Former state Controller Keith Johnson, director of the Idaho Department of Administration, is resigning at the end of the month to become director of state and local government for the computer software company Oracle.

Johnson, a Meridian native, leaves state government after more than 12 years of public service, according to a press release from the governor's office, including four years as Idaho state controller and four years as Oklahoma state comptroller. He gave up his Idaho controller's office in an unsuccessful bid for Congress. His new role will allow him to keep living in Boise.

“Keith is an incredibly talented and accomplished manager, administrator and public servant. His judgment, integrity and skills are unquestioned. The people of Idaho owe him a debt of gratitude for his contributions to our state, which I’m confident will continue in the private sector,” Gov. Butch Otter said in the release. “I value Keith’s friendship. I was proud to have him become a part of my administration, and I’m equally sorry to see him go.”

Johnson said, “When the governor asked me to lead the Department of Administration, it was my intention to give it at least six months and finish the task that he initially set for me – to work my way out of a job. Unfortunately, events intervened. But I believe we’re on the right track."

Otter this year proposed eliminating the Department of Administration, but the Legislature refused.

Johnson’s new employer, Oracle Corporation, is based in Redwood Shores, California. It is the world’s leading supplier of software for information management, and the world's second-largest independent software company.

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