The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has tapped Deputy Secretary Paul Lawrence to serve as acting chief information officer (CIO) and assistant secretary for information and technology.
A VA spokesperson told MeriTalk that Lawrence was delegated the authority to perform the dual-hatted role on Nov. 24.
The move ends Eddie Pool’s tenure as acting CIO, a position he has held since January after the departure of former political appointee Kurt DelBene. Pool is now serving as the acting principal deputy assistant secretary for information and technology.
The VA does not currently have a nominee to serve as the permanent CIO. In July, President Donald Trump withdrew the nomination of Ryan Cote to serve as the CIO and assistant secretary for information and technology.
Lawrence already oversees the VA’s Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) program and has spent recent weeks visiting medical centers preparing for the next deployment scheduled for 2026. His expanded portfolio consolidates leadership of both enterprise IT operations and the department’s largest modernization effort.
The VA is also adding senior expertise to its technology ranks.
On Dec. 2, Lawrence announced on LinkedIn that Zack Schwartz has joined the VA Office of Information and Technology as a senior advisor. Schwartz previously served as acting CIO for the Commerce Department’s Office of the Secretary and brings more than a decade of federal IT leadership experience.