Obama names new chief technology officer
US President Barack Obama named a new chief technology officer on Friday to lead efforts to inject innovation into government.
Todd Park, who has been chief technology officer at the Department of Health and Human Services since August 2009, replaces Aneesh Chopra, who stepped down last month.
"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," he said.
Chopra was named the US government's first chief technology officer in April 2009.
The chief technology officer is tasked with using technology to support government priorities including job creation, health care, energy efficiency, open government and national security.
While at Health and Human Services, Park created HealthCare.gov, a website that provides consumers with information about health insurance plans.
He also launched the Health Data Initiative, which makes health information available to the public and to applications developers.
Obama ran the most technology-savvy US political campaign in history, leveraging social networks, email, text messages and other media to build a vast fundraising and political operation.
(c) 2012 AFP
