Little Rock, AR – The Department of Transformation and Shared Services (TSS) Division of Information Systems (DIS) named Robert McGough the state’s Chief Data Officer (CDO). In this role, McGough will concentrate on policy and lead the state’s efforts to improve data structure, security and data use.

McGough served as Deputy Chief Data Officer since 2017, where he worked to grow data analytic capacity and communities of practice for the sharing, integrating and analyzing data to support improved policy decisions and operations.

“I am thrilled to have Robert serve as our next Chief Data Officer,” said TSS Secretary Joseph K. Wood. “With his experience leading the ARData team and extensive data analytical knowledge, I have full confidence he will lead our state toward a data-driven and action-oriented approach that aligns perfectly with transformation’s core mission.”

McGough has over 20 years of experience in data management and analytics, supporting public sector entities with the Division of Information Systems. He actively contributes to efforts by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, National Science Foundation, National Governors Association, the Coleridge Initiative and others to modernize the national data infrastructure through interoperable standards, secure data trusts and multi-state data collaboratives. Robert currently serves on the Arkansas Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) executive committee, the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet and the interim executive committee of the Southern Regional Data Collaborative.

McGough holds a Master of Science in Information Quality and is currently an Information Science Ph.D. candidate conducting research to advance the field of longitudinal data analysis on administrative data. He has completed the UALR Institute for Chief Data Officers program, the ASU Six Sigma Black Belt program, and the Coleridge Initiative Applied Data Analytics program.