San Antonio names Marshall Ramsey as CIO

The City of San Antonio has appointed Marshall Ramsey as its new Chief Information Officer (CIO), with outgoing CIO Craig Hopkins framing the leadership transition as one rooted in stewardship, teamwork and public service.

Announcing his arrival in a LinkedIn post, Ramsey said he was honoured to join the city and described the opportunity as deeply personal.

“As a sixth-generation Texan, this opportunity carries a personal connection – it’s a chance to serve a city that feels like home,” he said.

Ramsey added that his focus would be on “listen[ing], learn[ing], and help[ing] move the mission forward together”, while emphasising that technology should ultimately support residents, city employees and trust in government.

“Technology matters, but only in how it helps us better serve residents, support employees, strengthen operations, and build trust with the community,” he said.

The appointment follows the departure of Hopkins, who has led San Antonio’s technology and smart city agenda since 2017. In his own LinkedIn post reflecting on the handover, Hopkins compared the transition to passing control of a Coast Guard rescue vessel to a new coxswain.

“The sign on the CIO office was changed today,” he wrote. “But the Coast Guard teaches you something important: no one holds the helm forever.”

Hopkins said leadership was not about possession or permanence, but about stewardship, service, and the responsibility to care for something larger.

He added: “The title, the office, the parking spot, the porcelain coffee cup, those things belong to the role, not the person. We are only temporary stewards of the role.”

During Hopkins’ tenure, San Antonio became known for its collaborative governance approach to smart city delivery and cross-agency cooperation.

In 2019, the city introduced an enterprise agreement designed to streamline data sharing between city departments and partner agencies covering transport, water, energy, housing and regional authorities.

Speaking to Cities Today at the time, Hopkins said the initiative was designed to remove barriers between agencies and create a stronger culture of collaboration.

“Behind all the smart city initiatives that I see going on around the world, I personally think that it’s the relationship between the agencies behind the scenes that doesn’t get any attention and that is probably one of our strongest points,” he said.

Hopkins also helped drive the broader SmartSA programme, which focused on mobility, sustainability, innovation zones and civic partnerships across the growing Texan city.

Welcoming Ramsey to the role, Hopkins concluded his post with a simple message: “The helm is yours.”

Main image: Sean Pavone | Dreamstime.com