STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1984

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: GOV. MSG. NO. 503

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor and Technology, to which was referred Governor's Message No. 503, submitting for study and consideration the nomination of:

Chief Information Officer, Office of Enterprise Technology Services

G.M. No. 503

DOUG MURDOCK, for a term to expire at noon on 12-07-2026,

begs leave to report as follows:

Your Committee reviewed the personal history, resume, and statement submitted by Doug Murdock for reappointment as Chief Information Officer.

Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination for the reappointment of Doug Murdock from the Governor, Department of Transportation, Department of Law Enforcement, Department of Budget and Finance, Department of Health, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Public Safety, Department of Human Resources Development, Department of Human Services, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Department of Taxation, Office of Elections, State Procurement Office, Hawaii Public Housing Authority, and twenty-one individuals.

Mr. Murdock earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Washington School of the Law, a Master's degree in Public Administration from Central Michigan University, and a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Portland State University. Mr. Murdock served in the United States Air Force and retired in 2010 with the rank of Colonel after twenty-five years of service.

Your Committee notes that Mr. Murdock has served as the Chief Information Officer since his appointment in 2019. Prior to his service as the Chief Information Officer, Mr. Murdock not only was the Vice President of Administrative and Fiscal Affairs for the Hawaii Tourism Authority from August 2012 to December 2014, but also served as the Comptroller of the Department of Accounting and General Services from January 2015 to November 2016. Your Committee further notes that after moving to Hawaii, Mr. Murdock served on the Procurement Policy Board from 2011 to 2012.

In his written statement to your Committee, Mr. Murdock stated that his priorities during this upcoming term include the completion and execution of the IT Consolidation Plan; continued modernization of legacy systems, especially the Enterprise Financial System; development of a new citizen identity and fraud prevention system; provision of resources for better civic engagement; and continued transformation of the Office of Enterprise Technology (ETS).

Over the last four years, Mr. Murdock has fulfilled his responsibility to organize, manage, and oversee statewide information technology governance. Under his leadership, ETS designed and implemented the State of Hawaii Safe Travels technology platform to protect the health of residents and visitors and restart the economy during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019) pandemic; finalized and implemented the State of Hawaii 2019-2023 IT Strategic Plan to help state government better serve the public; modernized the State's numerous legacy systems, including the payroll and time and leave systems; moved the State's mainframe applications to the cloud thereby reducing costs of each application, but also improving the speed, reliability, and disaster recovery capabilities of each application; and enhanced the State's cybersecurity resources. Testimony received by your Committee also noted that, at the start of the COVID-2019 pandemic, Mr. Murdock ensured that ETS services and shared resources were made available to support the antiquated Unemployment Insurance System and worked with all cabinet members to balance the limited state resources between critical systems that helped allow over 190,000 residents to successfully file their initial unemployment insurance claims between the months of April and May 2020. Your Committee also notes that the accomplishments of ETS over the last four years have been recognized by outside organizations, including the Center for Digital Government, Google, and StateScoop.

Your Committee finds that testimony submitted in support of Mr. Murdock's nomination universally speak highly of his legal, technical, business, and government expertise; proactive problem solving; and overall effectiveness. Additionally, testimony commended his leadership style, stating that it has enabled and empowered staff, engaged department stakeholders, and produced significant achievement in ensuring that critical services are delivered to the public through the optimum use of information technology resources. Testimony across multiple departments confirmed that they were looking forward to continued collaboration with Mr. Murdock.

After hearing from the nominee and considering his resume and statement, your Committee further finds that his past performance and commitment to public service qualify Doug Murdock for reappointment as the Chief Information Officer.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor and Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee, after full consideration of the background, experience, and qualifications of the nominee, has found the nominee to be qualified for the position to which nominated and recommends that the Senate advise and consent to the nomination.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor and Technology,

____________________________

SHARON MORIWAKI, Chair