Rob Lloyd, Seattle’s chief technology officer, is leaving his post to become executive director of the Center for Digital Government. His last day will be March 27.
“Leading IT and our dedicated teams in service to Seattle has been an honor,” Lloyd said to colleagues in an email sent Thursday night.
Lloyd told GeekWire that while he appreciated Mayor Katie Wilson’s invitation to stay in the role, he was “beyond excited” to take the new job, which would allow him to perform similar work with local and state governments nationwide.
Lloyd became CTO in June 2024 after eight years as deputy city manager of San José, Calif. While his new employer is based in California, he will remain in Seattle. “My family wanted it no other way,” Lloyd said.
The city provided GeekWire with Lloyd’s letter of resignation, in which he said the “timing is right for a change.” The mayor is reshaping her executive team and its direction, he wrote, and strategizing actions related to the budget and this summer’s FIFA World Cup games.
Seattle is facing about a $140 million budget deficit for next year. The Seattle Times reported that Wilson is asking departments to provide plans for funding cuts of 5% to 10%.
In the letter, Lloyd also highlighted some of his team’s accomplishments during his tenure, including:
- Recovering more than $130 million “in failing and stalled technology projects.”
- Executing the city’s IT Strategic Plan.
- Partnering with fire, police, mental health and emergency management services on public safety technologies.
- Managing a $21 million operating budget reduction while increasing service reliability and employee retention.
- Updating cybersecurity practices.
- Formalizing his department’s first customer service and staff feedback surveys.
Lloyd has been responsible for overseeing roughly 670 employees, and joined the city with a $270 million operating budget and a capital budget of about $24 million.
In December, the city appointed Lisa Qian as its first AI Officer. Her experience includes serving as a senior manager of data science at LinkedIn, as well other tech company leadership positions.
When Lloyd came to Seattle, he told GeekWire he hoped the city would be his “forever home” — and that he wanted to step outside City Hall and build relationships with the community members and companies driving the region’s tech scene. He was eager to play a part in tackling difficult issues such as public safety, homelessness and downtown recovery.
In his email to employees, Lloyd said that during his final weeks he would “be focused on completing the final commitments I made to the organization when I arrived.”
“What I’ll carry most from my time here isn’t the projects or the milestones though, it’s the memories of you and our partners,” Lloyd continued. “So many people made this work a true gift. Thank you to the City for letting me serve this community with you.”
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