Robert McGough
State Chief Data Officer
Robert McGough was appointed as Chief Data Officer in March 2023. McGough has over 20 years of experience in data management and analytics, supporting public-sector entities through the Office of State Technology. He served as lead author on the Feasibility and Cost Study on the Development of a Statewide Data Warehouse Program and as the state’s technical liaison with the White House OMB for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. 

McGough holds an M.S. in Information Quality and has completed the UALR Institute for Chief Data Officers, the ASU Six Sigma Black Belt, and the Coleridge Initiative Applied Data Analytics programs, along with numerous credentials in data and analytics. He is currently an Information Science Ph.D. candidate conducting research to advance the field of longitudinal data analysis. He also serves on the Governor’s Technology Advisory Board and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) IT committee.

Heather Saco
SAS Program Manager
Heather Saco is the Chief Administrator of the Office of State Technology’s Arkansas Data Office (ARData), where she leads the organization’s operations and oversees the implementation of statewide data, artificial intelligence, and analytics initiatives. She is responsible for identifying opportunities where data, AI, and analytics can provide value and delivering enterprise data services that enable secure information sharing, advanced analytics, and informed decision-making across Arkansas state government.

Heather holds a Master of Science in biology from the University of Central Arkansas and brings a multidisciplinary background spanning environmental policy, emergency management, digital transformation, and enterprise data leadership. She is committed to helping Arkansas departments use data, AI, and analytics to shape solutions that improve collaboration, streamline operations, and to improve outcomes.

Carrie Anderson
SAS Program Supervisor/Expert
Evidence-Based Policy
[email protected]

Jake Walker
Data Scientist
Evaluation and Research
[email protected]

Erin McCarley
SAS Program Supervisor/Expert
Skilled-Based Initiatives
[email protected]

Nishav Mainali
Data Analyst Supervisor/Expert
Data Analytics
[email protected]

Leslie Taylor
IT Infrastructure Analyst
Infrastructure and Technology
[email protected]

Drake Glover
IT Infrastructure Analyst
Infrastructure and Technology
[email protected]

Lokesh Bollini
Data Analyst
Data Analytics
[email protected]

Veronika Gudipati
Data Scientist
Data Analytics
[email protected]

Clara Knox
Data Scientist
Data Analytics
[email protected]

Jamie LaFave
Quality Assurance Specialist
Skills-Based Initiatives
[email protected]

Candace Lewis
IT Project Coordinator
Program Management
[email protected]

Amy Hipskind
IT Supervisor/Expert
Program Management
[email protected]

Meenachi Vallinayagam
Data Architect
Program Management
[email protected]