[Techtaffy Newsdesk]

President Obama has appointed Todd Park as assistant to the President and U.S. Chief Technology Officer (CTO), filling a vacancy created by last month’s departure of Aneesh Chopra, the Nation’s first CTO. Mr. Park has served as CTO of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) since August 2009.

President Obama: 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. 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.

The U.S. CTO’s office is situated within the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), where Mr. Park will work closely with U.S. Deputy Chief Technology Officer for Telecommunications Tom Power. OSTP director and presidential science advisor John P. Holdren announced that Mr. Power will perform the duties of OSTP’s associate director for technology—a position previously held by Mr. Chopra in conjunction with his role as U.S. CTO—while a search is being conducted for a permanent replacement.

President Obama created the position of U.S. Chief Technology Officer on his first day in office. 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.

[Image Courtesy: Keith Richardson, Foundation for the National Institutes of Health]