Author: Molly Hungate
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, women throughout our department were asked two questions: “What inspires you in your job?” and “What is your favorite part of the job?” Their answers reflect a shared commitment to public service, thoughtful use of technology and a desire to make a meaningful difference for residents across North Carolina. Each story underscores how their leadership and contributions help move the state forward through collective strength and innovation.
Dawnna Lewis, user experience designer, sums up what it means with lead with service. “One of the things I like most about my job is the ability to make people’s lives easier, to make things work better.”
What Inspires Them
Across responses, one theme stood out: a deep commitment to ensuring trust in how the state uses technology, especially emerging tools like artificial intelligence. “Every day I get to wake up and help this state thrive in a moment of such uncertainty," says Sofya Diktas, manager for AI products and governance. She utilizes skills in engineering and technology ethics to guide the state’s direction in AI in a way that will ultimately benefit constituents.
This level of care is shared across the department, with building trust being one of the highest priorities for North Carolina’s residents. Martha Wewer, state chief privacy officer, describes how she is motivated by trust: “I’m inspired in my role at the ability to create trust for North Carolina residents... to create transparency, integrity and a level of care to ensure that the state is taking care of residents’ data.”
For others, inspiration comes from the people they work alongside. Annette Taylor, deputy secretary of broadband and digital opportunity, finds motivation in her team and how they show up every day “focused and driven on [their] mission to expand broadband access across the state.”
Their Favorite Part of the Job
The work done at NCDIT has a real impact on residents across the state, and that sense of purpose was echoed across the interviews. Leaders described how they support residents and collaborate with colleagues within and beyond our department to improve services. For example, Dimple Katira, director of project management, works with other state agencies to implement technologies that improve how residents interact with state government.
"Most recently, we worked on a project with the DMV where we launched an identity verification program to help North Carolinians do transactions online more securely and reduce foot traffic in DMV offices,” Katira notes.
This work extends to legislative action. Angela Morando, legislative manager, helps introduce new and emerging technologies into state governments to create positive change. “Technology underpins so much of what state government does, and to be able to take those things and have thoughtful policy conversations with legislators and see them turn into real actionable items that have an impact on constituents is something I’m really proud of,” she states.
The voices of these leaders make one thing clear: their work is transforming how North Carolina uses technology to serve its people. Their dedication, creativity and leadership continue to pave the way for a more connected and innovative future for the state. As Bernice Russell-Bond, state chief information security officer, says, "We want to solve the problems for North Carolinians." With NCDIT’s goal of building long-term relationships to provide better IT solutions, our female leaders exemplify the trust and wisdom that can be found throughout the agency.