Charles Ash accepted the position of CIO with The Ohio Department of Transportation in May of 2018. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a B.S. degree in Information Systems and a J.D. from the College of Law. He is a visionary thinker who pushes boundaries and questions the status quo to ensure that the DOT will remain prepared for current and future technology demands and drives IT to improve and optimize its operations in order to become a more lean and efficient organization.

Remard Colston is the InnovateOhio Platform Administrator and responsible for managing the State’s Customer Experience team. The Customer Experience (CX) team establishes the strategy and manages operation for the State’s User Experience and Digital Identity functions.
He previously served as the Service Owner and PMO lead for the Ohio Administrative Knowledge System (OAKS), the State’s ERP application, where he was responsible for driving the business strategy and providing oversight of all projects.
Prior to joining the State, he worked in IT consulting focusing on implementing technology solutions for public sector clients.
Remard earned a bachelor's degree in MIS from the University of Notre Dame. He is a certified Project Management Professional, Scrum Master and ITIL 4 Managing Professional.

Adarsh Desai (AD) is a Principal in AI & Data at Deloitte, with over 20 years of experience driving digital transformation for public sector organizations through emerging technologies. As Deloitte’s AI leader for the State of Ohio, AD partners with government agencies to develop and implement AI and data strategies, deliver innovative solutions, and establish robust AI governance frameworks – including traditional AI/ML, Generative AI, and Agentic AI. Previously, he supported multiple federal agencies in building and scaling their AI and data analytics capabilities. A recognized thought leader, AD is a frequent public speaker on leveraging AI to transform government service delivery and has delivered a TED Talk on technology innovation. AD has a Master’s Degree in Software Engineering from the George Washington University.

Holly Drake is the Chief Information Security Officer for the State of Ohio and leads the Office of Information Security and Privacy which supports the state’s productivity, innovation, and organizational mission to provide secure services to all Ohio citizens. Ms. Drake brings extensive experience managing cybersecurity and privacy solutions in complex public and private sector organizations. She previously served as the Deputy Cybersecurity Strategic Advisor for CyberOhio within the Office of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. As a member of the CyberOhio team, she drove cybersecurity governance and technical maturity to protect Ohioans and their state government from today's complex information security and data use challenges. Before coming to state government, Ms. Drake served as Chief Privacy Officer at The Ohio State University where she built a bespoke privacy program from scratch and led the cybersecurity governance teams responsible for policy, training, vendor risk, disaster recovery, and data governance. In the private sector, she worked in the insurance and financial services industry where Ms. Drake developed and ran cyber and privacy compliance programs.

Abbie Frase is the Learning and Change Manager for the State Data Office. She leads the Organizational Change Management team for IOP Data Analytics and is Administrator of the Data Analytics Learning Center. In her previous roles she served as the Human Resource Training Manager at Ohio Department of Medicaid and Training Specialist with Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities. She has a passion for organizational change management, learning, and employee development. Abbie is certified in DISC, True Colors and Windmills Attitudinal Training Program. She earned a Master of Education and Human Resources: Organizational Learning, Performance and Change from Colorado State University. Abbie has more than 26 years of experience with the State of Ohio.

Adam Frumkin is a dynamic leader with extensive experience in developing, directing, and executing business transformation and strategic initiatives. He has a proven track record of collaborating with executives to provide clarity in strategic decision-making while leveraging technology to drive business process improvements.
Adam’s expertise spans various critical areas, including strategic planning, cultural and organizational development, emotional intelligence, process reengineering, enterprise system implementations, cybersecurity, disaster recovery, and business continuity planning.
Currently, Adam serves as the CIO for the Franklin County Data Center. In this role, he is a trusted advisor and leader who provides strategy and solutions to all County agencies, Boards, and Commissions representing the 1.4 million residents of Franklin County.
In addition, he currently serves as:
Vice Chair for the NACo County Technology Advisory Committee (C-TAC)
Vice Chair the NACo Finance, Pensions, and Intergovernmental Affairs Steering Committee
Vice Chair for the NACo FutureTech Subcommittee
Member of the NACo Information Technology Standing Committee
Fusion Learning Partners Board of Directors
Leadership Council Chair to the Public Technology Institute (PTI) Executive Committee
Steering Committee Member – Franklin County Digital Equity Coalition
Recognition:
2024 StateScoop – Local Smart County Executive of the Year
2023 Top 25 Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers by Government Technology
2021 StateScoop – Local Smart County Executive of the Year
2021 Columbus Business First – BizTech Executive of the Year
In addition to his leadership roles, Adam is an adjunct professor at The Ohio State University and teaches the PTI Certified Government Chief Information Officer program through Rutgers University, where he shares his expertise with the next generation of IT leaders.

Kirk Herath is currently Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted’s Cybersecurity Strategic Advisor and Chairman of CyberOhio, the State of Ohio’s Cybersecurity Advisory Board. His role spans coordinating and enhancing the State of Ohio’s cybersecurity capabilities, working with local governments to prepare and remediate cyber-attacks, and helping to build a modern cyber workforce.
Kirk is also an Adjunct Professor of Law at both Ohio State’s Moritz School of law and Cleveland State’s Cleveland-Marshall Law School. He retired as VP, Associate General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer for Nationwide after 32 years.
Kirk is Past President and past board member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals, and he served on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee from 2005 to 2011.
Kirk is admitted to the Ohio Bar.

Recognized by Advertising Age as one of the “100 Most Influential Women in Advertising History,” Nancy Kramer has spent a lifetime as an entrepreneur in marketing and technology.
Believing computers would change the world, Kramer launched Resource in 1981 with seed funding from her first client, Apple Computer, growing the company into a multi-office, 375-associate digital marketing pioneer. Her team’s iconic work includes many industry firsts, from creating Apple’s first interactive retail experience, to launching one of the internet’s first live streaming events for Victoria’s Secret that crashed the internet, memorialized in a time capsule at MIT to creating and producing two iconic Superbowl commercials. She has been featured in CNN, CNBC, Fortune, Time, Business Week, CBS News, USA Today, Advertising Age, Fast Company, and others. She and her company are the recipients of numerous awards, including Clios, National Addys, and the Best Place to Work by The Wall Street Journal.
IBM acquired her business in 2016, the only female-owned business to have achieved the milestone. Today, as a Lead Partner, Kramer focuses on C-Suite client relationships as well as IBM’s cultural transformation.
Kramer serves on the Board of Directors of public-traded Root Insurance, and M/I Homes. She is former Chairperson of The Columbus Foundation, Vice Chair of The Columbus Partnership, and a Trustee at The Wexner Center for the Arts. Kramer is an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ rights, having testified to Congress in support of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Kramer is the founder of the FTT Foundation, which launched a national campaign about access to menstrual support products in public restrooms. In 2019, Kramer led the IBM adoption a global menstrual support policy for all 175 countries where IBM does business. In 2023, she successfully co-chaired the campaign to amend the constitution of the State of Ohio, enshrining women’s reproductive rights.
She is married to fellow entrepreneur Christopher Celeste. Together they have six adult children and eight grandchildren.

Prior to joining the Center, Matelski served for 25 years as an Information Technology & Security executive for municipal (City of Orlando, FL) and county government (Gwinnett County, GA), most recently retiring from DeKalb County, GA after 12 years of service.  John’s duties included executive management of all information technology and security resources and systems that support operations and drive innovation throughout the County enterprise. As DeKalb County CIO, he oversaw more than 100 employees serving ~800 million residents.
Matelski graduated from Arizona State University with a B.S. in Computer Science and an M.B.A. with an emphasis in Computer Information Systems and has been a Certified Government CIO since 2011.  Matelski has a proven track record of leadership in the public and private sectors, utilizing innovation and resourcefulness with a proven ability to build a compelling vision and move an organization toward it. Matelski rebuilt DeKalb County, GA’s technology capabilities from the ground up, helping lead to 8 straight years of recognition as a top 10 winner of the Center for Digital Government annual Digital Counties Survey.  
John has won numerous awards including Government Technology’s Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers, State of Georgia CIO ORBIE Award Finalist, and the Computerworld/Smithsonian Laureate Award for Information Technology.  During his tenure with DeKalb County, Matelski was also very active in technology leadership roles with the National Association of Counties (NACo), having served as Chair of the IT Standing Committee, Vice Chair of the Telecommunication & Technology Committee, and Vice Chair of the County Technology Advisory Council.

Raivo Murnieks leads the Office of Data and Efficiency which is responsible for establishing and managing the state’s data strategy and InnovateOhio Platform Data Analytics Program.
He joined DAS in 2022 and previously served as the Operations Chief for the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities and as the first Chief Data Officer for the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS).
Prior to joining ODJFS, he served as the Deputy Director of Employer and Innovation Services at Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) from 2011 to 2018.  At OOD, Raivo established and managed the employer services unit and also was responsible for OOD’s strategic planning, data, and reporting unit, and Lean Six- Sigma program. He began his career in 1994 as a statistician at the Ohio Department of Youth Services.
Raivo earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Dayton and master’s in public administration from The Ohio State University. He is certified in return-on-investment (ROI) methodology from the ROI Institute and is a Lean Six-Sigma Black Belt.

Venu Pallerla joined the Ohio Department of Commerce as Chief Information Officer in January of 2024. Prior to joining Commerce, Venu served as CIO for the Secretary of State, Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and as Assistant CIO at the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. He led efforts to align IT with business initiatives in those respective agencies. At Commerce, Venu delivers IT services and solutions that support all agency divisions in their efforts to serve licensees, business stakeholders, and all Ohioans. Venu has an MBA from The Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business. He also holds industry recognized certifications in Enterprise Architecture, IT auditing and IT security.

With over 30 years of experience in the informatics field, Guy Pensa is a highly regarded Solutions Architect, Sales Engineer, Certified Technical Trainer, Mentor, and Subject Matter Expert in internet-hosted technologies and solutions. He has successfully solved a wide range of business challenges through his technical expertise. His knowledge spans various areas, including data management, directory services, identity services, integration services, messaging services, network services, operating systems, and security services—all hosted over diverse network architectures and communication protocols. 
Guy has also developed and managed a successful software services company, delivering cutting-edge technical solutions to international Fortune 50, 100, 500, and 1000 companies. His solutions often leverage open-source software to address complex business problems. 

Jasmine Ramaradjou is the Chief Information Officer at the Department of Public Safety, State of Ohio. Department of Public Safety includes Ohio State Highway Patrol, Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Emergency Management, Ohio Homeland Security, Emergency Medical Services, Office of Criminal Justice Services, Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center, Ohio School Safety Center and Ohio Traffic Safety Office.
Jasmine is a thought leader and has extensive experience gained through her careers in Academics, Healthcare and Government. She has a broad educational background with degrees in Computer Science and Life Sciences. She has served on several national/federal IT committees and now serves in the Technology Advisory Council for the State of Ohio Department of Administrative Services.  She lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband, two children and a dog.

Jesse Roberts is an AWS Principal Solutions Architect with 27 years’ experience as an engineer, analyst, architect and executive. At Amazon Web Services, Jesse serves as the Lead Solutions Architect for their State, Local Government and Education business in the eastern United States where he is enthusiastic about leveraging cloud technology to help address some of the biggest challenges of government and education. Prior to AWS, he worked for 21 years at Boeing and General Electric in various system and data architecture leadership roles after which he joined Maximus becoming their Vice President of IT Architecture. Jesse has a passion for leveraging technology and design thinking to help solve complex problems. Outside of IT, Jesse is a co-founder of the Rensselaer Repair Café and serves on the Board of Trustees for both Woodland Hill Montessori School and the Arts Center of the Capital Region. He mentors formerly incarcerated students in coding and technology as well as lectures on various topics through the Justice Through Code project at Columbia University.

Armand Salimnejad is a Senior Solutions Engineer at Snowflake, where he helps public sector organizations harness the power of data to drive better outcomes. With a background in data engineering, analytics, and solution architecture, Armand has led impactful initiatives across government, healthcare, and public safety—including analytics platforms for COVID-19 response and criminal justice reform. He brings a decade of experience translating complex technical challenges into strategic, people-centered solutions.

MP Salinas is an Account Executive at NICE, supporting public sector modernization through AI-powered, cloud-based CX solutions. He works with state and local governments and higher education to transform legacy systems and elevate citizen experience. Recent momentum has centered around programs requiring modified eligibility and enrollment processes, driven by new legislation and administrative priorities. Prior to NICE, he led enterprise-level performance testing projects at Hammer Technologies, ensuring contact centers were ready for major events and go-live milestones. MP is a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and former Marine Corps Infantry Officer.

Aman Singh is Accenture's Client Account Lead for the State of Ohio account. In this role, he brings the best of Accenture to the State, leveraging the Firm's broad and deep industry and technology capabilities, including implementation of large-scale transformation projects for public service programs, artificial intelligence, robotic process automation, cloud migration, and other leading technologies that allow Accenture's clients to better serve Ohioans.
Aman has led mission-critical programs for the State since 2013, including implementation of Ohio Benefits, Ohio's integrated eligibility system for the SNAP, Cash, Medicaid, and Child Care programs. Recently, Aman led the implementation of Ohio's COVID-19 Vaccine Management Solution that provides a one-stop shop for Ohio residents to schedule vaccination appointments and for Ohio providers to administer vaccines in a clinic setting.
Aman lives in the Columbus, Ohio area with his wife and three children, and loves biking, including Columbus' annual Pelotonia fundraiser, running, golf, horseback riding, and spending time with his family.

Mark began service as Chief Information Officer at the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services in July of 2021. The department is responsible for supporting Ohio’s workforce and unemployment programs, along with the programs for cash assistance, food assistance, and child support. The agency is also responsible for the end-point support of 17,000 users in 180 county departments, administering the above statewide programs. Prior to joining JFS, Mark served as the Chief Operating Officer at OIT in the Ohio Department of Administrative Services. Over the course of a 30+ year career in state service, he has also held leadership positions at the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and Ohio Office of Budget and Management. Mark lives in central Ohio and is a graduate of Franklin University.

Anupam Srivastava was appointed DAS Chief Information Officer in February 2023 to focus on ensuring efficient IT operations within DAS.
He was previously the state’s chief information security officer (CISO) overseeing the development of technologies, policies, standards, architecture, information, and solutions to enhance the privacy and security of Ohio's data and systems. While serving as CISO, Srivastava implemented the security infrastructure to support a remote/hybrid workforce, rolled out enterprise multifactor authentication, improved the cybersecurity posture of the state and incident response planning efforts, developed numerous enterprise security services that protect against threats and vulnerabilities, partnered with the federal government and other entities to ensure alignment with national security and privacy standards, and supported the adoption of a state cybersecurity apprenticeship program.
DAS CIO Srivastava also served in a variety of other roles at the state, including an agency CISO and a director of infrastructure. In these positions, he was responsible for environments that hosted business critical systems, requiring high availability, and for securing and achieving regulatory compliance for multiple sensitive systems.
Prior to his state service, Srivastava held progressive roles at a large software organization and was in charge of delivering stable and secure product releases. In addition, he led the customer support group with a mission to provide outstanding service.
Srivastava holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in electrical and computer engineering, and earned industry certifications in Information Security (CISSP) and Project Management (PMP).

As Chief of Infrastructure Services, Jeff Swan leads the Infrastructure Services Division of the DAS Office of Information Technology.
Jeff oversees data center operations, which includes the Network, Storage, Servers, Mainframe, Cloud Brokerage and Engagement, Office 365, Identity Management, Customer Service Center, Business Relationship Management, ServiceNow, and Desktop Services teams. Jeff’s focus is on customer engagement and delivering service, support, and solutions to state agencies. He provides leadership and guidance for critical operations and initiatives as well as strategies for rate optimization, disaster recovery, and the Cloud Smart platform.
Prior to being appointed Chief of Infrastructure Services in November 2023, Jeff served as the Chief Information Officer for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for nearly 4 years. Before working at DNR, he was at DAS, leading the Servers and Cloud teams for 6 years. Prior to that, he was the Network Services Supervisor at the Ohio Department of Health, where he began his state service in 1996 after a private-sector career.
Jeff holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Franklin University.

Steve Troxel is a Field CTO at SHI International Corp, advising public sector and commercial organizations across the U.S. With over 25 years of experience in IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, and enterprise strategy, he has held executive roles including interim CTO for the Arizona Department of Education and VP of Technology for a national payment card processor. His work bridges public policy, operational execution, and long-term technology planning.

Vanitha Zacharias is an employee of Ohio Department of Administrative Services where she leads the agency’s IT Investment and Governance Division. As part of her public service, she has an extensive experience gained through her careers in software development, architecture, and strategy. As a member of the State of Ohio AI Council, she oversees several aspects of the AI Governance program. Vanitha believes in the transformative potential of AI and focuses her efforts on its ethical use to benefit the society.