Gov. Kelly announces new cybersecurity leadership

2 February 2024

TOPEKA (KSNT) – Governor Laura Kelly announced a new chief information security officer (CISO) will lead the Kansas Information Security Office to develop cybersecurity strategies.

John Godfrey brings years of experience to the position. Before working for the state, Godfrey served as the CISO and founder of LionHeart Cybersecurity Advisors in Kansas City.

He worked for over 10 years at The University of Kansas Medical Center as a CISO and associate vice chancellor for information security. He also spent five years as a senior cybersecurity engineer and system administrator & information security analyst at Kansas State University.

“John Godfrey’s years of experience in information security give him the unique perspective of the challenges we face when providing secure and dependable digital services to Kansans,” Kelly said. “I look forward to working with him as he builds on our whole-of-state approach to cybersecurity.”   

In 2021, Godfrey chaired the Statewide Communication & Collaboration Subcommittee, part of Kelly’s cybersecurity task force.


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“This is an exciting time to join the KISO and advance the strategies put in place by my predecessor,” Godfrey said. “Coordination and collaboration are critical to advancing the cybersecurity posture of Kansas, and the KISO has been active in building a statewide cyber community that includes all 105 counties. I look forward to working with this dedicated group of professionals on what’s next for the future of information security.”  

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