When President Obama appointed Aneesh Chopra as the first federal chief technology officer in 2009, it was seen as the beginning of a new era in the government’s relationship with technology. Now, with Chopra’s departure, the tech industry will be watching intently for the signal Obama sends when he fills the position.
“Aneesh Chopra has been a tireless leader and advocate for the role technology can play in tackling our nation’s biggest problems,” Robert Holleyman, president of the Business Software Alliance, said in a statement. “Chopra has set a very high bar for future CTOs.”
The White House announced Chopra’s departure on Friday. Chopra said he plans to return to Virginia when he leaves his federal post on Feb. 8.
“After an incredible three years as the nation’s first Chief Technology Officer, I am returning to my home state of Virginia to continue my work using innovative new technologies and platforms to improve healthcare, education and energy – and to grow the jobs and industries of the future,” he said in a statement.
The Washington Post reports that some Democratic sources say Chopra is considering a run for lieutenant governor.
TechAmerica’s acting President Dan Varroney said Chopra’s belief in the “transformative nature of technology” allowed him to forge effective public-private collaboration. The tech industry will be looking to engage with the next CTO on similarly effective partnerships, he said.
"As the federal government's first Chief Technology Officer, Aneesh Chopra did groundbreaking work to bring our government into the 21st century," Obama said in a statement. He credited Chopra with finding innovative ways to use technology to engage Americans.
During the 2008 campaign, Obama toyed with the idea of a cabinet-level chief technology officer. When Obama became president, rumors had him naming Google’s Eric Schmidt; Vint Cerf, Google's chief Internet evangelist; Cisco Systems CTO Padmasree Warrior; Beth Simone Noveck, a law professor at New York Law School; or Vivek Kundra, who became the White House’s chief information officer, among others.
In the end, Chopra wasn’t appointed to a cabinet-level office, but the tech industry appreciated his mandate to promote innovation and technology as ways to solve the country’s problems.
Chopra oversees the administration's technology agenda, from cybersecurity and health IT to broadband. He also helped author the administration's position on recent antipiracy legislation. As the economy continued to suffer, Chopra’s focus on innovation placed him at the center of many key initiatives on issues from health care to job creation.
Chopra came to the White House in 2009 after three years as secretary of technology for the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Want to stay ahead of the curve? Sign up for National Journal’s AM & PM Must Reads. News and analysis to ensure you don’t miss a thing.
Join the Discussion