Politics & Government
Mtn. View Names City's First Info Officer/IT Director
"I felt it was time to take our City's technology services to the next level with focused, senior leadership of this critical function" city manager says of the new hire.
The City of Mountain View has named its first chief information officer and IT director, Silicon Valley tech-veteran and Mountain View resident Roger Jensen.
After a national search from more than 130 applicants, City Manager Dan Rich announced yesterday the appointment of Jensen to the newly created position.
“We have a great IT team. Finance and Administrative Services Director Patty Kong and IT Manager Steve Rodriguez have done a very good job leading the group for many years," Rich said.
"As the home to some of the world’s leading technology companies, Mountain View has a very tech savvy constituency," Rich added. "I felt it was time to take our City’s technology services to the next level with focused, senior leadership of this critical function.”
The position, which reports to the city manager and has a starting annual salary of $173,000, was approved by the City Council as part of the Fiscal Year 2013-14 budget.
“I am very excited for this opportunity to join my city’s management team," Jensen said. "As CIO, my charge is to leverage technology to improve services and existing processes for both the citizens of Mountain View and the internal departments that provide these services. I look forward to working with the talented staff in place to do just that.”
Jensen has more than 25 years of experience in the technology field, most recently as Senior Vice President for Technical Operations of AlphaDetail in San Mateo for seven years.
“Because of the presence of so many leading edge technology companies in the area, Mountain View is in a unique position to capitalize on private-public partnerships that can be a key element of our technology strategy for the future,” Jensen said.
“Roger has the perfect combination of technical and interpersonal skills to lead the new IT Department," Rich said. "His collaborative style, management skills, and understanding of Silicon Valley will allow us to enhance our internal operations and technology services to the public in a cost effective manner.”
Jensen has a Bachelors Degree from the University of Minnesota and an Executve MBA from Santa Clara University. He lives in Mountain View with his wife and daughter.
---
The Information Technology Department — Previously a division of the Finance and Administrative Services Department, IT is comprised of a staff of 15. The Department is responsible for planning, maintaining and managing the City’s information systems and communication networks. Services include network management, security and email administration, project management, desktop and help desk support, application support, server maintenance and operations, training, vendor management and web site development and support.
