Ashish "Yosh" Kakkad is the Chief Technology Officer for the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. The Department is comprised of over 4,500 employees with a service area of approximately 4,200 square miles. Ashish has been with the Department for over 17 years. He was appointed as the CIO for the Department by Sheriff Bill Gore in 2013. In his capacity as the CTO, he is responsible for managing the Department's technology budget, and contracts as well as ensuring the technology roadmap aligns with the Department's strategic goals. Prior to being appointed as the CTO, he was responsible for the regional data sharing platform, actively utilized by over 70 local, state and federal agencies in the County with over 14,000 active users. He is US Air Force veteran and holds Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from the University of California Riverside and an MBA in IT Management from Western Governors University.