The California Department of Technology has appointed Carlos Isaac Cabrera as the state geographic information officer (GIO), a newly-created position tasked with overseeing the regional distribution of technology funding and service delivery throughout the state.

The appointment of Cabrera follows the recommendation in 2019 by the Little Hoover Commission (LHC) to create a GIO position to coordinate the state’s geographic information systems (GIS), which collects geo-spatial data and allocated technology services accordingly. 

In their Oct. 2019 report titled “Mapping a Strategy for GIS,” the LHC also recommended the state create a GIS advisory council comprised of “government leaders and other stakeholders” and noted that the state’s GIS strategy was “inconsistent, and lacks centralization and coordination.”

The state originally named a GIO when the GIS program was created in 2009, but the position was absorbed by the chief information officer until the state began recruiting for a full-time GIO this past February.

Cabrera, an alumni of California State University, Fresno, most recently served for over four years as the GIS administrator for Contra Costa County where he managed a broad-based enterprise GIS used by various departments across the county.

Pedro Nava, chair of the LHC, applauded Cabrera’s appointment as GIS, saying in a statement released on April 28 that “we called for a dedicated, full-time GIO position, and we’re pleased to see Mr. Cabrera’s appointment. Though we hope to see the position elevated as outlined in our report, we are encouraged by this action and wish Mr. Cabrera the best as he steps into this critical role.”