Senate confirms Baker as Veterans Affairs CIO

Roger Baker has been confirmed by the Senate as chief information officer of the Veterans Affairs Department.

Baker survived the first part of the confirmation process in early May when he faced sharp questioning from the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee. Senators were particularly interested in what Baker would do to improve patient services. A key, according to Baker, is identifying problems with systems quickly before they are allowed to fester for years. The Senate confirmed him May 18.

Baker served as the Commerce Department’s CIO from 1991 to 2001. He also has worked extensively in the private sector, including stints at CACI International Inc. and General Dynamics Corp.