Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson has appointed Gwen Gann as the state’s next state chief information security officer (CISO), pulling from the private sector to oversee the Office of Cybersecurity. She assumed her responsibilities on Sept. 16.
Gann succeeds Ralph Johnson, who officially retired on Sept. 1 from Washington Technology Solutions (WaTech). Johnson served as state CISO since 2022, guiding the agency through the rapid rise of AI technology integration and ensuring the state’s cybersecurity framework properly adapted to new threats. His cybersecurity career spans decades across both the public and private sectors, including nearly 18 years with King County, Wash.
As the head of the state’s cybersecurity division, Gann will help set the office’s strategy, working through WaTech to deliver IT service and cybersecurity support for state agencies and municipalities. She will pick up Johnson’s work where he left off, with much of the agency’s strategic direction toward addressing increasingly sophisticated AI-driven attacks.
Serving as state CISO will be Gann’s first foray into the public sector, backed by more than two decades of private-sector experience. She left her most recent role as the technology director for a health insurance company to take on her new public sector duties.
Gann graduated from Clark University with a master’s degree in business administration. She has also earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and pre-law from Washington State University.
Photo by John Callery from Pexels
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