CISO Mike Watson chosen for prestigious 2024 Thomas M Jarrett State Cybersecurity Leadership Award
This recognition honors state CISOs for exceptional accomplishments and leadership in their field and pays homage to the late NASCIO president Tom Jarrett.
Date Posted: Tuesday, October 8, 2024
CISO Mike Watson chosen for prestigious 2024 Thomas M Jarrett State Cybersecurity Leadership Award
It’s our distinct honor to share that our Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Michael Watson, has been selected as the recipient of the 2024 Thomas M. Jarrett State Cybersecurity Leadership Award. This recognition honors state CISOs for exceptional accomplishments and leadership in their field and pays homage to the late Tom Jarrett, a NASCIO past president who had a passion for state IT and cybersecurity.
“Michael has been a leading force in Virginia's cybersecurity efforts, significantly advancing the state's cybersecurity posture through a comprehensive zero trust strategy and forward-thinking cybersecurity initiatives,” a post from NASCIO read.
Mike’s leadership has strengthened the Commonwealth’s defenses in numerous key areas, and his commitment to ensuring a resilient and secure technology environment continues to protect and empower Virginians, from the state level to every individual Virginian.
Mike was nominated by VITA’s leader, Chief Information Officer of the Commonwealth (CIO) Bob Osmond and selected by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) Executive Committee as the recipient of this award.
From all of us at VITA, congratulations on this prestigious and well-deserved honor, Mike!
Learn more about the award and view past recipients here: nascio.org/awards
For additional information contact VITA Communications at vitacomms@vita.virginia.gov