N.C. Department of Information Technology Names New State Geographic Information Officer

The N.C. Department of Information Technology has named Matthew McLamb as the new geographic information officer for the state of North Carolina and executive director of the N.C. Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (CGIA).

Raleigh

Jan 13, 2025

The N.C. Department of Information Technology has named Matthew McLamb as the new geographic information officer for the state of North Carolina and executive director of the N.C. Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (CGIA).

McLamb joined the CGIA in 2019 as the assistant director, leading the GIS services team and serving as the GIS project manager for North Carolina's Next Generation 911 project. NextGen 911 is a modernized system that enables geospatial 911 call routing thanks to a robust statewide geodatabase developed under McLamb's leadership. This critical technology and statewide GIS data proved invaluable during Hurricane Helene, allowing emergency calls from western North Carolina to be routed to other 911 public safety answering points across the state.

"Matt has already demonstrated a tremendous capability to take on a strategic role in serving the geographic data needs of the state of North Carolina," said Chief Data Officer Christie Burris. "In this new role, I am confident Matt will build upon the CGIA's decades of work to expand the application of geographic information systems and geospatial data into additional enterprise projects."

This position provides strategic policy and operational direction for the CGIA and supports the N.C. Geographic Information Coordinating Council by providing guidance on its efforts to enhance geospatial collaboration across state and local government agencies, educational institutions and the private sector.

"I look forward to making a difference in the lives of North Carolina residents by improving on the robust data collection and collaboration that we are so privileged to have in our state," said McLamb, "I am honored to lead North Carolina as we explore new ways to use geographic information."

McLamb has been part of North Carolina's GIS community for more than 16 years and has worked with local governments throughout the state and country and internationally in the areas of strategic planning and providing technical GIS services. He holds a Bachelor of Science in computer information systems from the University of Mount Olive and a master's degree in GIS and technology from North Carolina State University. He is also a certified GIS Professional (GISP).

McLamb replaces Tim Johnson, who retired in December 2024.

The NCDIT Enterprise Data Office encompasses the NC CGIA, the Government Data Analytics Center, the N.C. Health Information Exchange Authority and the N.C. Longitudinal Data Service.