CHARLESTON, W.Va – The West Virginia Board of Risk and
Insurance Management (BRIM) announced today the selection of Ashley Summitt, Esq.,
to serve as the state’s Chief Privacy Officer, effective March 2, 2019. Summitt
will succeed Sallie Milam, who retired from state government in January after
serving as the Chief Privacy Officer since 2002.
Prior to accepting this position, Summitt worked as the
Deputy General Counsel and Privacy Officer for the Governor’s Office since 2017.
From 2009 to 2017, she served as general counsel for the West Virginia
Secretary of State and has also worked for the West Virginia Supreme Court of
Appeals. Additionally, Summitt worked in the private sector as an associate
with a private law practice. “I feel that Ashley is an excellent choice for
this position as her background shows she will do an excellent job in her new
role,” said Department of Administration Cabinet Secretary Allan McVey.
Summitt received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a
Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Hollins College in 1988, a
master’s degree in Public Administration from the London School of Economics in
1991, and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Northeastern University School of Law in
2000.
According to BRIM Executive Director Mary Jane Pickens, Summitt
has demonstrated a strong interest in the privacy field as a member of the Privacy
Management Team and holds a genuine concern for protecting the personal information
of the state’s citizens and workforce. The Privacy Management Team is comprised
of appointed representatives from all Executive Branch department-level
organizations, several constitutional offices, and institutions of higher
education.
The State Privacy Office, which was previously organized
under the Department of Health and Human Resources’ Health Care Authority, was transferred
to BRIM in 2017 following Executive Order No. 3-17 issued by Governor Jim
Justice. The State Privacy Office leads the West Virginia State Privacy Program
with a mission to protect the Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
collected and maintained by Executive Branch agencies. The State Privacy
Program manages privacy policies and procedures, training and awareness
activities, privacy incidents, and technical assistance for privacy assessments
for new technology.