Federal CIOs Drive High Performance in Information Technology

Listen November 12th at 2:00 pm

The role of the chief information officer continues to evolve under the Obama administration. Today's federal CIOs are expected not only to drive efficiency, transparency and strengthen information and network security, but also to implement the best technologies and practices to establish and maintain relationships with citizens.

CIOs face additional pressure from the conflicting objectives of their mission. Among them: How does one balance the demand for immediate, transparent access to information while maintaining security and privacy? How does one reduce IT spending while improving services? What is the role of the CIO within the agency and how does one operationalize it?

We ask our panelists to share their views on how to meet these challenges as well as their priorities for the next year. We also ask them to share how they are meeting the demands of both the public and the Obama administration while serving as agents of change.

Panelists:

• David Wennergren- Deputy CIO/Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Information Management, Integration and Technology, Defense Department
• Mike Duffy- CIO/Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information Systems,Treasury Department
• Rob Carey- CIO, Department of the Navy

Moderator: Tom Temin - co-anchor of Federal Drive and host of Federal Security Spotlight

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About the Panel:

David M. Wennergren
Deputy CIO/Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Information Management, Integration and Technology
Defense Department

Mr. David M. Wennergren serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Information Management, Integration and Technology / Deputy Chief Information Officer, providing top-level advocacy in creating a unified information management and technology vision for the Department and ensuring the delivery of the capabilities required to achieve the Department's transformation to net centric operations. In addition to his duties as Deputy CIO, Mr. Wennergren is the Vice Chair of the U.S. Government's Federal CIO Council. He also serves as the Chair of the Department of Defense Identity Protection and Management Senior Coordinating Group.

Prior to his current assignment, Mr. Wennergren served for four years as the Department of the Navy Chief Information Officer (DON CIO), during which time he also served as the Department of the Navy's Critical Infrastructure Assurance Officer. Prior to becoming the DON CIO, he served for four years as the DON Deputy CIO for Enterprise Integration and Security. Past assignments also included, the Head, Plans and Policy Branch within the Shore Installation Management Division, Office of the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Logistics), the Economic Support Team Leader on the Department of the Navy's Base Structure Analysis Team (BSAT) during the Navy's Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process for BRAC-93 and BRAC-95, Commercial Activities Program planning and review in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Logistics), participating in the Navy's BRAC-91 process, and working as a management analyst at both the Naval Industrial Resources Support Activity and the Naval Air Technical Services Facility.

Mr. Wennergren received his B.A. in Communications/Public Relations from Mansfield State University. He was a recipient of a Secretary of the Navy Civilian Fellowship in Financial Management, culminating in a Master of Public Policy (MPP) in Public Sector Financial Management from the University of Maryland's School of Public Affairs. He has received the Department of the Navy Distinguished, Superior and Meritorious Civilian Service Awards, the Secretary of Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Award, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense Exceptional Civilian Service Award. Other honors include being selected as the Federal CIO Council 2008 Azimuth Award winner, the Government Computer News 2005 Defense Executive of the Year, the 2006 John J. Franke Jr. Award from the American Council for Technology, the Federal Computer Week 2006 Eagle Award, three Federal Computer Week Fed 100 Awards, the Computerworld Premiere 100 Award, and the 2008 General James M. Rockwell AFCEAN of the Year. He is also honored to have worked in two organizations that were awarded the Department of the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation.

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Michael Duffy
CIO/Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information Systems
Treasury Department

Michael Duffy was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information Systems and Chief Information Officer on September 10, 2007. In this capacity, he serves as Treasury's principal advisor on information technology issues. Mr. Duffy is responsible for acquiring and managing information resources and provides broad leadership in planning, implementing, and managing Departmental and bureau technology resources. Mr. Duffy is also responsible for formulating policies and programs to maximize the value of technology investments and manage investment risks across the Department.

Prior to his appointment to the Department of the Treasury, Mr. Duffy served as the Deputy Chief Information Officer at the Department of Justice. During that time, Mr. Duffy directed the development and implementation of the Department's law enforcement and counter-terrorism information sharing strategy, and the deployment of the Integrated Wireless Network, a multi-agency tactical wireless communications system. Mr. Duffy served at the Department of Justice for 15 years.

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Robert J. Carey
CIO
Department of the Navy

Mr. Robert J. Carey serves as the sixth Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the Department of the Navy (DON). As the DON CIO, Mr. Carey is the senior Information Management/Information Technology (IM/IT) official in the Department and he provides top-level advocacy for the Secretary of the Navy for the development and use of IM/IT and creation of a unified IM/IT vision for the Navy-Marine Corps team. He develops strategies, policies, plans, architectures, standards, and guidance, and provides process transformation support for the entire Department of the Navy. Additionally, he ensures that the development and acquisition of IT systems are interoperable and consistent with the Department's objectives and vision. Mr. Carey is the Department's IM/IT workforce Community Manager and also serves as the Critical Infrastructure Assurance Officer.

Mr. Carey entered the Senior Executive Service in June 2003 as the DON Deputy Chief Information Officer (Policy and Integration) and was responsible for leading the DON CIO staff in developing strategies for achieving IM and IT enterprise integration across the Department.

Mr. Carey's Federal service began with the U.S. Army at Aberdeen Proving Ground in October 1982 where he worked as a Test Director for small arms and automatic weapons. He began his career in the Department of the Navy in February 1985 with the Naval Sea Systems Command, working in the Anti-Submarine Warfare domain. Mr. Carey joined the staff of the DON CIO in February 2000, during which time he served as the DON CIO eBusiness Team Leader through June 2003. During this period he also served as the Director of the DON Smart Card Office from February through September 2001. Before joining the DON CIO, Mr. Carey served in a variety of engineering and program management leadership positions within the Acquisition Community in the Undersea Warfare domain.

Mr. Carey attended the University of South Carolina where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering in 1982. He earned a Master of Engineering Management degree from the George Washington University in 1995. He is a member of the Acquisition Professional Community and has been awarded the Department of the Navy Meritorious, Superior, and Distinguished Civilian Service Awards, as well as numerous other performance awards. He received the prestigious Federal 100 Award in 2006, 2008 and 2009 recognizing his significant contributions to Federal Information Technology. Mr. Carey was named "DoD Executive of the Year" for 2009 by Government Computer News.

Mr. Carey is an active member of the United States Navy Reserve and currently holds the rank of Commander in the Civil Engineer Corps. He was recalled to active duty for Operation Desert Shield/Storm and most recently Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he served in the Al Anbar province with I Marine Expeditionary Force.

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