The Defense Department announced a new pick for chief information officer to lead DoD in a new direction following months of IT reorganization.
Teri Takai, who previously served as the CIO of California, was originally nominated for her post in March. However, in September, her nomination was withdrawn because of âongoing reorganization of the Defense Departmentâs IT operations and organizational structure,â InformationWeek reports.
In August, Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates announced the phasing out of the assistant secretary of defense for networks and information integration and strengthened DoDâs CIO position. The move came as part of Gatesâ Pentagon efficiency initiatives, and the beefed-up CIO role is thought to help streamline the departmentâs IT management and infrastructure.
Takaiâs first day on the job will be Nov. 7.
Takai has held her previous post, as the CIO of the most populous state, since 2007, where she also served as California Gov. Arnold Schwarzeneggerâs top technology adviser, according to InformationWeek.
For her work in California, Takai drew accolades for the reorganization and reform of the stateâs IT infrastructure, which is expected to save the state $3 billion, Government Technology reported last March when she was first nominated.
She was also a past president of the National Association of State CIOs, and she was named one of Government Technologyâs Top 25 âDoers, Dreamers and Drivers.â