Hilding is the CIO of the U.S Department of Commerce. Before this position, Hilding worked for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. She was at NASA for over 23 years. Her first position with NASA was an instrumentation engineer on a Life Support System project. After that she moved to the Space Shuttle Vehicle Engineering group.

Over the years she moved up the ranks of management. Some of her leadership roles included Executive Director of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, as well as the Chief of Staff to the NASA Deputy Administrator for a few years. Her final position at NASA before moving over to the Department of Commerce was the Assistant Associate Administrator for Space Operations and Exploration Systems Integration.

Hilding graduated from University of Nebraska with a degree in Engineering Physics. Additionally, Hilding has attended various prestigious programs on leadership and management. For example, she attended Syracuse University’s National Security Studies Leadership course in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

General Lord is the Chief of Warfighting Integration and CIO for the Department of the Air Force.  In this role, General Lord is in charge of 5 directorates and 2 field-operating agencies. Before his current position, General Lord was the Commander of Air Force Cyberspace Command at Barksdale Air Force base. Additionally, General Lord has held numerous different duties with tours in the United States, Europe, the White House, as well as the U.S Central Command.

General Lord graduate from the U.S Air Force Academy where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biological and life sciences.  He later earned a master’s in business administration and national resource strategy.

General Lord has been awarded numerous medals and achievements in his career. Some of those medals include Defense Superior Service Medal, Air Force Recognition Ribbon with two oak leaf clusters, Humanitarian Service Medal, and Distinguished Service Medal. Some of his other achievements include Defense Department Innovator of the Year Awards from Microsoft in 2001, Presidential Communications Officer of the Year Award from the White House in 1991, and the General and Mrs. Jerome F. O’Malley Award in 2006 to name a few.

As the deputy assistant secretary of the Defense for Information Management, Integration and Technology, and deputy chief information officer, David M. Wennergren’s role is to provide top-level advocacy in creating a unified information-management and technology vision for the Department and ensure the delivery of the capabilities required to achieve the Department’s transformation to net-centric operations.

Wennergren served for four years as the Department of the Navy chief information officer, as well as took on the position of the critical infrastructure assurance officer for the Department. Past assignments also include the Head, Plans and Policy Branch within the Shore Installation Management Division; Office of the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations; the economic support team leader on the Department of the Navy’s Base Structure Analysis Team; Commercial Activities Program planning and review in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations; participating in the Navy’s BRAC-91 process; and working as a management analyst at the Naval Industrial Resources Support Activity and the Naval Air Technical Services Facility.

Wennergren’s awards include the Department of the Navy Distinguished, Superior and Meritorious Civilian Service Awards; the Secretary of Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Award; and the Office of the Secretary of Defense Exceptional Civilian Service Award. Other accomplishments include being named the Federal CIO Council 2008 Azimuth Award winner, the Government Computer News 2005 Defense Executive of the Year, and being awarded the 2006 John J. Franke Jr. Award from the American Council for Technology.

Wennergren received his Bachelor of Arts in Communications/Public Relations from Mansfield State University in Pennsylvania. He also earned a Master of Public Policy in Public Sector Financial Management from the University of Maryland’s School of Public Affairs.

As the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief information officer, Chris Smith is responsible for all information technology investments. Smith also serves as the deputy chief information officer for operations for the USDA Office of the Chief Information Officer and provides leadership for USDA’s cybersecurity operations and the department’s operational portfolio, including network, enterprise data centers, international technology services, and innovations and operational architecture.

Before joining the OCIO leadership team in 2008, Smith served USDA as chief information officer for Rural Development where he provided leadership and executive strategic direction. Prior to working with Rural Development, Smith held the position of chief information officer to the chief financial officer of the United States General Services Administration. There, he led shared services IT operations and operated one of four named Financial Management Lines of Business Centers of Excellence and one of four named ePayroll operations within the federal government.

Smith received his Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from the University of South Florida, and he also holds a Master of Public Administration Degree from George Washington University.

With 20 years of business experience, Zients has had many roles, including CEO, management consultant and entrepreneur. After being confirmed by the Senate this past summer, he was also able to add the title of the nation’s Federal Chief Performance Officer to his resume.

Zients currently also serves as the executive chair and deputy director for the Office of Management and Budget of the federal government. Prior to that position, Zients was the founder and managing partner of Portfolio Logic, an investment firm focusing on business and healthcare services companies.

Before founding Portfolio Logic, Zients served as the CEO and chairman of The Advisory Board Company, and he was also the chairman of the Corporate Executive Board, two companies that provide performance benchmarking and assist senior executives at more than 5,000 businesses to improve the efficiency of their operations.

Zients began his career in management consulting at Bain & Company and Mercer Management Consulting where he focused on developing strategies and improving operations of Fortune 1000 companies. He also co-founded The Urban Alliance Foundation, a nonprofit organization that partners with corporations to provide economically disadvantaged youth with year-round paid internships, adult mentors and job training.

Zients graduated summa cum laude from Duke University with a degree in political science.

Carleton is the Chief Information Officer for the Department of Health and Human Services. This position also carries the title of Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information Technology.

Carleton was the former Deputy Director of the Office of Information Resources Management as well as CIO for the Office of the Secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services. After this, he served as the CIO for GSA for 7 years. Then he made his return back to the Department of Health and Human Services for his current role.

Carleton graduated from Syracuse University where he earned a Master of Science in information Resources Management. He later earned a Master’s in Public Administration from Northeastern University. Additionally, Carleton is a distinguished alumnus of the National Defense University’s Information Resources Management and the Society for Information Management International’s Regional Leadership Forum.

Gates is the 22^nd secretary of defense for the Department of Defense. He is the only secretary of defense who has ever been asked to remain in office by a new president.

Prior to this position, Gates was president of Texas A&M University. Before that, he was the interim dean of the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. Gates served as an intelligence professional in the CIA for 27 years. During his time at the CIA, he spent several years at the National Security Council and the White House where he served four different presidents. Following that, he was the director of central intelligence.

Gates also has a military background. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, and he also served as an intelligence officer. Additionally, Gates has received numerous awards during his career, including the National Security Medal, the Presidential Citizens Medal, the National intelligence Distinguished Service Medal on two separate occasions, and the Distinguished Intelligence Medal on three separate occasions.

Gates graduated from the College of William and Mary, where he earned his bachelor’s degree. He later earned his master’s degree in history from Indiana University. After Indiana, he attended Georgetown University, where he earned a doctorate in Russian and Soviet history.

Gordon is currently the GAO Acting General Counsel. In this role, he manages 150 attorneys who support GAO’s work. Before Acting General Counsel, Gordon was managing associate general counsel for GAO’s Procurement Law Division, as well as the assistant general counsel for it Legal Services Division.

Gordon is the current nominee to be administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy at the Office of Management and Budget.  He vowed to the senate to focus on the development of the procurement workforce if he is confirmed.

He has been with the GAO since 1992. Prior to working at GAO, Gordon worked in private practice focusing on the area of federal procurement. He also clerked for the U.S Court of the Appeals. Gordon also has been an adjunct professor at GWU since 2002, and he is a member of the American Bar Association’s Section of Public Contract Law.

Gordon is a graduate of Brandeis University, where he earned a degree in politics. He later earned a Master’s Degree in politics from Oxford University. Following that, he earned his J.D from Harvard Law.

Krieger is the Deputy Chief Information Officer/G-6 of the Department of the Army. He is also a Senior Executive and has vast amount of experience in IT and Information Management. Additionally, Krieger has served in the U.S Army for 25 years in various positions.

Prior to his role as Deputy CIO, he was the Principal Director for the Deputy Department of Defense CIO. Another prior position Krieger held was Director for Information Policy and Integration in the Office of the Department of Defense CIO.

Krieger is a graduate of the United States Military Academy. He later earned a Master’s in Physics from Georgia Institute of Technology. He also earned a Master’s in National Security Strategy from the National Defense University.

Adelstein is the 17^th Administrator of USDA’s Rural Utilities Service. He was nominated by President Obama and unanimously confirmed by the Senate this past July. Prior to this role, Adelstein was the Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission. He held this position for 8 years.

Adelstein is a strong supporter of improving broadband and rural telecommunications.  He believes everyone should have access to telecommunications services, regardless of where they live. He is currently overseeing a new program that will get broadband money out and according to Adelstein it will “get the funds out the door faster to stimulate the economy and create jobs.”

Prior to his work at the FCC, Adelstein was a staff member in the U.S. Senate for 15 years. During his time in the Senate, he served as senior legislative aid to Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle for 7 years as well as Professional Staff Member to Senate Special Committee on Aging Chairman David Pryor. Additionally, he was a Legislative Assistant to Senator Donald W. Riegle Jr. and special liaison to Senator Harry Reid.

Before working in the Senate, he was a Teaching Fellow at Harvard University in the Department of History. He did this while he was studying at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Adelstein was also a teaching assistant at Stanford University, in the Department of History as well. Adelstein is a graduate from Phillips Academy.