Kendall, others opt for DOD buyout

Cynthia Kendall, deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Defense information management, is retiring at the beginning of March. One of several high-ranking DOD executives taking an early buyout, Kendall plans to take several months of personal leave before making any plans, according to a DOD spokeswoman.

Over the last several years Kendall has been responsible for Defense ADP and information systems. She also has overseen DOD's Corporate Information Management initiative, which was created to direct the Pentagon's business process re-engineering efforts and update its administrative IT infrastructure.

Several other DOD executives also opted for the early buyout, including Deane Erwin, co-chairman of the federal electronic commerce for acquisition program office, who left last week.