Concourse

Minnesota

IT Status Report & Strategic Plan

February 23, 2026 · Version 2.0

Executive Summary

Governor

Tim Walz (D)

CIO

Tarek Tomes (departing March 2026; Jon Eichten interim)

CISO

John Israel

IT Organization

Minnesota IT Services (MNIT)

State Agencies

75

Population

5.7M

Key Strengths

  • National leader in digital government -- earned an 'A' grade from the Center for Digital Government and multiple NASCIO awards including AI 50 recognition in 2025
  • Appointed Minnesota's first AI Director and established responsible AI governance framework, positioning the state among the earliest to formalize AI oversight in government operations
  • Whole-of-state cybersecurity approach with a legislatively mandated Cybersecurity Incident Reporting Law and Cybersecurity Task Force covering state agencies, local governments, and Tribal Nations
  • Strong broadband commitment through the Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant Program and $652M BEAD allocation with 88,700 unserved locations identified for fiber deployment

Key Risks

  • CIO Tarek Tomes departing in mid-March 2026 creates leadership transition risk after seven years of continuity -- interim CIO Jon Eichten must maintain momentum on enterprise modernization
  • MNIT supports 2,700+ applications and 560+ IT projects across 75 agencies, creating significant portfolio complexity and potential for shadow IT as agencies push for faster delivery
  • DOJ WCAG 2.1 AA website accessibility compliance deadline of April 24, 2026 approaching -- while MNIT has updated digital accessibility standards, full compliance across all state web properties is unconfirmed
  • $652M BEAD broadband deployment timeline at risk as federal policy shifts link AI governance requirements to BEAD non-deployment funding, potentially delaying construction starts

Capability Areas

Capability Radar

Cybersecurity & …AI & AutomationDigital Governme…Data Management …Workforce Develo…Cloud ServicesBroadband & Conn…IT Procurement &…Interoperability…Legacy Moderniza…
Minnesota

Current IT Projects

ProjectStatusDescriptionTimeline
BEAD Broadband Deployment ProgramIn Progress$652M BEAD allocation to connect 89,000 unserved homes and businesses. Subgrantee selection underway with three rounds planned for spring and summer 2025. Final proposal submission to NTIA by October 2025.2025-2028
AI Governance and Responsible AI FrameworkActiveFirst-in-state AI Director appointed to guide responsible AI adoption. Developing statewide AI governance policies, use case evaluations, and ethical guidelines for agency deployments.2025-2026
Whole-of-State Cybersecurity Plan ImplementationIn ProgressCybersecurity Task Force executing statewide security plan covering state agencies, local governments, and Tribal Nations. Funded through State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program.2024-2026
Technology Modernization Fund ProjectsActive26 funded projects addressing security enhancements and technology modernization across state agencies, transitioning to cloud-native and agile delivery models.2024-2026
Digital Accessibility ComplianceIn ProgressUpdating state web properties to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards ahead of DOJ April 24, 2026 compliance deadline. Digital accessibility standards updated and under implementation.2025-2026
MNIT Leadership TransitionPendingCIO Tarek Tomes departing mid-March 2026 for University of Minnesota. Deputy Commissioner Jon Eichten named interim CIO. Continuity planning for enterprise modernization initiatives.March 2026

100-Day Strategic Plan

Quick-win initiatives for immediate impact

200-Day Strategic Plan

Strategic initiatives for sustained transformation

Sources

  1. GovTech: Minnesota CIO to Exit, State Says, Announcing a Successor (accessed 2026-02-23)
  2. MNIT 2024 Annual Report (accessed 2026-02-23)
  3. MNIT Q3 2025 Quarterly Report (accessed 2026-02-23)
  4. Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force (accessed 2026-02-23)
  5. MNIT Cybersecurity Incident Reporting Law Inaugural Report (accessed 2026-02-23)
  6. Minnesota Digital Government Summit 2025 (accessed 2026-02-23)
  7. NASCIO 2025 State CIO Survey (accessed 2026-02-23)
  8. NASCIO 2026 Federal Advocacy Priorities (accessed 2026-02-23)
  9. $652M Minnesota BEAD Funding Moves Forward (accessed 2026-02-23)
  10. Minnesota State IT Center of Excellence (accessed 2026-02-23)
  11. MNIT Careers and Workforce (accessed 2026-02-23)
  12. Minnesota Gov. Walz Orders State Employees Back to Office 50% of Time (accessed 2026-02-23)
  13. Minnesota AI Laws Overview 2026 (accessed 2026-02-23)
  14. NTIA BEAD Public Resources and State Plans (accessed 2026-02-23)
  15. DOJ Title II Web Accessibility Rule -- WCAG 2.1 AA (April 24, 2026 deadline) (accessed 2026-02-23)
  16. GovCIO Outlook: Minnesota CIO Tarek Tomes Interview (accessed 2026-02-23)