News

By Mary Hladky

After a 20-year career with IBM, former Deputy Mayor Jeremy Rodgers is relocating to Tallahassee after being hired as chief information security officer for Florida Digital Service, which is part of the state’s Department of Management Services.
In announcing Rodgers’ hiring on Jan. 5, Florida Digital Service cited his private and public sector cybersecurity experience with IBM and the Navy Reserve.
For the past five years, he has been a “client architect partner” with the Department of Defense, the intelligence community and other governmental entities to assist with intelligence and security analytics. As a reserve officer, he has experience in operations at U.S. Cyber Command in Fort Meade, Maryland, as well as service as a cyber-intel division officer.
“Our relentless pursuit of top tier talent continues to pay off with the addition of Jeremy to the [Florida Digital Service] team,” state Chief Information Officer James Grant said in a news release. “With the support from our partners in the Florida Legislature, [Florida Digital Service] has consistently increased and strengthened Florida’s digital capabilities.
“The depth and breadth of Jeremy’s experience makes him uniquely qualified to lead our cybersecurity team and implement additional innovations across the enterprise.”
Rodgers was unavailable for an interview but confirmed in a text message that he had assumed his new position.
“It’s a great opportunity to serve the state of Florida!” he wrote.
Rodgers was nearing the end of his second City Council term when he was called to active duty and deployed in August 2020 to Qatar in support of NATO operations in Afghanistan.
Being unable to participate in City Council meetings remotely, he stepped down and council members appointed Yvette Drucker that October to replace him until his term ended. She won election to a three-year term on March 9, 2021.
Rodgers returned to the U.S. the next month and remains in the reserve as an executive officer for a Navy cryptological unit.