Chief Information Officer

Suzanne E. Hilding

Chief Information Officer

Suzanne Hilding was selected to serve as the Chief Information Officer for the Department in March 2008. In this capacity, Ms. Hilding is responsible for managing the Department’s Information Technology (IT) resources with a budget of over $1 billion.

Ms. Hilding began rebuilding the organization as the Acting CIO of Commerce from October 2007-March 2008, and continues this effort by building relationships with Department senior managers, filling key positions, restructuring the organization, and implementing new approaches to teamwork.

Prior to joining the Department of Commerce, Ms. Hilding worked for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for 22+ years. She joined NASA in 1985 and through March 1991 served as an instrumentation engineer on a Life Support System project, and later as a Data Processing System (DPS) Engineer for the Space Shuttles Atlantis and Endeavor.

In 1991, Ms. Hilding was selected for a management position and served in increasingly responsible roles including the Division Chief, Guidance, Digital, and Software Systems Division. Her Division was responsible for test, checkout, and launch preparations of the Guidance, Flight Controls, Digital Processing, Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) Avionics, and Remote Manipulator Systems on the Space Shuttle fleet, and ultimately served on 65 space shuttle launches.

As the Chief of Staff to the NASA Deputy Administrator from 2002-2005, Ms. Hilding was the principal advisor to the Deputy on agency policy and management issues. She directed the implementation of key agency executive management decisions. She ensured integration amongst the most senior agency officials on matters impacting strategic planning, agency and program operations, and policies of concern to the Deputy Administrator, Congress, and OMB. Ms. Hilding performed independent analyses on topics ranging from agency operations weaknesses to sensitive personnel issues, while constantly providing trusted independent assessment to the Deputy Administrator.

Ms. Hilding served as Assistant Associate Administrator for Space Operations & Exploration Systems Integration. She successfully established interfaces and protocols across the suite of human space flight programs. She collaboratively initiated the transition planning processes and associated Congressional reporting on NASA’s Space Shuttle phase-out/next generation human space transportation systems phase-in plan.

Ms. Hilding earned a BS degree in Engineering Physics at the University of Nebraska. She has attended the National Security Studies Leadership course in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, the Information Technology Security for Managers course at the SANS institute, the OPM Federal Executive Institute, and the NASA Management Education program.