Federal 100: Peter Villano
![](https://cdn.nextgov.com/media/img/cd/2021/12/11/Villano/860x394.png?1639276810)
![](/media/ps360/GIG/FCWNow/People/Fed100/2020/Villano.png)
Name:
Peter Villano
Title:
Professional Staff Member
Organization:
House Armed Services Committee
DOD IT’s secret weapon. Although they are almost always out of the spotlight, congressional staffers are essential drivers of legislative initiatives, and Villano is that engine for most activities related to defense IT. He was instrumental in adding provisions to the National Defense Authorization Act that will lower barriers to bringing new capabilities into the government and was the principal staff author of legislation that created both the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence and the Joint AI Center. Villano also helped legislators monitor and adjust more than $35 billion in IT budgets across the Defense Department and military services.
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