San Antonio hires its first CIO

Michael Armstrong, who has been chief information officer for Des Moines, Iowa, since 1997, is moving south to become the first CIO and assistant city manager in San Antonio.

Armstrong will begin his new duties July 18. He will oversee the city’s information technology department and support staff members who manage the city’s information systems and enterprise resource management project.

“Michael’s wide range of experience and knowledge in managing and implementing successful technological systems as well as leading municipal IT operations will be of tremendous value to the city,” City Manager J. Rolando Bono said in a press release. “He has developed nationally recognized electronic processes and has a proven record of improving municipal information systems.”

As Des Moines' CIO, Armstrong directed numerous citywide projects, including the development of human resources and financial systems and systems for automated permitting, inspection and licensing.

He was also responsible for implementing systems to handle citizenship relationship management, geographic information, Enhanced 911, records management, voice over IP and mobile data systems for public safety employees.

Armstrong has published articles on IT and is a well-known speaker at national conferences. He is chairman of the nonprofit Public Technology Institute’s Telecommunication and Information Technology Council and serves on the Center for Digital Government’s Executive CIO Council. He is an advisory board member of Iowa State University’s e-government program. In 2005, he served as the Iowa CIO Council’s secretary.