Ruth Johnson

Ruth Johnson is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Louisiana state government.  The CIO heads the Division of Administration's Office of Information Technology and plays a major role in matters related to IT and IT resources.

Johnson was the former Secretary of the Louisiana's Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).  During her tenure at DCFS, Johnson identified more than $32 million in cost savings to the state and spearheaded a modernization of the department, which included creating web-based enrollments, migrating to electronic case files, and improving its customer service centers.

Under Johnson’s leadership, DCFS also launched its Common Access Front End, known as CAFÉ, to integrate business case management functionality across the agency's programs. CAFÉ provides web-based access for DCFS staff, customers, service providers and stakeholders via web portals and brings DCFS’ disparate legacy systems under one umbrella.

For her efforts, Johnson was awarded the State Technology Innovator of the Year Award by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) in 2011. According to NASCIO, the award is given "to honor outstanding individuals who have made contributions to advance the state's technology policy agenda through the promotion of best practices, adoption of new technologies and advancements in service delivery."

Ruth Johnson returns to Louisiana having most recently served as the Chief Financial Officer for South Carolina's Department of Health and Human Services, where her responsibilities included financial management of the state's $5.5 billion Medicaid program.

Johnson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting from Louisiana State University.

Ruth Johnson, Chief Information Officer

Vacant, Deputy CIO

Sharon Tyson, Executive Services Assistant