College of Charleston Alum Travis Cooper named Athens-Clarke County (ACC) new Chief Information Officer

Athens-Clarke County Manager Blaine Williams this week named Travis Cooper as Chief Information Officer for the Information Technology Department, according to a county news release.

Cooper, whose appointment took effect immediately, has served as the interim IT director since December 2019, upon the retirement of the previous director. 

“Travis has an exceptional balance of technological expertise and interpersonal skills that are vital for working across all of our departments on their hardware, software, and other IT needs,” Williams said. “He has helped ACCGov quickly adapt to the changing circumstances of providing services in the COVID-19 era and will just as effectively lead the department to achieve several key Internet accessibility community projects in the coming years.”

Cooper has worked for the IT Department since 2010. He also worked as Operations Manager for BizBuzz Search and for Evening Post BizBuzz, where he designed, developed, and maintained websites, internal systems, and Customer Resource Management solutions. Cooper holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC.

“I am excited to continue leading the Information Technology department to provide exceptional technology services to ACCGov employees and citizens,” Cooper said.

The Athens-Clarke County Information Technology Department provides high-quality computer services, state-of-the-art computer networks and software applications, reliable equipment, and system access, proficient technical support, and assistance that encourages the application of technology to improve the efficiency and productivity of Athens-Clarke County operations. It supports over 40 departments and offices and 65 locations.

The IT Department is also currently working on a community project with the Leisure Services Department in conjunction with the Clarke County School District. The project will provide expanded Wi-Fi access throughout many county parks and community centers in Athens-Clarke County to increase Internet accessibility opportunities for children with Clarke County School System devices.

In the coming years, IT will also coordinate the voter-approved Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) 2020 Project #22: Broadband Connectivity Enhancement Project. This project will provide funding to assist with the process of implementing and providing for the enhancement of broadband connectivity throughout Athens-Clarke County.