The Federal Chief Information Officers Council announced the election of David M. Wennergren to the position of vice chairman Jan. 19, 2006.
The CIO Council serves as the principal interagency forum for improving practices in the design, modernization, use, sharing and performance of federal government agency information resources.
The Council's role includes developing recommendations for information technology management policies, procedures, and standards; identifying opportunities to share information resources; and assessing and addressing the needs of the federal government's IT workforce.
"I am pleased the Federal CIO Council elected Dave to this position," said Office of Management and Budget (OMB) deputy director for management and chair of the Federal CIO Council, Clay Johnson. "His leadership and insight will be essential as we continue to deliver results for the American taxpayer by achieving the goals of the President's Management Agenda."
Mr. Wennergren has been with the Department of the Navy (DON) for more than 25 years and currently serves as its chief information officer, a position he has held since 2002. He also serves as the chair of the Department of Defense (DoD) Identity Protection and Management Senior Coordinating Group, which provides senior oversight and coordination of biometric, smart card, and PKI initiatives across the entire Defense Department.
Reporting directly to the Secretary of the Navy, Mr. Wennergren provides top-level advocacy for the development and use of information management/information technology, 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.
Mr. Wennergren is the DON's eGovernment and knowledge management champion, serves as the IM/IT workforce leader, addresses emerging technologies and issues, ensures the availability, integrity, and protection of the Department's information systems, and serves as the Department's Critical Infrastructure Assurance Officer.
Additionally, he ensures that the development and acquisition of IT systems are interoperable and consistent with the Department's vision.
In his role as co-chair of the Federal CIO Council Best Practices Committee, Mr. Wennergren reinvigorated best practices efforts across government and industry. He conducted a series of best practices seminars on important IT initiatives that brought together innovative leaders from government, industry, and academia to provide federal CIOs with ideas and insights.
Continuing in this effort, Mr. Wennergren led the redesign of the Federal CIO Council Web site, created collaboration sites for Federal Communities of Practice, and created "The Solutions Exchange," a clearing house of federal best practices solutions. He also developed the Federal CIO Boot Camp, an intensive training seminar for new federal CIOs and deputy CIOs.
"The Federal CIO Council plays a crucial role in championing and aligning the transformation efforts of federal agencies. I am excited about the opportunity to serve as vice chair of the Council and I look forward to continuing to work with the CIO community, OMB and industry to further the strategic use of information technology in delivering improved services to our citizens and the nation," Mr. Wennergren said.
The CIO Council was established by Executive Order 13011, Federal Information Technology, July 16, 1996. A charter for the Council was adopted Feb. 20, 1997, and was codified by the E-Government Act of 2002. The chair of the CIO Council is the OMB deputy director for management, and the vice chair is elected by the CIO Council from its membership.
Additional members of the Council include liaisons to other executive councils, committees and boards, including the chair of the Information Technology Resources Board, and representatives from the Chief Financial Officers Council and the Procurement Executive Council. Also included as members are a representative from the Office of Science and Technology Policy and representatives from OMB's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
The CIO Council serves as a focal point for coordinating challenges that cross agency boundaries. The CIO Council operational committees, through subcommittees and working groups, meet these challenges by producing the work products of the CIO Council. In addition, the CIO Council, in partnership with other federal executive councils, addresses challenges that cut across disciplines, such as financial management and procurement.
For more information about the the CIO Council go to http://www.cio.gov/. For more information about the DON CIO go to http://www.doncio.navy.mil/.