Ishit Vachhrajani, AWS Enterprise Strategist

Executive Government Advisor, Data

Carlos Rivero
Former roles

  • Chief Data Officer, the Commonwealth of Virginia
  • Chief Data Officer and Chief Enterprise Architect, US Department of Transportation
  • Physical Scientist, NOAA Fisheries
  • Research Associate, University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
Education

  • Bachelor of Science, Florida International University
  • Master of Science, Saint Joseph’s University

Interests

  • Having fun with family
  • Traveling and meeting people
  • Trail running, hiking, and mountain biking
  • Scuba diving, kayaking, and paddle boarding
     
Quote

The purpose of government is to organize, align, and invest the collective assets of its people to ensure their enduring prosperity."

As an executive government advisor, Carlos is a public sector data practice subject matter expert who specializes in helping organizations leverage data to make informed, actionable decisions. He also works with Chief Data Officers, Geospatial Information Officers, and other data leaders to develop mission-driven data programs.

Prior to joining Amazon Web Services (AWS), Carlos gained 27 years of experience in federal and state government and higher education. Carlos was the first Chief Data Officer for the Commonwealth of Virginia. During his tenure, he helped former-Governor Northam, his executive team, and public health and emergency management professionals respond to the COVID-19 pandemic by leveraging data-driven intelligence products to help keep Virginians safe.

In Virginia, Carlos developed a statewide data program that leveraged the data trust as the legal framework to facilitate data sharing across public and private entities. The data program featured a secure cloud-based data sharing platform as the technical implementation of the data trust. He also established a centralized entity resolution service mapping individuals across multiple data systems supporting longitudinal studies. Carlos also provided an enterprise reporting system to facilitate the development and delivery of data-driven intelligence products to internal and external stakeholders. Lastly, he implemented the governance structure which facilitated engagement among leaders across the organization from agency data stewards to state senators in the data conversation.

Carlos also served as Chief Data Officer and Chief Enterprise Architect for the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration in Washington, D.C. Prior to these roles, Rivero worked at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center in Miami, Florida, as a physical scientist and as a research associate at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. This is where he developed a passion for geospatial information systems, ecological modeling, and data.

Carlos earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies from Florida International University. He received a Master of Science in Business Intelligence and Analytics from Saint Joseph’s University, focusing on database design, data management, business intelligence, big data, and data analytics.

Carlos enjoys traveling the US with his wife, daughter, and dogs in their RV and participates in outdoor activities everywhere he goes.

Resources featuring Carlos

Whitepaper

Commonwealth of Virginia Battles COVID-19 with Highly Flexible, Scalable, and Secure Data Platform

Read the whitepaper to learn how the Commonwealth delivered vital information to protect the health and safety of Virginians during the COVID-19 pandemic using solutions from the AWS Cloud.

Commonwealth of Virginia Battles COVID-19 with Highly Flexible, Scalable, and Secure Data Platform ›

Article

Data is the new protein

Discover a research study from the William & Mary Raymond A. Mason School of Business and Carlos that proposes that one of the keys to success in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic is digital resiliency.

Data is the new protein ›

Brief

Data for Public Good: How Virginia’s VAST Overcomes Human Trafficking’s Data Deficit to Improve Response Time

Learn how VAST is a game-changer for the DCJS and a model for other states dealing with human trafficking.

Data for Public Good: How Virginia’s VAST Overcomes Human Trafficking’s Data Deficit to Improve Response Time ›

Webinar

Generative AI for Government Fireside Chat: Starting and Accelerating Your AI Journey

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has captured the headlines and imagination of the public. Public sector leaders and developers are eager to understand generative AI’s potential to transform government, including improving the citizen experience, increasing employee productivity, and much more.

Generative AI for Government Fireside Chat: Starting and Accelerating Your AI Journey ›

Engage with Executive Government Advisors

AWS state and local government and higher education advisors are available to engage with
customers across the nation. If you are looking for expertise and guidance to modernize or improve your organization’s services, please reach out to your account manager and we’d be happy to discuss. If you don’t have an account manager, please contact us and we can help connect you with one.