President Obama has appointed Todd Park as Assistant to the President and U.S. Chief Technology Officer, filling the position vacated a few weeks ago by its first-ever holder, Aneesh Chopra.
Park most recently served as chief technology officer of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), where he has been described as an agent for change. Among his achievements in that role, he led the of HealthCare.gov, the first website to provide consumers with a searchable inventory of public and private health insurance plans available across the nation; and the development and launch of the Health Data Initiative, which is making HHS information downloadable by the public and third-party apps developers via Health.Data.gov.
“Todd Park has demonstrated a remarkable talent for enlisting innovative technologies to modernize government, reduce waste, and make government information more accessible to the public,” said President Obama. “In his new position he will bring those skills to the entire Federal enterprise, ensuring that government will serve all Americans fairly, effectively, and efficiently.”
The U.S. CTO’s office is situated within the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), where Park will work closely with U.S. Deputy Chief Technology Officer for Telecommunications Tom Power. OSTP Director and Presidential science advisor John P. Holdren announced today that Power will perform the duties of OSTP’s Associate Director for Technology—a position previously held by Chopra in conjunction with his role as U.S. CTO—while a search is conducted for a permanent replacement.
Related links:
White House press release – http://tinyurl.com/7n7vwqk
White House blog post by John P. Holdren – http://tinyurl.com/7kblcya
