July 28, 2009
www.governor.virginia.gov www.YesVirginia.org
GOVERNOR KAINE APPLAUDS PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENTS OF VIRGINIA TALENT
~Vivek Kundra, Aneesh Chopra to be honored during reception~
Governor Timothy M. Kaine tonight will honor Aneesh Chopra, former Virginia Secretary of Technology, and Vivek Kundra, former Virginia Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Technology, for their recent White House appointments during a reception at 6:30 p.m. at The Tower Club in Vienna. Kundra was named Federal Chief Information Officer. Chopra will serve as the Federal Chief Technology Officer. The reception is hosted by the Northern Virginia Technology Council and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership.
“As our nation’s top information technology leaders, Vivek Kundra and Aneesh Chopra can expand on Virginia's longstanding model of technology innovation to benefit all Americans,” said Governor Kaine. “I’m confident their contributions will continue to pave the way to new strategies and economic development opportunities -- here in the Commonwealth and at the national level.”
In his new role, Chopra’s responsibilities will be similar to his Virginia post—technology and innovation policy. As Virginia’s fourth Secretary of Technology, Chopra worked to leverage technology in government reform, promote innovation and foster technology-related economic development with a special emphasis on entrepreneurship. He was awarded the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society’s 2007 State Leadership Advocacy Award, and was also named to Government Technology magazine’s Top 25 in their Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers issue, which recognizes 25 individuals who help set the standard for using technology to improve government.
As Federal Chief Information Officer, Kundra will direct the policy and strategic planning of federal information technology investments and is responsible for oversight of federal technology spending. As Virginia’s Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Technology, the first dual cabinet role in Virginia history, Kundra worked to streamline government and enhance business opportunity through technology innovations. He has been recognized among the top 25 chief technology officers nationwide and as the 2008 IT Executive of the Year for “driving transparency, engaging citizens, and lowering the cost of government operations.”
