Bill Zielinski will step down as Dallas' chief information officer after nearly four years, the Dallas Morning News reported Wednesday.
Zielinski joined the city during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading the city's response to ransomware attacks and helping the city's information technology staff delete millions of electronic police records. I overcame the aftermath. His official last day as CIO is April 30th.
Zielinski did not specify his new role, but told The Dallas Morning News that he is moving to the private sector after more than 30 years in government.
“A great opportunity came up, and at the end of the day, considering where I am in my career, where I am in my life, it was just a great match. So I said yes,” Zielinski said. told the Dallas Morning News. “So, I'm going to take a few weeks off and then start a new job in the private industry.”
Brian Gardner, the city's chief information security officer, will serve as interim CIO.
In 2021, city IT workers accidentally deleted millions of police files. Two years later, a ransomware attack that compromised more than 30,000 Social Security numbers and other personal information took some city computers and services offline.
Following the record deletion, Zielinski began submitting monthly reports on the IT department to the City Council. Additionally, ransomware attacks have prompted city officials to grapple with addressing digital vulnerabilities.
“There's nothing forcing me to leave,” Zielinski told the Dallas Morning News. “The city has been very supportive from city management to the council. I am pleased with the support the city has provided me and the IT organization in this role. We look forward to receiving your support and look forward to continuing to do so.”
