WaTech Director and State Chief Information Officer James Weaver announced Wednesday he is resigning his post with the state of Washington to lead North Carolina's Department of Information Technology.
"It is with mixed emotions that I announce my resignation from WaTech," Weaver said. "This was a hard decision. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Washington state and working with the IT community. I am proud of what we have accomplished together over the last two years and grateful that I was able to be a part of it."
Weaver will be the Secretary and state Chief Information Officer at the North Carolina Department of Information Technology. An effective date for the transition has not yet been finalized. "I will be working with the Governor's Office to ensure a smooth transition to an interim director and state CIO until a successor is determined," he said.
Gov. Jay Inslee, who appointed Weaver as WaTech's director and the state CIO in December 2018, said Weaver has left a great legacy in Washington state and at WaTech.
"WaTech supports so many critical state efforts and this work has never been more critical than over the past year as we grappled with the impacts of the pandemic," the governor said. "Jim and WaTech helped to pivot state workers to remote work and helped to ensure that all government operations could continue effectively and safely. I wish Jim the very best of luck in his new role and I greatly appreciate everything he has done for my administration and for the state of Washington."
He previously served as the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Chief Technology Officer, as well as Chief Technology Officer and Deputy Chief Information Officer for the commonwealth's Departments of Human Services, Aging and Insurance (1987-2018). Since arriving in Washington, Weaver has made significant strides in strengthening WaTech and the state enterprise by focusing on efficiency, consistency and continuous improvement; driving business alignment; balancing operations and policy; and seeking quicker adoption of newer technology.
He also cultivated peer relationships with the chief information officers and directors of other state agencies, as well as the Legislature to capture the voice of the customer and build a community of collaboration.