Jennifer Clift

The city of Wilmington has promoted Jennifer Clift to information technology director.

Clift, who has served as interim IT director for the past several months, brings nearly 18 years of service with the city and more than 30 years of experience in information technology and public-sector technology leadership to the role, according to a news release.

As IT director, Clift "will oversee the city’s information technology operations and continue leading efforts to provide secure, reliable and user-focused technology solutions across the organization. Her focus will include ensuring that the city’s technology services evolve to meet the needs of the organization and the community," the release stated.

According to the release, Clift joined the city as a senior systems analyst, supporting applications across multiple departments and helping modernize core systems. She was promoted to assistant IT director 10 years ago and has since played a key role in advancing the city’s technology services, the release stated.

“I’ve had the pleasure to work with Jen over the past 14 months, and her genuine desire to find solutions and help others is the exact leadership needed for this vital role,” stated City Manager Becky Hawke in the release. “When combined with her deep knowledge of the City and strong technical expertise, she’s well prepared to build on the great work already underway in her department.”

Before joining the city, Clift worked at Brown University, where she contributed to large-scale academic and administrative technology initiatives, according to the release. She relocated from Rhode Island to Wilmington 20 years ago.

Clift holds the Certified Government Chief Information Officer credential, a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and a Prosci Change Management certification. She is also a Fellow of the UNC School of Government’s Leading for Results program, the release stated.