Leadership Team

Gonzalez has 30 years of private and public sector management experience and has served the State of Idaho for nearly 20 years.

He is the current CIO/Administrator for the Idaho Office of Information Technology Services (ITS) after his appointment by Idaho Governor Brad Little in October 2022. Prior to ITS, Gonzalez served as the administrator for the Idaho Transportation Department’s Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and worked for the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare.

His work in state government has had a strong focus on transformation and modernization, with serving Idaho citizens as his main priority. Prior to state service, Gonzalez worked for a national communication company for 14 years in a variety of leadership roles. He studied Organizational Behavior at the University of San Francisco.

With over 35 years of experience in the information technology industry, Pierce is a seasoned professional specializing in project management, IT resiliency, modernization, and strategic management. Throughout a distinguished career, he has led numerous high-impact projects, driving innovation and ensuring business continuity across diverse sectors. Pierce is passionate about leveraging technology to optimize processes, enhance system reliability, and deliver sustainable solutions. A dedicated leader and problem solver, he excels in aligning IT strategies with organizational goals to foster growth and resilience in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

Jackson has more than 15 years of evolving IT experience where he worked in designing, implementing, and supporting complex business, data, application, and technology solutions for the public sector.

He has demonstrated success at earning the trust of stakeholders, bridging gaps between business and IT, providing effective leadership, communication, and team building.

Jackson also has a proven track record in successful project delivery, implementing enterprise solutions for cloud, data center, IT security, networking, applications, and end-user computing.

Edgar has over 24 years of military service, with 20 of those years focused on directing, influencing, and designing secure and redundant cyber capabilities for military operations within contested environments.

Prior to retiring, he was the Director of Cyber Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) for the Idaho Army National Guard (IDARNG) where he had grown a strategic partnership throughout Idaho and the Department of Defense to enable cyber assessments, consultation, and assistance leveraging military readiness objectives, funding, and personnel from 2019 through 2024. Prior to this role, Edgar served in various leadership positions throughout the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team (CBCT) managing the 116th CBCT enterprise communication suite for hundreds of training exercises and modernization efforts, two National Training Center rotations, Operation Saber Guardian 2016, and two combat deployments since 2001.

Pope has eight years of U.S. Military service (USMC) along with 30 years of private and public sector management experience. He has served the State of Idaho for 18 years. He is the current Operations Chief for ITS. Prior to joining ITS, Pope served as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for the Idaho Transportation Department and worked briefly for the Idaho Department of Lands as the Administrator for Administrative Services (IT, GIS, and Finance). His work in state government has had a strong focus on IT transformation, with an emphasis on creating efficiency in IT operations. Prior to state service, Pope worked for global oil and gas giant, British Petroleum (BP) for 15 years as a regional CTO, Asia Pacific.

Gonzalez has nearly 25 years of varied communications experience in both the public and private sector. She joined ITS from an international engineering firm and its Idaho-based strategic communications and community engagement team.

Previously, Gonzalez was a communications specialist at the Idaho Transportation Department. She supported and managed communications, stakeholder outreach, media relations, and government affairs.

Before joining the State of Idaho, she was a business writer at the Idaho Business Review. Gonzalez began her career as a news producer, reporter, and anchor at TV stations in Northern California and Idaho.

Thornock has spent nearly 30 years working in the IT space in a variety of technical and leadership roles. Prior to joining ITS, he managed teams and programs at Idaho Fish & Game, Idaho Transportation Department, and Office of Energy Resources. Prior to Thornock’s state service, he worked at Micron Technology, Inc.

Thornock holds a degree in computer networking from Boise State University and multiple IT certifications. An Idaho native, he enjoys outdoor activities, paddleboarding, and restoring classic cars.

Stowe discovered through this journey that her passion for HR is in the public sector. With over 12 years of experience in Human Resources, she has developed expertise in talent management, employee engagement, and HR operations. Stowe has worked across industries—including property management, the private sector, and government—earning a reputation for aligning people strategies with organizational goals and fostering workplaces where employees can thrive.

Stowe is a problem-solver at heart and dedicated to developing HR initiatives that attract, nurture, and retain top talent. She believes HR plays a critical role in empowering people to foster innovation, collaboration, and long-term success.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Boise State University, a Master of Science in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Springfield College, and an SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources) certification.

Stowe lives in Boise, Idaho, with her husband, two children, and their dog. In her free time, she enjoys going on adventures with her family and exploring her latest hobby—pottery.

Tower has over 40 years of private and public sector financial and management experience and has served the State of Idaho for over 14 years as a Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Prior to joining ITS in 2022, he was the CFO at the Division of Career Technical Education and Idaho Public Television.

Prior to state service, he was the CFO at a fast-growing retail and manufacturing company. Separately, he was the founder and owner/operator of three businesses in Idaho, including small company computer and networking services, a web development and hosting company, and a community media company.

Throughout his career, Tower has implemented organizational and system structure, consistency, and operational efficiencies to maximize value for stakeholders and taxpayers. Fiscal responsibility and accountability are at the core of his actions.

He enjoys many outdoor activities including hiking, biking, backpacking, snowshoeing and camping. He also enjoys travel and photography along the way.

Smith has 20 years of leadership experience in both private and public organizations in various technical roles.

He currently is the Chief Technology Officer for the Office of Information Technology Services. Smith previously served as the Lead Architect for ITS. Prior to joining ITS in May 2020, Smith served in various IT roles at the Idaho Transportation Department.