Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announced Wednesday that Jim Purcell is stepping down as acting Secretary of the Alabama Office of Information Technology. Ivey appointed Purcell to the position in July 2017.
“Jim brought a great deal of experience to the table, and his leadership has been a tremendous benefit to OIT and the state,” Ivey said. “Jim was not only an expert in his field, but also a terrific public servant. I greatly appreciate his willingness to serve in this capacity and for his many years of dedicated work for the state.”
While leading OIT, Purcell received national recognition for his work. Purcell was named Alabama CIO of the year in May. He also was awarded the “GoldenGov: State Executive of the Year.”
“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as Alabama’s Secretary of Information Technology for the past two years, and I am so proud of the progress OIT has made during that time,” Purcell said. “We strengthened the state’s cyber defense, modernized and stabilized state systems and networks, and we implemented best practices in project management and governance. I am very appreciative of Governor Ivey for giving me this opportunity to give back to the state and grateful to the hardworking men and women at OIT.”
Before he was appointed acting Secretary, Purcell served as Chief Operations Officer for OIT. In that capacity, he oversaw all aspects of the shared services information technology offers in the state of Alabama. The governor said that the state benefitted from the years of IT experience he brought to the table and plans to continue moving OIT in a positive direction.
Also on Wednesday, Governor Ivey announced that she is appointing Marty Redden as acting Secretary of OIT. Redden brings three decades of experience in the technology field to OIT, including twenty years of management experience.
Redden began his career working with banking and finance technology. In 2007, he began his state service. He has held high-level management positions in the Alabama Department of Corrections, the Alabama Medicaid Agency and most recently at the State Finance Department. While working in each of these agencies, Redden originated, led and implemented technology advancements and improvements.
Redden’s appointment is effective on July 1, 2019.
