After nearly 30 years of service, California Highway Patrol (CHP) Chief Information Officer (CIO) Dr. Scott Howland will retire effective July 1, the department has confirmed.

Howland began his career with the CHP in 1990, training to become an officer and eventually rising to the rank of captain in 2004, where he served as the CHP’s representative to California State Legislature and United States Congress for four and a half years.

Howland served as the department’s assistant chief for close to five and a half years before assuming his current position as CIO, where he has served since May 2014.

While serving as CIO, Howland has overseen IT policy and procurement for the CHP and led the implementation of the California Accident Reporting System, the state’s automated collision reporting system.

Howland also oversaw the redesign of the CHP’s website and worked to deter cybercrime as leader of the Computer Crimes Investigation Unit.

Prior to joining the CHP, Howland worked from 1985 to 1990 in various roles at Oakland’s KTVU 2 news, while simultaneously earning his bachelor’s degree in radio and television at San Francisco State University.

Furthering his education, Howland enrolled at the University of La Verne in 2011 to earn his master’s degree in business and later an educational doctorate in organizational leadership.

The CHP has chosen Assistant Chief Chris Childs to succeed Howland as new CIO in command of the Information Management Division, effective on Howland’s July 1 retirement.