Today, NOAA Fisheries announced the appointment of Roy Varghese as the new Chief Information Officer for Fisheries. As CIO, Roy will continue the work of leading NOAA Fisheries and its regions and science centers in all areas of information management and technology. He will assume his new role on November 26, 2017.
“Roy has proven to be a results-oriented leader, providing strategic direction, trusted advice, and a collaborative approach to make great strides in enhancing Fisheries’ IT capabilities over the past eight years,” said Brian Pawlak, NOAA Fisheries’ Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for Operations. “I have no doubt his vision, commitment to customer service, and technical expertise will further our abilities to modernize our information technology and increase the pace of innovation.”
“I also want to extend our thanks to Nancy Majower, who has been ably serving as the acting Fisheries CIO since the retirement of Larry Tyminski this past July,” added Pawlak. “Nancy is a true team player in every sense.”
Varghese Increased Pace of IT Modernization
Since 2011, Roy has led the information technology program within the Office of the CIO. In his role as Project Management Office Manager, he worked to implement policies that would increase the pace of IT modernization at Fisheries; designed an assessment to identify and address critical cybersecurity vulnerabilities at the agency; and collaborated with stakeholders to execute a digital strategy that included modernizing Fisheries’ web presence and managing its social media platforms.
"I am excited to be part of an organization where we can serve as a catalyst in harnessing technology innovations to positively impact Fisheries’ mission outcomes by building collaborative partnerships and leveraging enterprise services offered by NOAA’s Office of the Chief Information Officer," said Varghese.
Early Work with OCIO Focused on Data Center Improvements
Prior to this role, Roy was an independent consultant for OCIO. He led the effort to modernize its data center with robust network recovery plans and data encryption and protection.
Before joining NOAA, Roy was the Director of Business Development at two consulting firms, Cigital, Inc. and Aquilent, Inc., where he helped several federal agencies modernize their IT and improve cybersecurity capabilities.
Roy is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Public Policy with a focus on Public Management at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He received an MBA from Johns Hopkins University and a BA from Towson University.
