Chief Technology Officer
Mark J. Combs
Mark J. Combs is a nationally recognized technology executive with more than 35 years of experience leading enterprise transformation across state government and the private sector. As Chief Technology Officer for KWR Strategies, he advises public-sector organizations and technology partners on digital transformation, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, cloud modernization, enterprise architecture, and technology strategy across State, Local, and Education markets.
Before joining KWR Strategies, Mark served for nine years as the inaugural Chief Technology & Enterprise Services Officer for the State of Vermont’s Agency of Digital Services. He led the state’s enterprise technology organization and one of the nation’s most comprehensive state IT modernization efforts—transitioning fragmented legacy environments to a secure hybrid-cloud enterprise, eliminating 14 state-owned data centers, modernizing more than 300 government locations through SD-WAN, and expanding the active technology portfolio from approximately 20 to nearly 100 concurrent initiatives.
Mark also served as Co-Chair of Vermont’s Council on Artificial Intelligence, helping establish statewide governance, policy, risk-management, and ethical frameworks for responsible public-sector AI. Earlier in his career, he held leadership, enterprise architecture, and consulting roles with NIC Inc., Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont, FAST Search & Transfer, Dell EMC, IBM, and other technology organizations. A veteran and dedicated public servant, Mark is known for translating complex technology challenges into measurable outcomes through collaborative leadership, cyber resilience, and responsible innovation.