Information Services

Call him a “Mike of All Trades.” In his 26 years with the County of San Mateo, Mike Wentworth has worn many hats and filled many roles as he traversed departments and rose in the ranks.

After the April 5 Board of Supervisors meeting, add chief information officer (CIO)/director of the Information Services Department (ISD) to that list. Following a nationwide recruitment, County Executive Officer Mike Callagy has named Wentworth to permanently fill the position he’s held on an interim basis since May 2021. The Board is expected to approve the appointment at Tuesday’s meeting.

“I am honored by this opportunity to continue working with the dedicated staff of ISD, especially as we undertake important community services like public WiFi which improves equitable access, turning Middlefield Road into the smartest street in America, completely revamping the County website and overall strengthening the technology our employees and clients use,” Wentworth said.

As CIO, Wentworth will oversee a department charged with supporting all County departments’ technological needs. The department has 135 full-time positions and expects to spend $79.9 million in Fiscal Year 2021-22.

Wentworth joined the County in 1996 and his last 13 years have been as an executive manager. Wentworth has served as the deputy director of administrative services and airports in the Department of Public Works, director of administration and information services in the Human Services Agency, deputy chief information officer/assistance director of ISD and now interim CIO of ISD.

Wentworth caught the technology bug early in life, challenged by the required problem solving and fascinated at how it could make lives easier and speed up processes. He said the same holds true in government technology because supporting departments’ needs helps them achieve their public service goals for the entire community.

Wentworth said in his new role he’ll remain focused on five critical areas that served the County and community well during the COVID-19 pandemic and wildfire emergencies: improved cybersecurity, increased quality of the County’s network, improved Internet bandwidth, enhanced telework capabilities and improving the County’s website to strengthen public communication and access to digital services.

Callagy cited Wentworth’s varied work with the County, especially in leadership, budgeting and policy, and long-range plans for ISD as key to his selection.

“Mike brings his genuine commitment to public service along with a skill set that will only help ISD grow into even more of a cutting-edge department. The County of San Mateo has long valued innovation and transparency, and Mike is the person to see that through,” Callagy said.