Hall of Transformers

CTO, HUD OIG

He managed and maintained small to medium LAN/WAN configurations at multiple sites. He is also an expert in systems engineering and designing complex data center infrastructures as well as contributing to the development of IT policies and standards at multiple organizations.

CIO & CDO, National Science Foundation

Longstanding public servant who puts leadership first and never stops learning. She has created an environment that withstands the test of time to be resilient for the next generation of scientists and technologists.

AI Program Lead, HHS

She oversees implementation of the enterprise AI strategy at the Department of Health and Human Services, and with that is also charting a path for the agency to promote responsible AI policy.

CISO, Department of State

Donna Bennett helped her agency improve their cybersecurity scorecard from 12% to 94%. She has implemented cybersecurity partnerships across her agency and stakeholders. And she’s made strategic initiatives that leverage AI and automation for continuous monitoring and gap identification.

Executive Officer, Office of Digital Transformation,FDA

Jessica Berrellez was cited as a visionary having dramatically impacted federal IT initiatives, including developing and operationalizing the agency’s inaugural IT strategy. She strives to cultivate diverse talent and prepares leaders for the future of digital governance. She is also a member of our Women Tech Leaders Working Group.

Chief Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity, DOD

Change agent leading the DOD Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) to hold contractors accountable for baseline cybersecurity requirements.

Chief Data Scientist, PEO, DHMS

He manages a team of scientists, engineers, researchers, and developers that provide enterprise applications, business intelligence, machine learning, metrics, data, and analytical support to the NICoE Intrepid Spirit Network across 10+ military treatment facilities (MTFs).

CIO/Assistant Inspector General for IT, HHS OIG

His zero trust approach serves as an example to other agencies seeking to improve cybersecurity especially in a hybrid work environment.

Director, Digital Transformation & IT Portfolio Management, Department of the Navy

Beth Caswell has helped modernize back-office operations across the Navy and Marine Corps. This includes being near the front of the Department of the Navy’s digital transformation and modernization efforts supporting Operation Cattle Drive and IT consolidation.

Supervisory IT Specialist, VA

Judy Cecchetti has been instrumental in coaching and mentoring others in support of her organization’s transformed product line and advancing DevSecOps and Agile best practices. She has been a leader in key digital transformation efforts at the agency and leads its Agile Center of Excellence.

Data and Interoperability Director, EHRM-IO, VA

Her work is helping to transform the veteran health care experience as it modernizes its health record and plays a critical role in advancing the ways veterans’ data is accessible, useable and computable.

Open Source Lead, Digital Service, CMS

A rising leader who cultivates open-source culture across his agency and beyond. He offers a fearless approach to innovation and establishing strategic partnerships.

Zero Trust Program Manager, Interior Department

Eichenbaum helped his department develop its zero-trust strategy. He has helped build internal and federal-wide zero trust communities of practice to share ideas and collaborate across government. Additionally, he led an initiative to train over 100 employees within his department on zero trust principles in fiscal year 2024.

Acting PED, EHRM-IO, VA Connected Care Chief, VHA

Always putting the patient first, Dr. Evans has led his team to create thriving technical capabilities that withstood the demands of the pandemic and are continuing to success — telehealth, patient portals and hybrid care.

Chief Digital Strategy Officer, CMS

She spearheads modernization efforts at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and is taking a human approach to digital services, which ultimately is creating an improved digital customer experience.

Director, Engineering and Technology Transformation, DHA

Anthony Giljum has integrated innovative tech capabilities that align with department strategies, like zero trust and comply to connect. He also led DHA’s involvement in an interagency pilot to develop a solution for DoD and VA to safely collaborate across the agencies’ systems.

CIO, Air Force

Venice Goodwine was instrumental in launching and implementing the “DAF Bot” automation system, a cutting-edge tool that reduced airmen’s workload by eliminating mundane tasks. This achievement was made possible by successful Automation Roadshows, showcasing the ingenuity of Air Force Sustainment Center employees and their ability to harness cutting-edge technological practices. Her leadership and dedication have led to a technologically advanced and cutting-edge Air Force.

Deputy Executive Director, Health Services Portfolio, Office of Information & Technology, Department of Veterans Affairs

Leads tech modernization across four product lines: Telehealth and Scheduling, Community Care, Clinical Services and Patient Care Services.

Director of User Experience Services, IRS

April Harding has significantly enhanced the taxpayer experience through her efforts over the past year. She’s introduced innovative tools such as the “Where’s My Refund?” online tracker and chatbots, which have made a remarkable impact.

Director, Defense Digital Service

Jennifer Hay has stewarded and overseen agile software development in action in DoD. She is responsible for data engineers, data scientists, product managers and user research designers working to quickly deliver digital capabilities and usable products at the department.

CIO and CAIO, DHS

Eric has led an agency striving to become a model for AI innovation in the federal government. He has supervised impactful programs such as the AI Corps hiring sprint and pilot projects for generative AI across missions.

Program Manager, Discretionary Programs, Office for Victims of Crime, DOJ

She managed and maintained small to medium LAN/WAN configurations at multiple sites. She is also an expert in systems engineering and designing complex data center infrastructures as well as contributing to the development of IT policies and standards at multiple organizations. 

Deputy Assistant Director, FBI Cyber Division

Kaiser is a prominent leader in the industry and works closely with federal agencies, international partners and the private sector to enhance cyber resilience and spearhead initiatives that foster cross-sector collaboration.

Director of Procurement, U.S. Digital Service

Brings a more human experience to the acquisition process to effect necessary change that improves diversity and modernization in government.

Director of Innovation and Engineering, Office of the Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of Labor

Spearheading major improvements in data science and leveraging automation to enhance procurement and manual labor.

Chief, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships, HHS – ASTP

Through his leadership of CancerX and Federal Innovation Day, Stephen Konya has built bridges across agencies, innovators and care teams to bring life-extending solutions to the bedside. His vision and relentless commitment to patient advocacy showcase the flywheel effect of connecting the right people, at the right time, with the right innovations.

CIO, Department of the Air Force

Instrumental in bringing more cloud computing, improving UX, DevSecOps and data modernization for a $17 billion tech portfolio. Her influence has been felt outside of the Air Force’s barrier.

Chief, Scientific Solutions Delivery Branch, NIH NHLBI

This rising star’s work in AI-based data harmonization spans over 4 petabytes of retrospective, multi-modal data — including genomics, imaging, clinical and wearable data — from landmark studies like the Framingham Heart Study. Her efforts have made this data fair and reusable, accelerating scientific discovery and improving health outcomes.

Assistant Secretary for Health, HHS

She consistently speaks to issues of diversity, equity and inclusion in her role at HHS. Rachel has made a difference in shaping the services that are high quality, responsive and equitable to today’s population.

Senior Policy Advisor, CISA

Li brings a strategic perspective to emerging security challenges. She has been cited for her great work on cyber policy and “Secure by Design,” as well as her passion for safeguarding critical infrastructure.

Director, Office of Benefits Automation, VBA

Driving some of her agency’s most important developments with AI and automation, she inspires trust in her colleagues, leads with empathy, credibility and a deep understanding of organizational dynamics, and works to eliminate their administrative burdens.

Portfolio Management Section Chief for the CDM Program and Acting Branch Chief for Cybersecurity Shared Services Office, CISA

Loeffler has served in 2 prominent roles at his agency — both delivering critical cybersecurity services across government. He was cited for his exceptional collaboration with federal security professionals to assess cybersecurity policies and capabilities, and advise on continued improvements.

JWCC Program Manager, DISA

Ryan McArthur has been integral in the Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability execution and has been integral in the dozens of task orders work a total of more than $260 million and dozens more in-process acquisition packages.

Director, GigEagle Agile Talent Ecosystem, Air Force

Brig. Gen. Michael McGinley efforts brought the first joint AI-driven talent operations platform to DOD. The initiative was cited as helping identify candidates for short-term defense assignments within seconds, a task that used to take weeks or months.

Chief of Enterprise Platform Services, NIH CIT

Her leadership and initiative on critical processes and programs in the NIH Institutes and Center Offices has stood out. She initiated and led the NIH-wide ServiceNow Community of Practice (CoP), and began establishing a forward-looking vision for the program.

Executive Director, Office of Health Equity, VA

Ernest has expanded programs for underserved veteran communities, including more reproductive health care and other women’s services, as well as data dashboarding techniques to enable better understanding of veterans’ needs.

CIO and OIT Director, CMS

Patrick Newbold oversaw the deployment of AI-powered solutions that redefined how CMS serves its stakeholders. This includes the agency’s new CMS Chat, a platform featuring 51 custom AI assistants — 36 enterprise-wide and 15 specialized bots — developed in just 10 weeks.

AI Visionary for the AI Center of Excellence, Department of Commerce

Ola has had a big role in implementing recent AI executive orders to help the Department of Commerce promote economic growth through innovative technology and also established a Center of Excellence (CoE) for AI at her agency.

Digital Service Expert, Defense Digital Service

Glenn Parham led the way in impactful and effective use of generative AI, working with the Defense Department’s High Powered Compute Center to test DOD’s compute power and ensure it will be able to scale around increased AI use.

Deputy CISO and Executive Director of Information Security Policy and Strategy, VA

Amber Pearson was described in the nomination process as a leader who cultivates a cybersecurity culture that moves at the speed of innovation. She offers a fearless approach to innovation and establishing strategic partnerships.

Deputy CDAO for Acquisitions, DOD

Sharothi Pikar serves as the milestone decision and approval authority for all CDAO research, development, and acquisition activities, with an annual budget of approximately $685 million.

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and Principal Deputy National Coordinator, HHS

He has brought much needed change to the data standards and activities that power key health care systems such as TEFCA and USCDI and advocating for their continued improvement and integration across government and industry.

CIO, Department of the Navy

Jane Rathbun boasts a rich and varied career spanning nearly three decades within both the Defense Department and NASA. Most notably, she spearheaded a comprehensive overhaul of the Navy’s information superiority vision, marking a significant milestone in her career. Throughout her journey, she has consistently led the transformation of major management and acquisition programs, earning recognition as an ambitious leader who places utmost importance on nurturing and empowering individuals within digital transformation.

Zero Trust Lead, Department of Education

Wayne Rodgers has worked tirelessly to implement secure access service edge and identity, access, and credential management to zero trust capabilities for personnel at his agency.

Senior Data Scientist, Air Force Research Lab

Collen inspired others at AFRL and within the community to advance the technologies available to the Air Force. He also shared his code with other agencies and organizations to support their own efforts and experiment with AI and was instrumental in the Air Force’s NIPRGPT tool.

Acting Director, Presidential Innovation Fellows, GSA

Ryan provided new leadership to a key program embedding top talent into federal agencies to drive transformative projects that leverage AI for public good. His efforts enabled the Presidential Innovation Fellows program to become a key partner in government’s AI journey.

CISO, Energy Department

Selby is a distinguished and respected leader in cybersecurity whose impactful efforts fortify agency-wide programs. He has been cited in the nomination process as an “outstanding” individual, cybersecurity mentor and friend.

Technical Director, Hosting and Compute Center, DISA

On the frontline of transforming how the Defense Department does cloud security by leaning into Agile culture and new software development approaches.

DHMSM Program Manager, DHMS

Christina Sheets from DHMS exemplifies how innovation, data and digital tools can be harnessed to transform public health with her work on Digital Front Door in MHS Genesis.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Information Security & CISO, Department of Veterans Affairs

Leading high-profile efforts including the department’s new Zero Trust First Cybersecurity Strategy.

IT Specialist, VA

He has been praised for assisting the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Enterprise Cloud Fax Services program, which gives users more control over their fax data transfer processes between health care providers.

Section Chief, Cybersecurity Shared Service Office, CISA

Vincent Sritapan has complimentary roles in two agencies where he has made significant contributions that strengthened the nation’s cybersecurity and its capability to defend critical enterprise systems. He was described as a leader who champions cybersecurity advancements in the federal civilian and military communities.

Deputy Director for Transformation and Acting Director, FDA CDRH

She has heavily spearheaded equity in health care, including contributing to research on AI bias in health, pushing forth programs like the agency’s “Home as a Health Care Hub” initiative and integrating medical devices into underserved communities.

Digital Services Expert, Defense Digital Service

Nicole Thompson has been integral in the Hack the Pentagon programs, raising the level cybersecurity preparedness across the defense ecosystem. The department has executed more than 45 different bug bounties to help address undiscovered cybersecurity weaknesses.

CIO and OIT Director, IHS

Mitchell Thornbrugh’s efforts are expanding modern health care access to rural tribal communities by modernizing the agency’s electronic health record and being the first adopter of TEFCA data standards.

Senior Strategic Advisor, ICE

Christopher was cited for creating various AI-driven solutions including one that forms the foundation for predictive analytics at ICE. With his vision, the agency is realizing time and cost savings across its mission.

Chief Data & AI Officer, Air Force

Eileen Vidrine has been integral in connecting data across the Joint All-Domain Command and Control. The self-service data and analytics platform VAULT was developed under her direction, allowing airmen and guardians the ability them to turn data into action at the pace of mission.

Director, FEDRAMP, GSA

He expanded the size and diversity of the FedRAMP marketplace and simplified the FedRAMP process. He and his team are continuing to improve all aspects of FedRAMP’s operations by accelerating the authorization process so that it is faster, easier, cheaper and better. Since the launch of the FedRAMP 20x, his agency has seen major efficiency gains.

Director, ARPA-H

With her leadership, ARPA-H has launched a cascade of projects moving health technology forward, including projects like DIGIHEALS, a digital health security effort to address cybersecurity threats to health care.

Deputy Director, Readiness and Security Inspections, JFHQ-DODIN

Charles Wille drove efforts on a new system that helps the Defense Department move away from a compliance-focused cybersecurity mindset and pushes commanders to holistically and continuously assess how a cyber risk will affect mission.

Director, J-6 Endpoint and Global Service Center, DISA

Sharon Woods stands as a steadfast advocate for driving transformative processes within her organization and among its mission partners. She oversees acquisition and implementation of cloud programs, playing a pivotal role in the conception of what was then known as the Hosting and Compute Center, with the aspiration to become the preferred provider for hosting and computing needs of the warfighter. Her leadership extends to championing robust Agile principles throughout the workforce and embodies the essence of a transformational woman tech leader.

U.S. Digital Corps Fellow at NIH 

Brittney Wright is an Air Force veteran, where she has seen how technology is constantly improving. In her current role, she is putting our citizens at the forefront of security decisions and acting as a role model for early-career technologists.

Senior Policy Advisor, Cybersecurity Division, CISA

Prior Air Force intelligence officer who tackles critical issues like racism and supply chain vulnerabilities, co-founded the online social media movement called #ShareTheMicInCyber and has led numerous efforts supporting continued workforce advancements.

Artificial Intelligence Policy Analyst, OMB

Her focus has been on improving public transparency of government agencies’ use of AI, while also encouraging them to better manage risks from its use.