Wyoming Health Director Mike Ceballos and Chief Information Officer Gordon Knopp have resigned, apparently in response to a data leak involving the personal information of about a quarter of the state’s residents.
Gov Mark Gordon has announced interim successors for both – Deputy Health Director Stefan Johansson and state Information Services Administrator Timothy Sheehan.
A spokesman for Gordon declined to answer when asked if the resignations were related to the data leak, calling it “personnel matter.’ Ceballos didn’t respond when asked by reporters if Gordon had asked for his resignation.
He did send an email saying his department has “faced unprecedented challenges” and that the work was “very rewarding for him.”
Ceballos is a retired telecommunications executive who ran unsuccessfully for state education secretary in 2014. He was appointed health director in 2019 by Gordon, a Republican.
The data breach occurred when a state employee accidentally released information that included COVID-19 test results that included the names, addresses, and birth dates. Tests in drunk driving cases from a decade ago also got out.
When word of the breach was revealed, Wyoming residents were flooded by apparently random scammer calls hoping to get insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, and other financial information.