The Johnston administration has hired a new data chief. 

The administration named Sean Greer as its new chief data officer.

Greer had joined the city in 2019 and has served as IT director of service delivery for the past five years, following more than 12 years at Denver International Airport in multiple senior information technology roles.

The city said that Greer, who started this week with an annual salary of $215,000, is charged with creating a new comprehensive data strategy to support the city’s strategic goals, improve operations, and establish robust data governance frameworks to ensure data quality, security, and compliance.

The new position comes after Denver decided to split Greer’s former position into two separate positions — chief information security officer (CISO) and chief data officer, which Government Technology first reported in August.

Veteran cybersecurity expert Merlin Namuth assumed the CISO role in October.

“Sean is a seasoned technology leader who excels at driving innovation, strategic planning, and operation excellence,” said Suma Nallapati, Denver’s Chief Information Officer, likening Greer’s new role to a data “evangelist.” “With a proven track record of innovation and leadership in technology and data management, Sean will be instrumental in driving data-driven decision-making and advancing the city’s digital transformation.”

“I am honored to assume the role of chief data officer,” Greer said in a statement. “Denver has established itself as a leader in addressing complex challenges with groundbreaking and innovative solutions. Data is the cornerstone of this progress, and I am thrilled to spearhead the initiatives that will drive our city’s data-driven future.”

The city said Greer has spearheaded several efforts to streamline processes and leverage technology to improve performance, including a new Automation Center of Excellence program that garnered the Colorado Technology Association’s 2024 Apex Project of the Year award and a 2024 CIO 100 award.

According to the Johnston administration, the automation efforts have, to date, saved $2.9 million and over 54,000 hours of staff work.

Greer and Namuth replaced former chief information security officer and chief data officer Ashley Bolton, who left the city in July for a CISO position with Jefferson County.