Department of Defense (DoD) Chief Information Officer John Sherman will be stepping down from his post at the end of this month, the department announced today.
Sherman is leaving public service and moving on to become next Dean of the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University, according to a LinkedIn post.
DoD has not yet announced who will perform the duties of CIO after Sherman’s departure.
Sherman assumed the role of DoD CIO in December 2021 after being confirmed by the Senate. He has been the only Senate-confirmed CIO for the DoD during the Biden administration.
“Sherman has been a steadfast advisor and an innovative leader who has helped the Department adopt and utilize modern information technology to keep our country safe,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement.
“His technical expertise has proven invaluable in tackling a variety of digital challenges,” Austin said. “His focus on mission readiness has ensured that each of the Services is equipped with both the capabilities and the digital workforce necessary for modern warfighting.”
According to Austin, Sherman has driven efforts to implement several of the Pentagon’s most critical technology-driven initiatives.
For example, Sherman’s tenure as CIO began with the department’s shift from its stalled single-vendor enterprise cloud capability — the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) cloud contract – to a multi-vendor acquisition process – the Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability (JWCC) contract.
The JWCC program – which the DoD announced in late 2022 – awarded Google, Oracle, Amazon Web Services and Microsoft slots on the $9 billion contract vehicle. To date the department has awarded 80 task orders with a total value of more than $600 million.
“Today we are better positioned to take advantage of technological developments and respond to digital threats,” Austin said.
Sherman also oversaw the DoD’s effort towards implementing an enterprise-wise zero trust framework which the Department must implement no later than September 2027.
“Under his leadership during the past two and a half years, the Department has restructured its approach to cybersecurity … And we’re working with our international partners to set the global rules and standards for responsible cyber practices for generations to come,” Austin said.
