Alabama Office of Information Technology (OIT) Secretary Marty Redden announced that he is set to retire after 16 years of service to the state. Gov. Kay Ivey has tapped Daniel Urquhart to serve as the new secretary of OIT.
“For the last 16 years, Secretary Redden has played an integral role in implementing technology advancements and protecting the systems state government relies on to serve our people,” said Gov. Ivey. “During his time in the Ivey Administration, he has been someone I can always rely on to get the job done. I appreciate his service to our great state and wish him nothing but the best in his well-earned retirement.”
Gov. Ivey named Redden the OIT secretary in July 2019. Before his appointment, he spent three decades in various information technology positions in the public and private sectors.
“It has been a great honor to be part of Governor Ivey’s cabinet,” said Redden. “The four years I have been secretary, Governor Ivey has consistently worked to make state government more efficient and accountable to the taxpayers. My goal from day one was to leave the agency in better condition than when I arrived, and I’m proud to have positioned the Office of Information Technology to continue to meet the technology challenges of the future.”
The governor’s office said that Redden’s replacement, Urquhart, has served the state of Alabama for more than two decades.
“The state of Alabama is fortunate to have someone as uniquely qualified as Daniel Urquhart step up to lead OIT,” said Governor Ivey. “Daniel brings a wealth of high-level experience that I have no doubt will lead to even greater technological advancements and protections for the state of Alabama. He has big shoes to fill, but I have no doubt that he will hit the ground running and be an excellent addition to Team Ivey.”
Before his latest appointment, Urquhart served as OIT’s deputy secretary, where he was responsible for managing the state network and telephone systems, cybersecurity operations, and administration of the email environment used by Executive Branch agencies, boards, and commissions. According to a press release, Urquhart also spent 18 years with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency in various management roles.
“I am deeply honored that Governor Ivey has offered me the opportunity to serve on her cabinet and lead the Office of Information Technology,” said Secretary Urquhart.” Secretary Redden has done a tremendous job with the agency during his tenure, and I plan to build on the success and vision of his leadership. OIT is anchored by a highly-skilled, technical workforce, and I am humbled to work with such dedicated people who provide services to state agencies, commissions, boards, and the citizens of Alabama.”
