Brian Watkins is the chief information officer of the N.C. Department of Information Technology -Transportation. In this role, he oversees a team of over 600 employees and contractors, leads the planning, development and execution of strategic technology initiatives and goals for the N.C. Department of Transportation.
Watkins is also responsible for developing and implementing a technology quality assurance program to ensure the department's IT solutions are of the highest quality.
He has a history of service, having spent four years in the U.S. Navy F-14 Squadron, specializing in weapons systems. He then transitioned to a career in Information Technology, where he has gained more than 33 years of experience.
Watkins joined NCDOT in 1999 as a manager of Technical Services, and subsequently worked for over six years in the Investigations Unit of the Office of Inspector General. In this role as a forensics investigator, he conducted electronic data investigations, including digital investigations and computer forensics, to detect fraud, waste, abuse and misconduct.
Since 2018, Watkins has served as NCDIT-Transportation's Business Relations and Customer Service director. In this position, he developed an understanding of the department's needs, staff and external partners, enabling them to work together more effectively to achieve the organization's mission, goals and objectives.