Oakland, Calif., has taken another step in its journey toward becoming a smarter, more tech-focused city with the appointment of a new chief information officer on March 3: Andrew “Pete” Peterson began serving as the new CIO as of Monday, March 6.

Peterson is a 25-year veteran of the IT industry, working most recently as the chief operating officer for San Francisco-based ConnectSolutions. Prior to that role, Peterson served as the chief technology officer of Up Communications in Oakland. He also worked in a variety of capacities at Oracle, CA Technologies and IBM.

“Pete is the right person with the right skills for this position and I look forward to a smooth transition,” said Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. “Effective use of technology has the power to help the city drive our goals around safety, transportation, housing and development, and is a critical part of our efforts to be the open and transparent government our Oaklanders deserve,”

The city was without a permanent CIO after the departure of Bryan Sastokas in May 2015, when it was announced that he had accepted a position with the city of Long Beach, Calif. According to a press release issued by the city of Oakland, Peterson, a long-time Oakland resident, was selected after an extensive nationwide search.

“I am thrilled to be joining this committed team of folks and collaborating on how to best utilize technology to improve digital access and delivery of services to our Oakland community,” Peterson said, adding that the opportunity to serve his Oakland community was a major factor in his decision to take on the role.

Peterson will oversee internal- and external-facing systems and will direct a staff of around 70.

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