Governor Ducey Announces New Chief Operating Officer For State Of Arizona

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 12, 2021

Governor Ducey Announces New Chief Operating Officer For State Of Arizona

Sarah Pirzada Will Succeed Daniel Ruiz, Who Was Recently Named Chief Of Staff

PHOENIX — Governor Doug Ducey today announced the appointment of Sarah Rose Pirzada as the State of Arizona’s newest Chief Operating Officer, overseeing all state agency operations and managing the Governor’s cabinet. “Sarah has been a dedicated member of our team since 2016, and she has made serving Arizonans and improving government efficiency her top priorities,” said Governor Ducey. “She is results-oriented, a team player and always looking for innovative ways to meet the needs of people all across the state. I know she will continue her track record of improving state government in this role, and I look forward to tackling the work our team has in front of us.” Pirzada will succeed Daniel Ruiz, who was recently named the Governor’s Chief of Staff. As COO, she will join senior staff and report to Ruiz — her appointment marks his first staffing decision since he assumed the role. Pirzada previously served as Deputy Chief Operating Officer since 2018.  “I’m deeply honored to be named the new Chief Operating Officer and continue Governor Ducey’s work to ensure that every single customer of the state of Arizona receives efficient, quality service — no matter when or where,” said Pirzada. “From expanding access to child care during the pandemic to strengthening workforce readiness, distributing the vaccine quickly across the state and much more, our team is committed to finding forward-thinking solutions no matter the challenge. I look forward to working with Arizona’s incredibly hard-working and service-minded state employees and agency directors, and I thank Governor Ducey for this exciting opportunity.”

Projects led by Pirzada include: > Arizona Enrichment Centers, providing childcare to 5,954 essential workers’ children during the COVID-19 pandemic; > Arizona’s Connected Workforce initiative, the sustainable transformation of over 15,000 state employees to remote work and reduction of the state’s physical footprint; > Delivery of 100,000 masks to state employees and school districts in May of 2020; > The vaccine management system customer service improvements.  > Additionally, Pirzada led the Government Transformation Office to support the successful deployment and sustainment of the Arizona Management System throughout the State since 2020. Prior to her role as Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Pirzada worked in the Governor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting where she led the reform of statewide strategic planning.  Pirzada earned a bachelor of arts in sociology from Southern Utah University and master’s degree in public administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University.