Catrina Purvis, CISSP, Esq. |
Dr. Purvis is the Director of the Office of Privacy and Open Government (OPOG) and the Chief Privacy Officer (CPO) at the United States Department of Commerce (DOC). She is a Senior Executive Service member and performs as the Senior Agency Official for Privacy (SAOP) within the DOC. In this capacity, Dr. Purvis serves as the key policy advisor on implementing the Privacy Act of 1974; the privacy provisions of the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) and of the E-Government Act of 2002; the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA); the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA); the principles of transparency and open government; and leads the Department’s Directives Management Program. Dr. Purvis also represents the Department on the National Science and Technology Council, Federal CIO Council Privacy Committee. Dr. Purvis served prior as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Satellite and Information Service (NESDIS). As the NESDIS CIO, Dr. Purvis was responsible for ensuring the security posture of ground control systems for critical high impact satellites including: the National Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite Preparatory Project (NPP), the National Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite (NPOES), the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite - R series (GOES R), and multiple international level agreements for foreign data acquisition and exchange. Dr. Purvis is an Attorney, a member of the Maryland Bar, and a United States Air Force (USAF) veteran with over 20 years of agency-level leadership experiences in information technology (IT) law, IT privacy, IT architecture, IT security, systems development, acquisitions, operations and maintenance, and program management. Prior to her federal service, Dr. Purvis served as a Senior Manager Consultant to the government from the Noblis Earth Observation Systems Cyber Security/Information Assurance Group. Her work with Federal Agencies in this capacity dates to 2001. In the Air Force, she was a Communications and Computer Systems Officer who supported the Cyber Criminal Investigations (CCI) program. Her last assignment was at the USAF Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) as Chief of the Computer Operations Division. Dr. Purvis is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Illinois University, a dual major Master’s degree in Acquisitions and Procurement, and Computer Information Resources from Webster University in St. Louis, and a Juris Doctor degree from the George Mason University Law School. She is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Maryland University College (UMUC). Her awards include a Certificate of Outstanding Contribution from Noblis, a Certification of Recognition as a Rising Star from the Government and Defense Technology Awards Conference, an AFOSI Communications and Information Professionalism Award, AF Company Grade Officer of the Year, and four AF Company Grade Officer of the Quarter awards. |
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Vacant serves as the Chief Privacy Compliance Officer and is the key advisor on compliance with the Privacy Act and privacy requirements of the E-Government Act, including the FISMA and the FOIA.
Deputy Program Director for Privacy and Directives Operations
Lisa J. Martin serves as the Deputy Program Director for Privacy and Directives Operations. The Deputy Program Director for Privacy and Directives Operations serves as the Department Privacy Program Coordinator for the review, coordination, and analysis of personally identifiable infor mation (PII) incidents and PIAs.
Acting Deputy Program Director for FOIA/PA and Open Government Operations
Bobbie Parson serves as the Acting Deputy Chief FOIA Officer & Deputy Program Director of Departmental FOIA/Privacy Act Operations. The Deputy Chief FOIA Officer & Deputy Director of Departmental FOIA/Privacy Act Operations provides operational oversight of the Department’s FOIA and Privacy Act Program and processes to ensure bureau compliance with the FOIA/Privacy Act regulations.
Commerce Privacy Mission Statement
The Department of Commerce (DOC) is committed to safeguarding personal privacy. Individual trust in the privacy and security of PII is a foundation of trust in government and commerce in the 21st Century. As an employer, a collector of data on millions of individuals and companies, the developer of information-management standards and a federal advisor on information policy, the Department strives to be a leader in best privacy practices and privacy policy. To further this goal, the Department assigns a high priority to privacy considerations in all systems, programs, and policies.
Authority & Responsibility
OMB Memorandum 05-08, Designation of Senior Agency Officials for Privacy, required agencies to designate a senior agency official who would have overall responsibility for ensuring the agency’s implementation of information privacy protections, including compliance with federal laws, regulations, and policies relating to information privacy. In addition, the senior agency official would have a central role in overseeing, coordinating, and facilitating the agency’s compliance efforts, as well as a central policy-making role in the agency’s development and evaluation of legislative, regulatory, and other policy proposals which implicate information privacy issues.
Privacy Council
The Privacy Council is chaired by the Chief Privacy Officer and is comprised of one designated Privacy Officer representative from each bureau/ operating unit. The Executive Council members include the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Administration, the Chief Information Officer, and the Assistant General Counsel for Administration from the Office of General Counsel.
The Privacy Council works to strengthen Department privacy policies to ensure that they reflect the goals, values, and policies that the Department advocates. The Privacy Council reviews Department privacy policies and identifies opportunities for strengthening, clarifying, and otherwise improving them, as well as identifies and recommends privacy training opportunities for Department employees, as appropriate.
Department of Commerce (DOC) PII Breach Response Task Force
The DOC PII Breach Response Task Force is chaired by the Chief Privacy Officer. Members include the General Counsel, Chief Information Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary for Administration, Assistant Secretary for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs, Chief of Staff in the Office of the Secretary, Director for the Office of Public Affairs, Director for the Office of Policy and Strategic Planning, Director for the Office of Human Resources Management, Office of Security (as needed), and Office of Inspector General (advisory role).
The DOC PII Breach Response Task Force is responsible for providing in-depth analysis and recommendations for an appropriate response to PII breaches that may cause significant harm to individuals or the Department. The Chief Privacy Officer determines when to convene Task Force meetings for moderate and high risk PII breach incidents.
Contact Information
- By Mail
Correspondence to the Office of Privacy and Open Government at the U.S. Department of Commerce may be sent to:
- By E-mail
Correspondences by e-mail may be sent to CPO@doc.gov.
- By Facsimile
Correspondence may be faxed to (202) 482-0827.
- By Telephone
(202) 482-1190
U.S. Department of Commerce
Office of Privacy and Open Government
1401 Constitution Avenue, NW
Mail Stop 61025
Washington, DC 20230
Questions and Comments
Send Questions, Comments or Complaints on the Commerce Privacy program to CPO@doc.gov.
Office of Privacy and Open Government
Office of the Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary for Administration
U.S. Department of Commerce
Page last updated: February 3, 2020
