New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed John Paul Farmer as the city’s new Chief Technology Officer on April 23. Farmer’s first day in the role will be June 3. Most recently Farmer served as the director of technology and civic innovation at Microsoft. Prior to working with Microsoft, Farmer served as senior advisor for innovation in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy under President Barack Obama. Farmer is replacing Alby Bocanegra who has served as the interim CTO since April 2018. “I welcome John, who brings a wealth of experience working at the intersection of technology and public service. With his help, we will continue to innovate on behalf of all New Yorkers and further establish our city as a global leader in the tech field,” said Mayor de Blasio. Farmer’s former White House colleagues praised the announcement. “John is a phenomenal innovator at the intersection of public service and technology and will be a huge asset to the people of New York,” said Todd Park, co-founder and chairman of Devoted Health and former U.S. CTO during the Obama Administration.
