Juan Garcia graduates from UNC School of Government’s CGCIO™ Program
The Town of Wake Forest is pleased to announce that Applications Analyst II Juan Garcia has graduated from the UNC School of Government’s nationally acclaimed Certified Government Chief Information Officers (CGCIO™) Program. More than 60 graduates from across the country, including representatives from local governments, state agencies, K–12 education systems, community colleges, and public universities, completed the rigorous 240-hour leadership and professional development program, which prepares senior IT professionals for the complex demands of public sector technology leadership.
Launched in 2005 as the nation’s first local government-specific certification for Chief Information Officers and IT Directors, the UNC CGCIO™ program continues to set the standard for public technology leadership. With coursework spanning strategic technology planning, cybersecurity, procurement, legal issues, leadership, and emerging tech trends, the program develops not only technical acumen, but the strategic mindset required to lead transformational change. The program is renowned for its rigorous curriculum and its unwavering commitment to developing leaders who are not only technically proficient but also deeply committed to public service.
Dr. Shannon Tufts, the program’s founder, professor of public administration and government, director of the Center for Public Technology and senior advisor for cybersecurity for the University of North Carolina system, emphasized the impact of the program.
“These professionals are focused on a mission to leverage the power of technology for the greater good, to build more responsive, efficient, and equitable governments, and to ultimately improve the lives of every member of their community, their state, and our country,” she said. “They are champions of secure, efficient, and citizen-centered technology that makes government work better for everyone. Their communities are better because they chose the noble calling of public service.”
With over 2,000 graduates nationwide, the CGCIO™ program continues to shape the next generation of public technology executives committed to responsible stewardship, digital equity, and transformational leadership.
For more information about the UNC CGCIO™ program, visit https://www.sog.unc.edu/courses/course-lists/unc-chapel-hill-school-government-certified-government-chief-information-officer-cgcio-certification.