Privacy Day Panel: State & Local Perspectives

Description

The Office of Privacy and Data Protection is partnering with the City of Seatle to discuss privacy issues and the privacy landscape from a municipal and statewide perspective. Recording will be posted after the meeting.

Speakers

Ginger Armbruster 
Privacy Office
Seattle

As the City of Seattle’s Chief Privacy Officer, Ginger is Seattle Information Technology’s Director of the Data Privacy, Accountability, and Compliance division, with responsibility for five citywide programs including the Privacy & Surveillance Compliance Program, the Citywide Public Records Act Program, the Open Data Program, the Compliance & Policy Program, and Responsible Artificial Intelligence Program. Prior to this role, she worked for Microsoft on an international team of privacy specialists to resolve issues associated with multi-million-dollar marketing initiatives. She spent the first 20 years of her career working in sales and marketing for Fortune 500 companies such as IBM, Hewlett-Packard and Johnson & Johnson, and several medical technology startup companies.

Ginger completed her undergraduate degree in Political Science from Barnard College, Columbia University. As a recipient of the National Science Foundation’s Scholarship for Service Program (CyberCorps), she earned her master’s degree in Infrastructure Planning and Management from the University of Washington, focusing on critical infrastructure cyber resiliency.

Katy Ruckle
State Chief Privacy Officer
WaTech

Katy Ruckle was appointed as Washington state's Chief Privacy Officer in 2020.  Since then, Katy has published Washington's foundational privacy principles and launched statewide training on privacy and data protection for public employees.  In 2023, Katy received the  Governor’s Outstanding Leadership Award for her privacy leadership in the state. In 2024, Katy earned two national leadership awards: GovTech’s Top 25 Doer, Dreamer, and Drivers, and StateScoop’s Top 50.  Currently, Katy serves as co-chair to the State’s AI Community of Practice and published guidance for public procurement of automated decision systems.  Katy is also leading work on the Governor’s Executive Order on AI and serves as the appointed representative from WaTech on the state’s AI Task Force.

In previous roles, Katy created and directed the privacy program at the state's Department of Social and Health Services -- overseeing public records, records management, legal discovery, and HIPAA compliance. Before that she served as the agency’s Contracts Counsel, advising on complex contract and procurement issues regarding health care and technology.

Katy is a licensed attorney and was admitted to the Washington State Bar Association in 2005.  She also holds certifications from the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) in US privacy law (CIPP/US) and privacy program management (CIPM) and is recognized as a Fellow of Information Privacy from the IAPP.  She presently serves as an officer on the board of the Washington Government Lawyers Bar Association and volunteers as a mediator at the Pierce County Center for Dialog and Resolution. She has worked for Washington state since 2006.

To learn more about what Katy and the Office of Privacy and Data Protection are up to you can subscribe to her Privacy Points blog by signing up for the Privacy Community.

Zack Hudgins
Privacy Manager
WaTech

Zack Hudgins has been involved at the nexus of IT and public policy for many years, and from many perspectives.  From getting labor unions online, to public campaigns, to internet retail, to elected policy making Zack knows the importance of IT for the delivery of a message or a service.  Zack has been a member of both the Technology Services Board, and the Legislative Services Committee which oversee and guide Executive Branch and Legislative Branch IT policy.

Zack currently works for the State Office of Privacy and Data Protection under the direction of the Chief Privacy Officer – Katy Ruckle. His duties include working with local governments on cybersecurity and privacy resources, the annual privacy survey, and the State Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP).