Meet the Executive Team

Jennifer Lorenz
Acting Chief Information Officer

Jennifer Lorenz has more than 20 years of experience as a leader and operational manager of information technology systems. Previously the Deputy Chief Information Officer for Operations, Jenn has taken on the role of Acting Chief Information Officer. In this role, Jenn oversees the operations of the entire agency, including governing the framework for introducing new systems, programs and technologies to New York State agencies, as well as ensuring alignment between IT, client business strategies and financial objectives.

Prior to her role as Deputy CIO for Operations, Jenn led the NYS ITS Chief Portfolio Office. Her technical expertise has led to numerous service improvements and statewide technology transformation efforts. She is a results-oriented leader who advocates for leveraging technology to solve business problems and create process efficiencies.

Jenn has been with ITS since the agency’s inception in 2012. She previously served in the United States Air Force. Jenn holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Empire State College and an ITIL Foundations certification.

Marcy Stevens
Chief General Counsel

Marcy S. Stevens, has served as Chief General Counsel to NYS ITS since January 2020. In this role, she is the chief legal and policy officer for the agency and is responsible for all legal matters pertaining to and affecting NYS ITS, as well as in its capacity as a statewide service provider. Marcy has been with the agency since 2016, previously serving as ITS Deputy Counsel and Director of Litigation & eDiscovery.

Marcy has more than a decade of legal experience in the public and private sector. Prior to joining NYS, Marcy worked as a civil litigation attorney, most recently at a national law firm in the commercial and liability defense litigation practice, where she served as a member of the national eDiscovery triage team and represented corporate clients in high-exposure tort claims and employment matters.

Marcy is a key member of the NYS ITS leadership team, as well as a respected resource across the state for her ability to bridge the gap between complicated legal and policy matters and their intersection with technology tools, information security and data privacy issues.

Marcy holds a Juris Doctor (JD) and Master of Business Administration from Western New England University Schools of Law and Business, as well as a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University.

Scott Reif
Chief Communications Officer

Scott Reif has served as Chief Communications Officer for NYS ITS since February 2020. In this role, he is responsible for all internal and external communications for the agency, as well as providing critical support to more than 50 client agencies. As a member of the Executive Team, he works directly with the agency’s Chief Information Officer (CIO), Deputy CIO, General Counsel and others to operate an agency with more than 3000 employees.

Prior to arriving at ITS, Scott served as Press Secretary and Chief Spokesperson for the New York State Senate Majority, before assuming the duties of Communications Director. For more than 12 years, Scott played a key role in the Senate in the development and execution of the chamber’s legislative agenda, budget priorities and overall messaging. He handled media inquiries from local, state and national reporters, and he advised Senate members preparing for television interviews and floor debates.

From 2002-07, Scott served as the Public Information Officer for the New York State Division of the Budget for five full budget cycles, overseeing open public leaders’ meetings to enhance transparency and promote on-time budgets.

Scott is a Central New York native and graduate of the State University of New York (SUNY) at Oswego, where he received a bachelor's degree in communications. He lives just outside of Albany.

Stuart Poole
Chief Financial Officer

Stuart Poole has served as the Chief Financial Officer for NYS ITS since November 2021. In this role, he is responsible for preparing and managing the agency’s overall budget, guiding vendor management, and overseeing administrative and other HR-related functions.

Prior to joining ITS, Stuart spent 24 years with the New York State Division of the Budget (NYSDOB), where he held a wide variety of roles and amassed a wealth of experience in the following subject areas: operations, assistance to localities, public protection, special education, public assistance and information technology. He rose to Assistant Unit Chief before joining NYS ITS.

Before his work with the State, Stuart was an airborne infantry soldier with the United States Army. He holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from the Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy in Albany.

Stuart has volunteered to assist African nations on best budget practices. He lives in New York State’s Capital Region.

Stacy Panis
Chief Portfolio Officer

Stacy Panis has served as the Chief Portfolio Officer for NYS ITS since May of 2021. In this role, she is responsible for managing all the Chief Portfolio Office (CPO) teams that work directly with New York State agencies on their IT needs, as well as the Project Management Office and the Portfolio Governance and Strategy Unit.  

Stacy has nearly three decades of experience across a number of important NYS agencies, including the Department of Taxation and Finance, the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, and the Office of Mental Health. She joined ITS when it was created in 2012. 

Stacy received a Bachelor of Science from Syracuse University, where she completed a dual major in accounting and public relations. She was raised in Clifton Park and now resides in the town of Knox.

Chris DeSain
Chief Information Security Officer

Chris DeSain has served as New York's Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) since June 2022. In this position, Chris and his team are responsible for monitoring and maintaining the security of the state's information systems and data from cyber intrusion and attack.

Chris brings 24 years of valuable experience in the cybersecurity field to the role, including nearly 20 years in leadership positions across New York State government. He recently served as the Director for the Office of Counter Terrorism Cyber Incident Response team under the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES). 

Earlier in his career, he helped build the New York State Police (NYSP) cyber program, crafted the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) regulations, and became the first civilian CJIS Information Security Officer in the nation.

During a previous tenure as Director of NYS ITS Cyber Command, Chris formed the "Red Team" and established proactive threat response to ensure timely remediation of potential threats and vulnerabilities.  

Chris has earned his GIAC Security Essentials Certification (GSEC), a professional certification for those seeking to demonstrate technical proficiency in the field of cybersecurity. He was awarded a “Best of New York” award from the Center for Digital Government in 2013 and received the Cyber Security Champion Award from NYS in 2017.

Michele Jones
Chief Privacy Officer

Michele Jones is New York State’s first-ever chief privacy officer. In this new capacity at NYS ITS, she is responsible for driving the state’s strategy in protecting the personal and confidential data of New Yorkers amid a rise in digital service offerings and new data privacy laws and regulations. 

Prior to joining ITS, Michele served more than 10 years in various roles, including General Counsel and Deputy Director of Risk Management, as well as Compliance/Data Protection Officer for Capital Region BOCES, where she was a key member of the executive team. She also managed vendor engagements, developed information privacy and security awareness training, and spearheaded the campaign to shift BOCES culture towards data privacy and security awareness. 

Michele is a graduate of Albany Law School and holds a certificate in Human Resource Management from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations.

Rebecca Cai
Chief Data Officer

Rebecca Cai has served as the Chief Data Officer for NYS ITS since March of 2023. In this role, she is responsible for directing the Chief Data Office (CDO) within the NYS Office of Information Technology Services (ITS) to promote transparency, improve government performance, and enhance citizen engagement as defined in NYS Executive Order 95. It includes creating data strategy, governance structure and inventory of data; establishing clear process for data sharing; and providing mechanisms to enable data analysis, as well as ensuring ongoing support for data efforts statewide.

Rebecca has 24 years of digital, data analytics, and decision intelligence experience in the private sector before joining ITS. She holds an MBA from the University of South Carolina.

David Viau
Acting Chief Technology Officer

David Viau has more than 40 years of experience supporting critical New York State agency voice, video, and data communications infrastructure, with specific expertise in the areas of budgeting, planning, installation, troubleshooting, repair, and maintenance. 

Since 2021, he served as Deputy Chief Technology Officer for New York State Office of Information Technology Services (ITS) Enterprise Network Services. He has also managed ITS data center operations for nearly a decade and has served New Yorkers in a variety of technical management and supervisory roles while with the Office of Mental Health (OMH), Department of Correction Services and Community Supervision (DOCCS), and Office of General Services (OGS).