FBI CIO plans to step down

FBI Chief Information Officer Chad Fulgham announced he will be leaving the agency on April 13 to return to the private sector, the agency announced on March 27.

Fulgham, whose official title is executive assistant director and CIO of the Information and Technology Branch, served at the FBI for more than three years, leading the Sentinel case management development program, among others.

The $451 million Sentinel project was initiated in 2006 and has been restructured and delayed. The FBI issued a stop-work order in July 2010 and announced plans to directly manage Sentinel and complete the remaining phases with agile development.

“When I was hired as the CIO, it was understood Sentinel was going to be one of my top priorities. Today, I can tell you the software coding is done, the new hardware is in place, and it has been quite impressive during initial performance testing. We have trained hundreds of FBI special agents and employees, and it will have a lasting impact on this organization,” Fulgham said in a statement.

Sentinel is scheduled to be implemented in the summer of 2012, Fulgham added.

Fulgham also consolidated facilities into a strategic data center and initiated server virtualization efforts. He also spearheaded efforts to improve collaboration with tools such as instant messaging, Web meetings, video teleconferencing and desktop sharing.

“Chad and the efforts of the ITB have made tremendous contributions to the FBI and its mission. His strong leadership, corporate-style management, forward-thinking mindset, and drive have brought innovative technology solutions that have helped the FBI accomplish its important mission for the nation,” FBI Director Robert S. Mueller said in the statement.