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<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nCongratulations to all of our California Department of Food and Agriculture<\/a> (CDFA) Information Technology (IT) Services Division award recipients and teams recognized at the 2026 CIO Academy Awards! Your dedication, expertise, and leadership continue to drive progress across the agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yesterday evening, CDFA’s IT division was proud to share an extraordinary moment of recognition at the culmination of the two-day California Public Sector CIO Academy 2026<\/a> held at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center in Sacramento, California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This year\u2019s event highlighted some of the most impactful public sector technology leaders and teams across the state, and California’s agriculture state agency–stood out with multiple awards recognizing leadership, innovation, cybersecurity advancement, and service excellence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Congratulations IT team! I am so proud of Fred and our entire CDFA IT office. Since his appointment in June 2024, Fred has led significant IT transformations for the Agency and the Division he oversees, guided by his vision, innovation, leadership, and collaboration. Fred led the effort to transfer an essential IT contract from an outside department and DGS to CDFA, as the current contract was about to expire. These achievements represent far more than awards \u2014 they reflect our agency’s commitment to enabling better services for California\u2019s agricultural community, including collaboration across teams and divisions, innovation in solving complex technology challenges, strong cybersecurity and operational resilience, and public service driven by our mission,\u201d said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n CDFA IT received an exceptional set of honors, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n “These recognitions reflect not only individual excellence but the collective strength, collaboration, and commitment of CDFA\u2019s technology workforce in advancing the department\u2019s mission,” said Fredrick Gomez, CDFA\u2019s Agency Chief Information Officer and Director of the Information Technology Services Division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n CIO of the Year: Leadership Driving Transformation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n Under his leadership, CDFA has accelerated critical transformation efforts, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fredrick has also championed key initiatives that improved service delivery efficiency and positioned CDFA for long-term digital resilience. His leadership continues to foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and \u201cOne Team\u201d collaboration across the organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “With Fred\u2019s leadership, CDFA has achieved transformative advancements in technology and operational efficiency. His visionary leadership has driven major initiatives that advance digital transformation, strengthen cybersecurity, and enhance service delivery,\u201d said Arima Kozina<\/a>, Deputy Secretary of Administration and Finance. \u201cHis accomplishments reflect the qualities of a forward-thinking, results-driven IT executive dedicated to advancing California public sector IT excellence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n IT Team Excellence: Strengthening Security and Modernization<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Agency Information Security Office (ISO)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Application Development Support Section (ADSS)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Individual Excellence Recognized Across ITSD<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n Congratulations to all of our California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Information Technology (IT) Services Division award recipients and teams recognized at the 2026 CIO Academy Awards! Your dedication, expertise, and leadership continue to drive progress across the agency. … Continue reading A Landmark Year for CDFA IT<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Deputy State Chief Information Officer and Chief Deputy Director, Department of Technology State of California<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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