There May Not Be Another Defense CIO Until 2017
Al Goldis/AP File Photo
By
Bob Brewin
Insiders are saying there isn’t enough time left in Obama’s second term to warrant a replacement for Teri Takai.
I’m picking up strong signals from Defense Department digerati and vendors that the Administration will not even bother with the process to select a new Defense Chief Information Officer to replace Teri Takai, who resigned yesterday.
There just isn’t enough time to search for, select and then vet a new Defense CIO before President Obama’s second term ends, multiple sources said. Nor would any likely candidate want to go through potentially harrowing confirmation hearings for just months on the job.
The Pentagon has no top-ranking deputy to replace Takai, as her deputy Rob Carey retired last month and yesterday signed on as vice president and general manager of public sector cyber security business at vendor CSC.
This leaves the Defense CIO shop in the hands of the SESers -- topped at the moment by David Devries, deputy for information, integration and technology.
Except for high-level policy stuff, I think the Defense CIO SESers can manage the job for the next three years and change.