Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced that the state has appointed its first chief privacy officer and its first chief data officer.
Laura Gomez-Martin will serve as the state’s first chief privacy officer and Patrick McLoughlin will serve as the state’s first chief data officer. In a press release, Gov. Hogan’s office said the new appointments are the result of executive orders that Governor Hogan signed earlier this year at the Annapolis Cybersecurity Summit.
“Public officials have no higher responsibility than keeping the American people safe, and there is no greater threat to their safety than the cyber vulnerabilities of the systems that support our daily lives,” said Gov. Hogan. “With these appointments, Maryland is further cementing its status as the cyber capital of America. Laura and Patrick both bring exceptional experience in these areas, and critical relationships with state and local leaders.”
Gomez-Martin currently serves as the deputy chief information security officer at the Maryland Department of Information Technology (DoIT). She is an attorney with specializations in cybersecurity and technology law. Gov. Hogan’s office said Gomez-Martin’s focus has been on “designing, implementing, and supporting large scale cybersecurity and privacy initiatives within public and private sectors.” A press release also said that over the past several years, she has served as the lead policy adviser for the development and implementation of the cybersecurity governance structure within DoIT’s Enterprise Initiative.
As chief privacy officer, Gomez-Martin will oversee the state’s privacy program and initiatives concerning data protection matters, and will be responsible for monitoring program compliance, investigation and tracking of incidents and potential breaches, and ensuring citizens’ rights.
“I’m honored to serve as Maryland’s first State Chief Privacy Officer,” said Gomez-Martin. “How organizations collect and use data has increasingly become an important issue, and I’m excited to work with the governor’s office and state agencies to continue building privacy practices that protect the personal information of Maryland residents.”
McLoughlin most recently served as a data and analytics consultant and Director of Data Solutions at Johnson, Mirmiran, and Thompson. A press release noted that he has 17 years of experience working with large data programs in the commercial and government sectors and has “extensive experience helping organizations maximize the value of their data by aligning data management strategies with business strategies.” Before his most recent role, McLoughlin was the director of business intelligence for DoIT and led the state’s Open Data Program.
“In this environment of threats and vulnerabilities, it is critical that governments stay at the forefront of these issues, and I want to thank Governor Hogan for the opportunity to serve as the state’s first Chief Data Officer,” said McLoughlin. “I’m looking forward to applying my experience in both the public sector and the private sector to advance the state’s commitment to data and analytics.”
