Jonathan Askins, the state's chief technology officer and IT secretary, announced Friday that he is leaving the position after just over three years in the role and returning to the private sector.
Akins said in a LinkedIn post on Friday that he has accepted a new job as director of national accounts for telecommunications company Sea Spire. Akins joined Arkansas State in December 2020. Asa Hutchinson hired him to fill the void created by the resignation of Yesica Jones, who stepped down as CTO after five years in state government.
As the state's chief technology official and leader of the state's technology services department, Akins' efforts include mandatory cybersecurity awareness training for executive branch agencies that fosters a better culture of information security. He said this is central to building. Mr. Akins also oversaw the centralization of state government networks and chaired the Governor's Cybersecurity Advisory Council.
Neither Akins nor the state Office of Transformation and Shared Services responded to requests for comment.
