Introduction

Change in the agency chief information officer ranks isn't unusual. You've all probably heard that most CIOs only stick around for about two years, right? That bit of gossip started with an old report from the Government Accountability Office, but the truth is many of them hang on much longer than that. So when you hear that Gary Washington has just about hit the eight-year mark, that's a bit of a big deal.

New Role for Gary Washington

Yup, Washington is one of the stalwarts, having served longer than most. And now, he's shifting gears at the Agriculture Department, moving into a cool new role. That definitely deserves a moment of our attention!

Appointment of Sam Berry as New CIO

The USDA didn't waste any time and named Sam Berry as the new CIO last Friday. Berry just joined back in May as a senior advisor, and now he's hopping into the big tech seat. The whole role of CIO is getting a political makeover with this change.

Sam Berry's Background

Berry hails from Michigan and is quite the visionary tech leader, known for his groundbreaking approach and entrepreneurial spirit. USDA's head honcho, Secretary Brooke Rollins, sent out an email that we got a sneak peek of thanks to the Federal News Network. In it, she praises Berry's knack for driving tech strategies forward and his rich background in both startup scenes and big enterprises. As a founder and CEO of software firms, Berry has been all about automating the complex, consolidating big systems, and keeping things running smoothly and securely in the cloud.

Gary Washington's Transition to Chief Innovation Officer

Meanwhile, Gary Washington, who joined the USDA back in February 2018, is set to become the new Chief Innovation Officer. But Rollins kept it vague on what exactly he'll be doing. The USDA's reliable tech wizard, Dave Shive at GSA, might just be the longest-serving agency CIO around now. And it's been quite the year for turnovers in this community, with nearly all CFO Act agencies swapping out their tech execs in just the last nine months.

Praise for Washington's Contributions

Rollins is full of praise for Washington’s long service and his pivotal role in shaping the USDA’s tech backbone. He’s credited with bringing significant innovations and strategic initiatives that align closely with serving the American populace. The shifts in leadership reflect a strong belief that technology and innovation are critical to future success, with Berry steering the IT helm and Washington directing innovative efforts.

Washington's Achievements as CIO

During his time as the CIO, Washington pulled off some impressive feats. He managed to secure investment from the Technology Modernization Fund to the tune of $64 million to unify and modernize a whopping 17 different networks. Prior attempts at this kind of overhaul at the USDA didn’t exactly go according to plan, making his success with the firm guidance of the TMF board even more notable.

Diverse Experience and Innovations

Washington’s know-how wasn’t just limited to swinging big deals. He’s had his hands in plenty of pies – from pioneering TMF awards for the agency, bringing on board the Centers of Excellence gurus from the General Services Administration, to pushing apps into the cloud. He’s big on using savvy tech like low-code/no-code platforms and making the most of application programming interfaces to speed up software updates.

Future Directions and Congressional Support

Just this year, Washington pushed for USDA to lean heavily on software-as-a-service, doling out cloud contracts through its Stratus vehicle. This new contracting framework kicked off last November and they’re looking to expand it even more. Congress also tipped their hats to Washington in the latest spending bill, making it clear how crucial he and his team are. They’ve put a mandate that any big IT upgrades or new systems have to get the green light from Washington’s office first.

Acknowledgments and Recognition

Washington’s talents have not gone unnoticed outside the USDA either. He was a finalist for the prestigious Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal and nabbed a Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious