SwampFox

New South Carolina CIO

Submitted by: John Warner on Dec 21, 2005 at 4:05 am Tagged with: Information Technology Source:

Dr. Jim Bryant has been named South Carolina's State CIO by Budget and Control Board Executive Director Frank Fusco. He will start January 9 at an annual salary of $129,000.

"Jim Bryant brings tremendous knowledge, strong vision and an unmatched work ethic to this important position," Fusco said. "We are thrilled to bring back to South Carolina a native son who has the expertise to help us fulfill the Board's mission to make government better."

The CIO manages the state''s data center, telecommunications services, IT procurement and promotes the cost-effective use of technology in state and local government. The organization also plays a key role in assisting the state's response to natural disasters and other crises such as the Graniteville train wreck. It has nearly 300 employees and a budget of more than $66 million.

A North Charleston native, Bryant is a 1980 graduate of The Citadel, where he was an Air Force Distinguished Graduate and the USAF Reserve Officer's Association Top Graduate. He also earned an MBA from Golden Gate University, a master's in computer information systems from Saint Mary's University, a master's in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College and a doctorate in Environmental Engineering from the Union Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Bryant, 47, retired from the Air Force in 1997 as a Lieutenant Colonel. He has since worked for a variety of technology firms, including AT&T Government Solutions and Electronic Data Systems, where he implemented IT systems for the military. He is currently employed as a defense contractor and management consultant in Virginia. He has worked on telecommunication construction contracts in Iraq, Jordan and Afghanistan. He also teaches graduate-level IT courses at two universities.