Steve Cooper lands in a new role

The Federal Aviation Administration has chosen Steve Cooper as the agency's new acting Chief Information Officer.

Cooper confirmed in an email message that he has been promoted to acting CIO for the FAA. The previous CIO was Dave Bowen.

Cooper previously was CIO of the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization, the operating arm of the national airspace system.

Paul Takemoto, a spokesman for the FAA, also confirmed the promotion, which he said occurred last week. Bowen will stay on at the FAA as senior advisor for information technology, Takemoto said.

Cooper also served as the first CIO of the Homeland Security Department from its opening in March 2003 to 2005, when he accepted a position as CIO of the American Red Cross.

Cooper also worked for more than 20 years in the private sector as an IT professional, including position as a member of the advisory boards to Citizant, Ezenia and The Genesis Key Inc., according to his public profile on LinkedIn. He is a former Naval Air Reserve petty officer who served during the Vietnam conflict.