Gov. Holcomb names Barnes as Chief Information Officer

Barnes will become a member of the Governor’s cabinet when he starts his new position on March 30.

File Photo

(Indianapolis, Ind.) - Gov. Eric J. Holcomb today announced he has selected Tracy Barnes to serve as the chief information officer for the state of Indiana.

“Tracy offers the vision and skills essential to growing the digital strategy required to power great government service,” Gov. Holcomb said. “His combination of the private sector and public service experiences will ensure the state is on the cutting edge of technology, cybersecurity, and policy.”

Since 2017, Barnes has served as the chief of staff for Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch. In this role, Tracy assists the Lt. Governor with the management and leadership of the executive office, the business office, and four state agencies including the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA), Indiana Office of Tourism Development (IOTD), Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA).

“Tracy has a bold vision for state government that inspired our entire staff to think bolder, act faster and constantly find new ways to better serve Hoosiers,” said Lt. Gov. Crouch. “He spearheaded the implementation of the State’s electronic Grants Management System, transformed how we deliver broadband to rural communities and challenged our agencies to make diversity and inclusion a priority. I am so proud to see him step into this new role and use his talents to modernize our evolving state and agency needs.”

Barnes brings significant business leadership and information technology experience to his role, having previously served as Deputy Auditor and IT Director for the Indiana Auditor of State.

Additionally, he was president and CEO of ENTAP, Inc. which designed and delivered effective information technology solutions to organizations in various industries across the globe.

Barnes has been recognized as Inc. Magazine's 9th Fastest Growing Black Entrepreneur and has received accolades from Top 50 Indiana Companies to Watch, the TechPoint MIRA awards, and IBE Governor's Award for Achievement in Technology.

Barnes earned a Bachelor’s degree in computer science from Butler University and a certificate from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.

Barnes will become a member of the Governor’s cabinet when he starts his new position on March 30.