Linda Cureton is chief information officer for NASA, a position she has held since late September of 2009. In her role, Cureton is charged with providing the requisite leadership to achieve mission enabling, integrated, secure, and efficient IT capabilities and services at NASA. She also ensures agency’s information resource management strategy is in alignment with NASA’s vision, mission and strategic goals. Accordingly, Cureton oversees the development of integrated IRM strategies, including standards, policies, NASA Enterprise Architecture, IT security, management and operations. With her title comes the responsibility, authority, and accountability for ensuring that NASA’s information assets are selected, controlled, and evaluated consistent with federal policies, procedures, and legislation.
Cureton was with NASA before being appointed CIO. She previously served as the director of the IT and Communications Directorate and the CIO of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). Before that, she was deputy assistant director for the Office of Science and Technology and deputy CIO at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, where she was responsible for providing leadership in the innovative and efficient application of science and technology used to collect, clarify, and communicate information needed to reduce violent crime, collect revenue and protect the public. As the ATF deputy CIO, she was responsible for ensuring that the use of IT for the bureau’s mission and business requirements fulfilled customer and stakeholder needs.
Her impressive leadership experience also extends to positions she has held in the Department of Energy, where she served in many roles, including acting CIO.
Cureton earned a bachelor’s degree from Howard University in 1980, graduating magna cum laude with a major in mathematics and a minor in Latin. She also received a master’s degree in applied mathematics from Johns Hopkins University in 1994, and a post-master’s advanced certificate in applied mathematics from Johns Hopkins University in 1996.