About
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JOE PANORA
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Joe Panora has over 37 years of state public service with fourteen (14) years
serving in the Correctional Safety/Public Safety Law Enforcement as
IT Director/Chief Information Officer (CIO).
Joe Panora was appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger and Governor Brown
to serve as Director of the Enterprise Information Services (EIS) for the
Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), since January 2008.
During his career, Joe has also served for the following departments: Caltrans,
Franchise Tax Board, Employment Development Department, State Controller’s
Office and California Youth Authority. Joe retired from state service as the
Director of EIS for CDCR in December 2014.
During his tenure at CDCR, the department was one of the world’s largest correctional organizations, with an overall operating budget greater than $9 billion and more than 55,000 employees, disbursed throughout California. During Joe’s career at CDCR the operations reached their peak at: 34 adult institutions, with an inmate population of approximately 170,000, 100 parole units with a parole population of approximately 90,000, 40 parole office locations, 5 Juvenile Justice Institutions with approximately 1,200 juvenile offenders, and multiple administrative and headquarter offices.
As the EIS Director, Joe was responsible for leading an organization with over 650 IT professionals. His team worked to deliver and improve statewide processes for education, rehabilitation, board hearings, healthcare, and offender/parole/juvenile operations. Also, this included the Department’s IT strategic plan, policies, standards, enterprise architecture, procurement, customer service/field operations, and automation efforts. Over his tenure, Joe implemented an IT project portfolio worth over $800 million, which resulted in both a business and IT transformation for CDCR. Significant program and cost efficiencies were achieved as well as enhanced delivery of services.
Joe’s successes included the implementation of a financial management (ERP- SAP) system solution that streamlined all financial, human resources, and business processes; implementation of a statewide automated online inmate visitation appointment scheduling system; and the implementation of a single integrated Strategic Offender Management System that reduced the number of IT systems and consolidated numerous databases, and aging systems.
Joe holds a Masters degree in Business Administration and Telecommunications, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting, and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).
Honors & Awards:
Individual Awards
2020 ITMA Wall of Fame (1st honoree)
2015: CA Public Sector Dedication & Service Award - CIO Academy (eRepublic/Govtech/Public CIO)
2014: Cybersecurity Leadership Innovation Award – Leadership Innovators Category (Center for Digital Government).
2013: Named one of the Government Technology’s Top 25 for Doers, Dreamer, and Driver for his contribution to public-sector innovation.
2010: Named Outstanding Technology Leadership Award at the California CIO Academy Awards, a program hosted by Public CIO magazine.
Key Project Awards:
2014 Government Computer News (GCN) Magazine – Strategic Offender Management System (SOMS) Project award winner for Outstanding Information Technology Achievement in Government.
2014 Digital Government Achievement Awards (DGAA) – Strategic Offender Management System (SOMS) project award winner for Government Internal category.
2013 Best of California Award, Government Technology and the Center for Digital Government – best application Serving an Agency’s Business Needs; Strategic Offender Management System (SOMS).
2013 National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) – Business Information System (BIS) Project award winner under the category of improving State Operations.
2013 Best of California Award, Government Technology and the Center for Digital Government – best application serving the Public: Visitor Processing Appointment Schedule System (VPASS).
PANORA ASSOCIATES, INC.
Strategy and Business Consulting
