Gov. Noem hires internally for BIT commissioner position
Dr. Madhu Gottumukkala joined department in August after career in private sector
PIERRE — Gov. Kristi Noem didn’t look far to fill a vacancy in her cabinet.
The governor announced Tuesday that Dr. Madhu Gottumukkala would take over as the new head of the Bureau of Information and Technology (BIT), after joining the department as its Chief Technology Officer last month.
“I’m deeply grateful to Governor Noem for the trust placed in me and eager to make a meaningful impact by driving innovative and secure technology solutions across our state,” said Gottumukkala. “I look forward to working closely with our government and communities to enhance our digital infrastructure, empower our citizens, and build a stronger, more connected future for all South Dakotans.”
SCOUTING YESTERDAY: After governor balks, South Dakota counties foot bill for soldier travel
Gottumukkala has two decades of experience working in IT, and throughout that time has held various leadership positions within organizations, including in South Dakota. Directly prior to joining state government, he worked as the Senior Director of IT for Business Solutions at Sanford Health. Additionally, he currently serves on the Advisory Committee of the College of Business and Information Systems at Dakota State University, the same institution where he obtained his PhD in Information Systems.
He and his wife, Vasantha, have two children.
“South Dakota has made tremendous investments to improve our IT infrastructure, and Madhu is the right person to carry that momentum forward,” said Noem. “He will focus on putting our citizens first, protecting their data, and helping all of state government serve the people of South Dakota.”
As a department, BIT manages around 700 websites and applications plus the state’s two-way radio system, responsible for transmitting communications among first responders using a network of towers, along with the state’s data centers and IT support center.
Gottumukkala’s first day as head of the department will be Sept. 9, the same day that outgoing BIT head Jeff Cline is slated to start an identical job for the state of Wyoming.
VIEWPOINT: Pierre must reverse population decline to vitalize
