DIR’s Marie Cohan Awarded Outstanding Women in Texas Government Professional Development Award

Governor Greg Abbott announced this year’s Outstanding Women in Texas Government Award winners, including Cohan, in a press release earlier this week. The State Agency Council to the Commission for Women presents the Outstanding Women in Texas Government Awards every two years.

Nominated by DIR leadership and selected by an independent committee, Cohan is one of five award winners that will be honored at a ceremony on September 25, 2024, at the JW Marriott Austin. 

As the Statewide Digital Accessibility Program Administrator since 2022, Cohan establishes and directs statewide digital accessibility strategy, which includes collaborating with state and national IT leaders, public higher education, and vendors to enhance compliance with state and federal digital accessibility regulations and industry best practices. 

Digital accessibility refers to the practice of eliminating technology constraints that prevent people with disabilities from interacting with or accessing websites and other digital technologies. Cohan’s work helps Texas state agencies and institutions of higher education to satisfy the requirements of state law and the Americans with Disabilities Act, a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities.

In the past two years, Cohan has built an engaged accessibility community in Texas. This community of accessibility professionals contains members from 176 state agencies and institutions of higher education and includes an online discussion forum of over 250 government and private sector subscribers. Her work with these agencies has contributed to the highest community engagement in the history of the statewide digital accessibility program. Through this community, she has brought together digital accessibility experts who are committed to removing barriers to accessing Texas government websites, technology, and technology services for all Texans.

“Marie is a relationship builder, as evidenced with all the great work she’s done building up the accessibility community in Texas,” DIR Executive Director Amanda Crawford said. “She has cultivated a statewide community of electronic accessibility coordinators who share expertise and resources to achieve accessibility compliance for digital products and services. Her work is so important for Texans of all abilities, and I am thrilled that she is being recognized with an Outstanding Women in Texas Government Award.”

Cohan joined DIR in 2012 and has served in a variety of roles, including Senior Business Architect, Program Manager, Senior Project Manager, and Enterprise Architect. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Management Information Systems from the University of Texas at San Antonio. In addition, Cohan has earned professional credentials and certifications such as Certified Project Management Professional, Certified Scrum Master, Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies, Certified Business Relationship Management Professional, Change Leadership Certificate, and Business Analytics Certificate.

Please direct any questions to [email protected].