Holgate to depart ATF

Rick Holgate, the CIO of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and a longtime leader in the federal technology community, is leaving government service to take a post as a federal analyst with Gartner.

In addition to his work at ATF, Holgate served as president of the American Council on Technology, the government side of the ACT-IAC group. Before joining ATF in 2009, Holgate was Assistant Director for IT and Command Information Officer at the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. He is a two-time winner for FCW's Federal 100 award.

Holgate's wife Laura Holgate was recently nominated by President Obama to serve as U.S. Representative to the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, an important post in implementing and overseeing the proposed nuclear deal with Iran. She will have the rank of ambassador, and the position requires Senate confirmation.

Rick Holgate will work for Gartner from Austria, according to an email he sent to colleagues announcing his pending departure.

"Though it's with some significant regret I'm leaving the ATF family, the DOJ community, and federal service, I'm excited to join Gartner and for their willingness to support a move to Vienna. I'll still be a member of the federal community at large, and I look forward to continuing to work with you to ensure Gartner’s research is as relevant, timely, and usable as it can be in the federal space (I reserve the right to reach out to you for your suggestions!). And I’ll still be active in the ACT-IAC community, as well," Holgate wrote.

Holgate, one of the more active agency CIOs on Twitter, had hinted in early August that his wife's nomination could require some changes:

Nunn, Rohlfing Applaud Nomination of Laura Holgate to be U.S. Ambassador in Vienna http://t.co/0DuuEAZ5Th

— Rick Holgate (@rickholgate) August 6, 2015

@TroySchneider that would likely strain even a telework-friendly organization like @ATFHQ!

— Rick Holgate (@rickholgate) August 7, 2015