VA hires second-ranking IT official

Ron Thompson, most recently a senior IT executive at the Department of Health and Human Services, is joining the Department of Veterans Affairs as the deputy to CIO LaVerne Council.

Thompson's official job title is principal deputy assistant secretary. He will occupy the role vacated by longtime senior official and former acting CIO Stephen Warren. Prior to serving at HHS, Thompson worked at the Internal Revenue Service and the Census Bureau.

"Ron's breadth of hands-on experience in organizational design and transformation will bring new perspectives in partnership and creative problem solving, and his years of service in the United States Army will help him ensure that the Veteran remains the focal point of everything we do," Council wrote in an email to staff.

Council, who has been on the job since July 2015, has been working to fill a raft of senior positions. In November, Council tapped Brian Burns, a leader in the health record interoperability effort, to serve as chief information security officer. With the appointment of Thompson, she has filled out the very top ranks of the executive suite at the Office of Information and Technology.