Governor Newsom on Tuesday appointed two California department CIOs and a Googler to senior positions at the California Department of Technology.

CalPERS Chief Information Security Officer, and former CIO, Liana Bailey-Crimmins has been appointed chief technology officer, Google Ventures Senior Operating Partner Richard Klau has been appointed chief technology innovation officer, and Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation CIO Russ Nichols has been appointed chief deputy director for the department and deputy state CIO for the State of California.   Details of the announcement include:

Liana M. Bailey-Crimmins, 51, of Sacramento, has been appointed State Chief Technology Officer at the California Department of Technology. Bailey-Crimmins has been Chief Information Security Officer at the California Public Employees’ Retirement System since 2019, where she was Chief Health Director from 2017 to 2019 and Chief Information Officer from 2013 to 2017. She was Chief Information Officer at California Correctional Health Care Services from 2010 to 2013, where she was Deputy Chief Information Officer from 2008 to 2010. She is a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $180,000. Bailey-Crimmins is registered without party preference.

Richard “Rick” P. Klau, 49, of San Ramon, has been appointed State Chief Technology Innovation Officer at the California Department of Technology. Klau was Senior Operating Partner at Google Ventures from 2011 to 2020. He was Product Manager at Google from 2008 to 2011 and Strategic Partner Development Manager there from 2007 to 2008. He was Vice President of Business Development at FeedBurner from 2005 to 2007. Klau was Vice President of Socialtext from 2004 to 2005. He was Vice President of Vertical Markets at Interface Software from 2001 2004. Klau was Director of Industry Marketing at iManage Inc. from 1999 to 2000. He was Vice President of Marketing and Development at TrailNet from 1997 to 1999. Klau was Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Inherent.Com from 1996 to 1997. Klau earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Richmond School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $180,000. Klau is a Democrat.

Russell J. Nichols, 53, of Cameron Park, has been appointed Chief Deputy Director and Deputy State Chief Information Officer at the California Department of Technology. Nichols has been Director of the Division of Enterprise Information Services at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation since 2015, where he served as Acting Director in 2015 and was Project Director of the Strategic Offender Management System from 2012 to 2014. Nichols was a Data Processing Manager at the Office of California Correctional Health Care Services from 2010 to 2012 and at the California State Controller’s Office from 2007 to 2010, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection from 1999 to 2007 and the Employment Development Department from 1997 to 1999. He served as an Associate Information Systems Analyst for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection from 1992 to 1997, where he was a Programmer from 1990 to 1992. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $186,648. Nichols is a Republican.