Career
Richard J. H. Varn has served as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the City of San Antonio since November of 2007. He twice served as the Interim CIO for COSA in 2005 and again in 2007. Previously, he was a small business entrepreneur and started his own consulting company. Founded in 1988, RJV Consulting serves public and private sector clients in the areas of information technology, business strategy, innovation, education, and public policy. He is a Senior Fellow with the Center for Digital Government, the Technology Policy Advisor to the National Retail Federation, Director of the Coalition for Sensible Public Records Access, and serves on the Board of Trustees for the Educational Testing Service. Previously he served as the Chief Technology Officer and consultant for the Business Gateway, a federal e-government initiative to implement electronic forms and streamline regulatory processes.

Mr. Varn’s first career was in public service, beginning in 1978 at the University of Iowa and continuing in 1981 as a state legislative aide. He went on to win elected office in 1982 at the age of 24 and served as a State Representative for four years and as a State Senator for eight years. During that time, he was twice elected Majority Whip and chaired numerous committees including the Education Appropriations, Communications and Information Policy, Human Services Appropriations, and Judiciary Committees. He was the first Iowa legislator to install and use a computer in the Iowa legislative chambers. He left the legislature in 1994 to teach and serve as Director of Telecommunications and IT Production Services at the University of Northern Iowa. There he led a successful reorganization of the technology departments and created numerous innovative e-learning programs.

He returned to state government in 1999 to create the state’s first Information Technology Department. He served as its first Director and as the state’s first CIO. Iowa’s IT Department quickly gained a reputation for innovative and efficient use of information technology to deliver solutions to government and its citizens. Mr. Varn returned to full-time consulting in 2002.

Education
Bachelor of Arts with honors in Political Science, University of Iowa
Juris Doctorate with distinction, University of Iowa

Professional Memberships and Community Involvement

• Member of Phi Beta Kappa

• Varn has received numerous awards and recognitions for his public service on behalf of education, fiscal reform, libraries, student financial aid, distance learning, human services, process innovation, and government management. His technology honors include being named twice to the Federal 100 and winning the National Association of State Chief Information Officers Outstanding Achievement Award. He is an internationally recognized expert and leader in information technology, privacy, identity security, public policy, and digital government.