By CQ Staff
March 9, 2012 -- President Obama appointed Todd Park assistant to the president and U.S. chief technology officer (CTO). Park has been head of technology for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) since 2009.
In announcing the appointment, administration officials said Park has been an "agent for change" at HHS where they said he was hired as the department's "entrepreneur-in-residence."
"Park has been helping HHS harness the power of data, technology and innovation to improve the health of all Americans,'' the announcement said. "The president has asked him to bring that same approach to a broader mission—helping to replicate those and other best practices across government and bring them to scale."
Park takes over for Aneesh Chopra, the first U.S. CTO, who last month left to return to The Advisory Board Company as senior advisor, health care technology strategy.
"As our 'entrepreneur-in-residence,' Todd has lit a fire of innovation across HHS,'' HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement. "Notably, Todd led the team that, in ninety days, developed and launched HealthCare.gov, the first website to provide consumers with a comprehensive inventory of available public and private health insurance plans in a single, easy-to-use tool. I know he'll bring the same energy and boundless creativity to his efforts across the entire Federal Government as the next CTO of the United States."
Asked who will replace Park at the agency, an HHS officials said that "Todd's HHS portfolio will continue to be a major focus of his work given the significance of the Department's efforts and the wonderful work already underway. He has built a strong team at HHS that will continue to support our efforts."
The U.S. CTO is responsible for ensuring the adoption of innovative technologies to support administration priorities, including job creation, broader access to affordable health care, enhanced energy efficiency, a more open government, and national and homeland security.
"Todd Park has demonstrated a remarkable talent for enlisting innovative technologies to modernize government, reduce waste and make government information more accessible to the public," Obama. said in a statement. "In his new position he will bring those skills to the entire federal enterprise, ensuring that government will serve all Americans fairly, effectively, and efficiently."
