He retired after an exit; now this govtech veteran is back in a CFO role for KC-scaled PayIt

As Kansas City-built PayIt scales across North America, a new financial leader is expected to help guide the company in its game-changing efforts to help government agencies modernize, serve their residents, and improve operating efficiency.

Steve Kovzan, a nearly 30-year veteran of leadership across government technology and finance spaces, is now chief financial officer at PayIt, an innovator for digital payment experience solutions.

“Steve joins PayIt with a deep well of experience in government technology, a proven leadership track record, and a strategic approach to growth,” said Tom Nieto, president and chief operating officer at PayIt, announcing the appointment Wednesday.

Cities, towns, counties, states, and provinces use PayIt to deliver a range of government services in a modern, digital experience, including property tax, utilities, motor vehicles, courts, and outdoors. The Kansas City scaleup — headquartered in the lightwell building downtown — boasts about 230 employees, with roughly 40 percent located in the Kansas City area.

For more than two decades, Kovzan held various leadership roles for NIC Inc., a leading publicly traded provider of digital government services and payment solutions. He served as CFO for the past 14 years before retiring following the company’s successful acquisition in 2021. Kovzan previously was an assurance manager with PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he led engagements for publicly traded and privately held companies.  

“PayIt brings an exceptionally unique approach to digital government and payments, with a deep focus on delivering extraordinary resident experiences and unparalleled partnership to agencies as they evolve their short- and long-term modernization strategies,” said Kovzan. “The team, the mission, and the technology have been industry-changing, and I’m looking forward to working with our employees and clients to deliver great service and experiences and helping the company scale and grow.”

Kovzan succeeds Jerod Sands as CFO, a role created in 2023 as PayIt’s surging growth drove an expansion of its leadership team. Along with Nieto, co-founders John Thomson, CEO, and Mike Plunkett, chief development officer, lead the award-winning payments platform — listed in the GovTech 100 for nine consecutive years.