Mayor Brandon Scott Names T.J. Mayotte as Baltimore's New Chief Information Officer

Baltimore City is getting a permanent technology chief for the first time in over a year. Mayor Brandon M. Scott announced Thursday that T.J. (Terrence J.) Mayotte will assume the role of Chief Information Officer beginning March 16, joining the mayor's cabinet-level leadership to oversee the city's Information Technology Office.

Mayotte arrives from Howard County, where he held the same CIO title, and brings more than 20 years of experience leading digital transformations across both public and private sectors. GovTech reported that he has worked across two nearby Maryland counties and has a background in security governance, making him one of the more regionally experienced technology executives to step into city leadership in recent memory.

The appointment ends a stretch without permanent leadership at the top of the IT office. Leyla Layman had been filling in as interim CIO since March 2025, following the departure of Todd Carter, who originally came onboard as the city's CIO in 2020.

"I'm excited to have T.J. join my administration at such an important time for our city, as we continue to invest in digital equity and explore cutting-edge technology solutions to improve service delivery for our residents," Scott said in the announcement. "T.J. is an innovator and a cybersecurity expert who brings years of experience to this role. We're grateful to have him leading the incredible team in our Information Technology Office as they continue to embody innovation and service."

The Baltimore City Information Technology Office manages the technology infrastructure that city agencies, businesses, and communities depend on to operate safely and effectively. The office also runs digital equity initiatives that expand access to free wifi, digital skills training, and technology resources for residents across Baltimore's neighborhoods.

Those initiatives have been a defining part of Scott's tenure. As Baltimore's youngest mayor in more than 100 years, Scott has pushed a technology agenda that includes an open data effort aimed at advancing government transparency, expanded staffing for data and digital equity work, and a program enabling AI access in the community at no cost to residents.

Mayotte steps into that agenda on Monday with a mandate to keep those programs moving forward while bringing his cybersecurity expertise to a city that, like many urban governments, faces persistent digital infrastructure challenges.