The Department of Justice has appointed Shantrell “Nikki” Collier, deputy chief information officer, as deputy assistant attorney general for information resources management and CIO, Nextgov/FCW reported Wednesday.
What Led to the DOJ CIO Transition?
The leadership transition followed the departure of Melinda Rogers, who left her role as DOJ CIO at the end of May 2025.
Rogers announced in a LinkedIn post that her departure marked an “inflection point” in her life, as her twin sons prepared to leave for college. She said she planned to pursue a new milestone while maintaining the professional relationships she built during her time at the department.
Rogers joined DOJ in 2010 and served in several senior IT leadership roles, including deputy CIO and chief information security officer. During her tenure, she oversaw the development and release of the department’s fiscal year 2025–2027 IT strategic plan.
Who Is Shantrell Collier?
Collier has served as DOJ’s deputy CIO since January 2025. She served as acting CIO following Rogers’ departure in May 2025, according to the report.
According to her LinkedIn profile, she served as the chief of staff to the assistant attorney general of administration at the department from October 2022 to February 2025.
Before rejoining DOJ in 2022, this time in its Justice Management Division, she served as CIO of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Marine and Aviation Operations.
Earlier in her DOJ career, she served as acting deputy director of the service delivery staff and led the department’s Microsoft 365 migration, consolidating 120,000 email accounts across 23 systems. Women in Technology recognized her as an “Unsung Hero” in 2017.
Collier retired from the U.S. Army in 2015 as a sergeant major after 22 years of service.
She holds a doctor of business administration degree from Trident University International and maintains project management and IT Infrastructure Library 4 certifications.
