Meet the Executive Team

Dru Rai
Chief Information Officer

Governor Kathy Hochul appointed Dru Rai as New York State Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Director of the Office of Information Technology Services (ITS) in October 2023. 

In this position, Rai is responsible for leading New York’s ongoing digital transformation, enhancing the state’s cyber posture to defend New York against evolving cyberthreats, and working with Executive Branch agencies to create digital interactions between state government and residents that are simple, seamless and straightforward.    

A highly skilled leader with more than 30 years of experience in Digital Product Management, Information Technology and eCommerce, Rai most recently served as Chief Digital and Information Officer of Quaker Houghton Company.  He previously served as Global CIO for the Ball Corporation, DuPont Coatings and GE Advanced Material (a Division of GE) and began his career at Ernst & Young. 

Rai also led and volunteered as CIO for Goodwill Industries International and the American Cancer Society, helping each organization set and execute their digital strategies, and make significant technology operational improvements. 
Rai earned an MBA from the University of Connecticut and a Bachelor of Technology from GB Pant University in India.

Jennifer Lorenz
Executive Deputy 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 Executive Deputy 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.

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.

David Viau
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).

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.

Kelly Morrissey was appointed Acting Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for NYS ITS in February 2024. In this role, Kelly is responsible for leading the Administration, Budget, Accounts Receivable and Rate Setting offices, and the Vendor Sourcing and Management Organization (VSMO) within ITS.Kelly first joined ITS in January 2020 as the Director of Financial Administration, providing strong leadership through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. She began her extensive career in New York State government in 2005 and has served in a number of key agency finance roles, including the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), the Office of Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG) and, most recently, the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). In these positions, Kelly provided oversight and strategic direction for the expenditures of state and other funds, ranging from $50 million to as much as $5 billion annually.

Kelly has both a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in education from the College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY, and currently resides in her hometown of Troy, NY.

Michele Jones
Chief Risk and Data Privacy Officer

Michele Jones was appointed as New York State’s first-ever Chief Privacy Officer in 2022 and was recently appointed as the Chief Risk and Data Privacy Officer at NYS ITS. In this capacity at NYS ITS, she is responsible for building and managing a team of risk and privacy professionals, developing, and maintaining an enterprise governance risk and compliance program, and establishing a vision for the statewide IT privacy program.

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 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 2004 graduate (cum laude) of Albany Law School, is certified by IAPP as a Certified Information Privacy Professional/US and holds a certificate in Human Resource Management from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations.