The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) tapped Jennifer Wendel to serve as its permanent chief information officer (CIO) on Nov. 18, according to the agency’s website.
The move drops the acting portion of Wendel’s CIO title, which she has held for nearly a year.
HHS named Wendel as the acting CIO in December 2023 when Karl Mathias left to serve as a program manager for NASA. Prior to her CIO appointment, Jennifer served as deputy CIO for HHS from January 2023 to December 2023.
According to HHS, Wendel provides leadership and oversight of the IT systems and security activities for a workforce of over 83,000.
As the head of the Office of the Chief Information Officer, she leads the HHS’s efforts in developing and implementing IT policies, managing high priority projects, and planning strategic IT investments. As the CIO, Jennifer also provides leadership and oversight of the department’s more than $9.5B IT portfolio in support of its expansive mission to enhance the health and well-being of Americans.
Wendel started her Federal career at the FBI in 1996 as a biologist, managing forensic DNA cases, interpreting DNA profiles, reporting results, and testifying as a DNA expert in court.
During her nearly 30 years at the FBI, Wendel served in several IT roles, eventually making her way up to acting DCIO in March 2020.
There she supported the CIO for strategic decisions regarding technology advancements, guiding executive thought leadership in IT services, cybersecurity, and governance. She also provided key insights on technical administration including policy, budgeting, enterprise licenses, innovation, and risk management frameworks.
