Pineville, La. – Last month, Cleco chief information officer (CIO), Mark Northrup, was appointed by Gov. John Bel Edwards to the Louisiana Cybersecurity Commission.

According to the Office of the Governor, the Louisiana Cybersecurity Commission is comprised of key cybersecurity stakeholders and experts from Louisiana’s public sector, private industry, academia and law enforcement. The Louisiana Cybersecurity Commission addresses the growing cyber threat to networks, personal privacy and critical infrastructure. The goals of the Cybersecurity Commission include, among other things:

• Identifying, prioritizing and mitigating Louisiana’s cyber risk
• Promoting cybersecurity awareness
• Monitoring, understanding and sharing cyber security threat information
• Advancing the State’s cybersecurity and positioning Louisiana as a national leader and preferred location for cyber business, education and research

“Being appointed to the Louisiana Cybersecurity Commission is an honor,” said Northrup. “I look forward to working with the Governor and Louisiana’s innovative technology leaders to provide better cybersecurity for Louisiana.”

Northrup has served as Cleco’s CIO for four years and has over 20 years’ experience in information technology and cybersecurity. His educational background includes a bachelor’s and MBA from Binghamton University, State University of New York, a degree in Japanese management from Sanno University in Tokyo, Japan and a master certificate in project management from George Washington University.