New CIO to lead El Paso’s digital growth

The City of El Paso has appointed Carolyn Patrick as its new Chief Information Officer (CIO), where she will steer the city’s digital transformation.

A native El Pasoan with over 25 years of experience in information technology, Patrick has served in several leadership positions within the city’s IT department.

“My top priority is to ensure that our IT strategy is closely aligned with the goals of city leadership and the needs of our community,” Patrick told Cities Today. “That means taking a collaborative approach, working hand in hand with departments across the organisation to identify service challenges and deliver technology solutions that make a real difference.”

Improving how residents interact with city services, making them more accessible and user-friendly, will be central to her agenda, along with strengthening the city’s cybersecurity measures to protect against digital threats.

Building on El Paso’s recognition in a city survey, where the city has earned top rankings, Patrick aims to further innovate.

“The recognition in the Digital Cities Survey stems from a strong culture of continuous improvement,” she noted. “Moving forward, we will focus on reimagining processes, enhancing user experiences, and driving operational efficiencies across the organisation.”

Patrick’s vision for El Paso’s IT infrastructure centres on modernising legacy systems to create a secure, resilient framework for digital transformation. By integrating emerging technologies such as AI, automation, and data analytics, she aims to enhance service delivery and support the community’s evolving needs.

“Modernising legacy infrastructure and systems provides the framework for successful digital transformation,” she said.

Collaboration with regional partners and vendors is another key element of her strategy. Patrick stressed the importance of working closely with technology vendors and regional partners, highlighting opportunities to share cybersecurity strategies, tools, workflows, and data to enhance community protection and service.

Her appointment follows a long career with the City of El Paso, where she has led multiple high-impact initiatives.

Dionne Mack, El Paso City Manager said: “Carolyn’s deep technical expertise, commitment to service, and strong leadership make her an exceptional choice to lead our Information Technology team.”

Image: Sean Pavone | Dreamstime.com