Mary Heard
Acting Associate Chief Information Officer
Cyber Security

Mary Heard was appointed Acting ACIO for Cyber Security in March 2008. She served as Deputy ACIO in the Office of Cyber Security since January 2006 after an interval at the State Department, Office of Inspector General, where she was responsible for audits and inspections of IT both domestically and overseas.

Ms. Heard started at USDA in 1977 and was a member of the first cadre of computer specialists in the USDA Office of Inspector General. She received the Department's Superior Service Award for her initiative in the audit of New York City Food Stamp Program and for developing a model for similar audits generating substantial future savings.

Ms. Heard lives in Northern Virginia. Both her undergraduate and graduate degrees are from Virginia Tech. She has a dual certification as both a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). She is also a Certified Internal Auditor and a Certified Information Systems Auditor.

http://www.ocio.usda.gov/heard.html