Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced the appointment of Aaron Wheeler to serve as director of the Washington State Broadband Office (WSBO) within the state’s Department of Commerce.

Though State of Washington CIO Bill Kehoe doesn’t lament his lack of operational responsibilities in that position, that makes his collaboration strategy all the more impressive.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has approved $195.7 million in funding for high-speed internet projects in Washington state as part of the Capital Projects Fund (CPF) in President Biden’s American Rescue Plan.

The nonprofit Results for America has recognized eight states – Colorado, Minnesota, Tennessee, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Washington, Utah, and Connecticut – for their achievements in using data-driven and evidence-based policymaking to “accelerate economic mobility, advance equity, and deliver better results for their residents.”

The state of Washington’s Department of Labor (DoL) confirmed that it detected “suspicious activity” during the week of Jan. 24 indicating a cyberattack targeting the state’s professional and occupational license data.

The Washington state Senate passed a data privacy bill Feb. 14 that would give consumers greater access to and control over their personal data.

The State of Washington’s Department of Health (DOH) implemented more than 600 improvements to its cloud IT service management implementation in 2017, which helped cut the department’s IT service delivery times in half, according to two officials within the department.

Washington CIO Michael Cockrill is moving to the private sector later this month. After being appointed by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee in 2013, Cockrill oversaw the creation of Washington Technology Solutions, the agency created in 2015 to centralize state IT and improve services for the people of Washington through technology. Cockrill spoke with MeriTalk State and Local about his time as CIO and the jump to rejoin the private sector.

Seattle hosted its “City for All” hackathon, which gathered data scientists, designers and urban planners, and software developers to search for solutions for challenges connected to aging and accessibility within the city. The hackathon was hosted in partnership with the Age-Friendly Seattle initiative, part of Seattle’s commitment to residents of all ages, including senior citizens who wish to age in place.