Executive Management Team

​​​​​​Chief Information Officer, Jim Barnhart, assists the organization with IT consolidation, governance and customer relations.

Since beginning his career at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio as a Scientific Technical Assistant, Jim Barnhart has worn many hats. His repertoire includes General Manager, Systems Construction Manager, Systems Manager, Director, Deputy Executive Director and Executive Director. Jim’s extensive IT background and administrative qualities helps lead the ​Commonwealth Office of Technology to perform in a more effective and efficient manner.

​​David J. Carter, Chief Information Security Officer, has served the Commonwealth of Kentucky in several roles since he joined State Government in 1989. Initially, David was employed as a Child Support Enforcement Specialist with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHR at the time), while attending classes at Cumberland College and Kentucky State University in pre-engineering programs. In 1997 he decided to pursue a new career path in information technology, joining a Frankfort based firm that supported 700 clients located across the United States including many Fortune 1000 companies. After 10 years in the private sector developing skills and knowledge across a wide range of technologies, David returned to State Government in 2007 as the Team Lead in the COT Security Office prior to being promoted to Branch Manager. In 2013 David was appointed as the Deputy Information Security Officer for COT.

David enjoys spending time with friends, family, and most importantly his daughter Madison and his girlfriend Jaci. Always on a quest to learn about new technologies, he enjoys many diverse hobbies such as 3D printing, electronics design and prototyping, and unmanned aerial vehicles. Also enjoying the simpler and less technological things in life, David can occasionally be found by a lake catching the size of fish that any real fisherman would simply call bait, but enjoying it just the same.​​​

​Karen Chrisman serves as the Chief Compliance Officer for Commonwealth Office of Technology. Karen joined government service eight years ago, initially as the staff attorney and privacy officer for the Kentucky Health Information Exchange and then as senior advisor and privacy officer for the Kentucky Department of Medicaid Services. Prior to her state government service, Karen practiced law for 25 years at various locations in the Commonwealth. Karen graduated with a BA and a MA from Eastern Kentucky University, and a JD from the University of Kentucky College of ​Law.

Karen and her husband reside in Frankfort. Their daughter attends Purdue University and their son attends the University of Kentucky.​

​​​​Stephanie R. Williams serves as the Chief IT Contracting Officer to the Commonwealth Chief Information Officer and has over 27 years of governmental experience. Prior to her governmental experience, she worked in the private sector as a paralegal for several years.

​Stephanie has a Master of Public Administration Degree from the University of Kentucky, a Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Paralegal Studies from Sullivan University and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Louisville. She holds a dual nationwide public procurement certification [Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO) and Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB)], a Certified Procurement Professional (NIGP-CPP) certification, and a Project Management Professional Certification (PMP).

Stephanie is married to Dr. Fred Williams Jr. who is a retired Major of the Kentucky State Police and is currently the Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Kentucky State University. They have two daughters, Anna and Alayna, and their Blue Heeler, Bleu. They reside in Frankfort, but are originally from Louisville.​

​​​​​​​​Kalem Juett serves as the Financial Advisor to the Commonwealth's Chief Information Officer. He manages the Financial Data Management Branch within the Office of the CIO.

Kalem has 22 years of state government experience, where he has served in various capacities including Director of Accounts within the KY Transportation Cabinet, Financial Consultant within the Office of the CIO, and Budget Analyst for the KY Finance and Administration Cabinet.

Kalem graduated from Morehead State University with a degree in Business Administration, and resides in Long Ridge, KY with his wife and two children. 

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​Bill Kidd serves as the Executive Director of the Office of Client Support Services (OCSS), where he provides strategic leadership and operational direction to a team of over 240 IT professionals. In this role, he oversees two primary divisions, the Division of Support Services and the Division of Field Services, as well as the Enterprise Operations and Monitoring Branch.

Bill is responsible for a comprehensive portfolio of enterprise-level IT services, including client endpoint computing hardware and support for thousands of end-users across the Commonwealth. His scope extends to providing leadership of the Customer Service Desk (CSD) for end-user and agency applications, overseeing the IT Asset Management lifecycle and procurement, and directing operational monitoring for the Commonwealth's primary data center and infrastructure. Additionally, he governs the enterprise IT Service Management (ITSM) platform environment.

Since joining state government in 2003, Bill has built a diverse and impactful career within the Commonwealth Office of Technology (COT), holding multiple IT leadership roles. An advocate of digital transformation, he has consistently driven modernization initiatives throughout his tenure. His key achievements include spearheading print technology upgrades, enhancing customer experience through advanced service platform integrations, and implementing comprehensive ITIL processes. Most notably, he led the successful migration of legacy, in-house applications to a unified enterprise ITSM platform, creating a more transparent, data-driven, and collaborative environment.

Bill resides in Lexington, Kentucky, with his three dogs, Charlie, Riley, and Bella. He is also the proud father of three adult children who live in Lexington and Louisville. Outside of his professional life, Bill is an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys golfing, hiking, and staying active.​