ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements;
- Developing and interpreting internal policies;
- Tracking and implementing applicable legislation;
- Monitoring new technology and evaluating its use in support of the county;
- Conducting effective business analysis in order to successfully procure, implement, and utilize technology throughout the organization;
- Negotiating and administering contracts for the procurement and support of information technology throughout the county;
- Pursuing and maintaining partnerships with public and private entities which benefit the area through collaborative service delivery efforts and cost sharing; and
- Acting as a liaison between Department Heads, County Administration and the Board of Supervisors in improving digital literacy and transformative approaches to government.
Shendar brings to the position nearly three decades of experience in technology and public service. A 12-year Inyo County resident, Shendar describes himself as a mule enthusiast and “lifelong nerd.” He began his career at Intel designing computer chips, and progressed over the years to become a technology executive at a number of companies, big and small. Shendar has a long and extensive background in cloud, virtualization, and enterprise storage solutions, and most recently has been an original executive team member at Zadara, a global edge-cloud provider. Locally, he is international services chair at the Bishop Rotary Club, secretary and board member of the Bishop Amateur Radio Club, and a candidate with Inyo Search and Rescue. He is married to Rachel, a legal aid attorney in Bishop, and his hobbies include mule riding and packing, backpacking, skiing, motorbiking, and amateur radio.
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(From Inyo County Board of Supervisors)
