The Government Accountability Office (GAO) selected Jennifer Franks to serve in a newly established role as the congressional watchdog’s acting chief technology officer (CTO).
A GAO spokesperson confirmed to MeriTalk that Franks will continue to serve as a director of the Center for Enhanced Cybersecurity in GAO’s Information Technology and Cybersecurity team while she serves as acting CTO.
“In her new role, Jennifer will be responsible for developing the agency’s long-term enterprise technology roadmap, evaluating emerging capabilities, and fostering a culture of experimentation and rapid prototyping,” the GAO spokesperson said.
In a June 9 LinkedIn post, Franks said that the CTO role represents “an exciting opportunity to help shape how technology, data, innovation, cybersecurity, and mission delivery come together to support GAO’s work on behalf of Congress and the American people.”
“I look forward to partnering with colleagues across the agency as we continue building the future of technology, data, and innovation at GAO,” Franks said.
Franks has served in IT-related roles at GAO for more than 20 years, according to her LinkedIn profile. She’s served as a director of information technology and cybersecurity since August 2020, and before that, served as an assistant director since April 2017.