Meet CODE PA's new executive director

The Commonwealth Office of Digital Experience, Pennsylvania’s digital services bureau, also called CODE PA, has a new executive director. Sara Hall recently took over the office, with plans to build on the “strong foundation” built by Bry Pardoe, now the state’s chief information officer, she told the Priorities Podcast. Hall said the office is busy as April’s federal accessibility compliance deadline approaches and the state closes in on several projects she’s excited about, including permitting and identity platforms designed to unify agencies in one digital location: “These are solutions that can scale across agencies instead of building one-offs.” This week’s top stories: A majority of Americans want stronger oversight of the data practices of all levels of government, according to a report published Tuesday by the nonprofit advocacy group Center for Democracy and Technology. The group’s report was based on a survey, which also found that nearly 8 in 10 support holding government agencies accountable for privacy violations. Nevada’s technology agency on Monday announced the hire of Bertrum Carroll, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, as the state’s new chief information security officer. Carroll most recently spent eight-and-a-half years at the workers’ compensation insurance firm Employers, where he was CISO and a vice president. Technologists with the New Jersey Innovation Authority last week announced major upgrades to the state’s in-house generative AI assistant. The assistant, which launched in 2024, now includes more transparent responses, conversation control and built-in trainings. New episodes of StateScoop’s Priorities Podcast are posted each Wednesday. For more of the latest news and trends across the state and local government technology community, subscribe to the Priorities Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts,Soundcloud or Spotify.