Deputy CIO Maria Roat to Retire in March
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By
Natalie Alms
Roat has been in senior government technology management roles for over 15 years and her government career, including military service, has spanned over 40 years.
Maria Roat, deputy federal chief information officer, is retiring from her post at the end of March, the Office of Management and Budget confirmed to FCW.
Roat has been in the position since May 2020, when she was tapped to replace longtime federal technology executive Margie Graves. She served under former Federal CIO Suzette Kent and is now under the leadership of current CIO Clare Martorana. Roat served briefly as acting CIO before Martorana's appointment.
Roat has been in government technology roles for over 15 years and her government career, including military service, has spanned over 40 years.
Maria Roat
“Maria Roat has had a remarkable career serving our country — first as a military service member, and then as a federal IT leader,” said Clare Martorana, federal CIO, in a statement. "The role of the deputy federal CIO is crucial in providing a cross-government view of agency challenges and identifying opportunities to scale secure technology and sound data-management practices across government. We are grateful for Maria’s many contributions to our team, and we're excited to see where her journey takes her next.”
Most recently prior to her work as deputy CIO, Roat worked as the CIO of the Small Business Administration, where she led efforts to improve the agency’s cybersecurity and Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act scores. That work that eventually led to her being recognized in FCW’s Fed 100 awards. At SBA she also spearheaded efforts for SBA to become the first agency to start an IT Working Capital Fund.
Before working at SBA, Roat worked as chief technology officer at the US Department of Transportation and in roles at the Department of Homeland Security after serving in the U.S. Navy.
In addition to her current role as deputy CIO, Roat also currently serves on the board for the Technology Modernization Fund.
Federal News Network first reported Roat’s upcoming retirement.