GovRAMP Appoints Tony Sauerhoff as President of the Board of Directors and Announces 2026 Leadership

Indianapolis, IN — January 12, 2026 — GovRAMP announced the appointment of Tony Sauerhoff, Chief AI & Innovation Officer for the Texas Department of Information Resources, as President of its Board of Directors, and confirmed its 2026 Board of Directors, committee leadership, and governance structure.

Sauerhoff has served on the GovRAMP Board of Directors and now assumes the role of Board President as the organization continues to support secure, consistent, and risk-based cloud adoption for the public sector. His leadership reflects GovRAMP’s commitment to grounding its programs in real-world government experience while advancing innovation in a rapidly evolving threat and technology landscape.

Other 2026 GovRAMP Board Officers include Dugan Petty, who will continue in his service as Secretary/Treasurer, and J.R. Sloan, State CIO for Arizona and GovRAMP Co-Founder, who will move to the role of Past President after serving as the GovRAMP Board President since 2021.

As Texas’ Chief AI & Innovation Officer, Sauerhoff leads statewide efforts to advance secure and responsible adoption of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, while supporting enterprise cybersecurity strategy, innovation, and cross-agency coordination. His role places him at the intersection of technology modernization, risk management, and public-sector service delivery within one of the nation’s largest and most complex state environments.

Prior to his current role, Sauerhoff served as Texas Chief Information Security Officer, where he led statewide cybersecurity strategy, policy development, incident response coordination, security services, and information sharing across public and private sectors. He also previously served as Senior Deputy CISO, State Cybersecurity Coordinator, and Chair of the Texas Cybersecurity Council. Sauerhoff brings more than 30 years of experience across IT and cybersecurity leadership roles in both the public and private sectors, including service with the U.S. Department of Defense and the federal judiciary. He began his career as a communications specialist in the U.S. Air Force.

“GovRAMP is essential to how governments manage cyber risk while continuing to modernize and innovate,” said Sauerhoff. “Texas relies on programs like GovRAMP to support informed, risk-based decision-making, and I’m excited to work with the Board and GovRAMP team to extend that value to more states, local governments, and public-sector partners across the country.”

“I also want to extend my sincere appreciation to J.R. Sloan for his vision and leadership as GovRAMP’s first Board President,” Sauerhoff added. “J.R.’s commitment during the organization’s early growth helped shape GovRAMP into a trusted, member-driven program serving governments nationwide.”

“Tony brings an exceptional combination of strategic vision, operational experience, and public-service leadership,” said Leah McGrath, Executive Director of GovRAMP. “His leadership strengthens GovRAMP’s ability to serve our members by ensuring our programs remain practical, trusted, and aligned with the needs of governments and the communities they support.”

In addition to Sauerhoff’s appointment, GovRAMP announced its 2026 Board and committee leadership, reflecting continued collaboration among government, education, and industry leaders dedicated to advancing secure cloud services for the public sector. GovRAMP’s committees—including the Approvals Committee, Appeals Committee, Procurement Committee, Standards & Technical Committee, Nominating Committee, and AI Executive Council—provide governance, technical expertise, and oversight to support the organization’s mission and member-driven programs.

Recommended by the GovRAMP Nominating Committee, the Board is pleased to announce 2026 GovRAMP Leadership.