Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly has chosen John Godfrey as the state’s new chief information security officer (CISO). In his new role, Godfrey will lead the Kansas Information Security Office (KISO) in developing and implementing information security and cybersecurity strategies.
“John Godfrey’s years of experience in information security give him the unique perspective of the challenges we face when providing secure and dependable digital services to Kansans,” Gov. Kelly said. “I look forward to working with him as he builds on our whole-of-state approach to cybersecurity.”
Godfrey joins the state government after serving as the CISO-in-Residence and Founder of LionHeart Cybersecurity Advisors in Kansas City, Kan. Prior to those roles, Godfrey worked for the University of Kansas Medical Center, including serving as its CISO and associate vice chancellor for information security. Godfrey also served as senior cybersecurity engineer and systems administrator and information security analyst at Kansas State University.
Godfrey isn’t a total stranger to the state government. Back in 2021, he was a member of the Governor’s Cybersecurity Task Force where he chaired the Statewide Communication & Collaboration Subcommittee.
Godfrey is succeeding Jeff Maxon, who Gov. Kelly tapped to serve as chief information technology officer (CITO) in October of last year.
“This is an exciting time to join the KISO and advance the strategies put in place by my predecessor,” John Godfrey said. “Coordination and collaboration are critical to advancing the cybersecurity posture of Kansas, and the KISO has been active in building a statewide cyber community that includes all 105 counties. I look forward to working with this dedicated group of professionals on what’s next for the future of information security.”
