Sorenson nominated to be Army's next CIO

President Bush has nominated Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Sorenson to become the Army’s next chief information officer, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced Feb. 16. He would replace outgoing CIO Lt. Gen. Steven Boutelle, who will leave the position later this year.Sorenson has been deputy for acquisition and systems management in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASAALT) since 2004. Before that assignment, he was program executive officer for tactical missiles. He would also be promoted to the rank of lieutenant general if the Senate confirms him.Although Sorenson has limited experience with communications or information technology, he has extensive practice as an acquisitions executive. His past positions include director of the acquisition directorate at the Office of the Director of Information Systems for Command, Control, Communications, and Computers; senior military assistant for the undersecretary of Defense for acquisition, technology and logistics; and assistant deputy for systems management and horizontal technology integration at ASAALT.He has also been director of program control at the Joint Tactical Fusion Program Office, director of science and technology integration at the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research and Development, product manager for the Ground Based Common Sensor-Light program, and project manager for Night Vision/Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition.Sorenson has a bachelor of science from the U.S. Military Academy and an MBA from Northwestern University. He is a graduate of the Program Manager and Executive Program Managers Courses at the Defense System Management College, the Armed Forces Staff College and the Army War College. He is a registered certified public accountant in the state of Illinois.He was named the Army’s project manager of the year for 1998, and he has won the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and the Army Meritorious Service Medal.Boutelle, who has been Army CIO since July 2003, will officially retire from the service on Aug. 1, according to an Army spokesperson. Although no commitments have been made, several leading defense contractors, including General Dynamics, are rumored to be courting him.