A wave of top cybersecurity and IT Federal officials at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its component agencies have announced their terminations as HHS follows through on the restructuring plan it announced last week.
That restructuring plan includes laying off 10,000 employees across HHS and centralizing its IT employees.
In announcing the plan last week, HHS said it will consolidate its 28 divisions into 15 new divisions, and “centralize core functions” including IT, human affairs, procurement, external affairs, and policy.
Vid Desai, chief information officer (CIO) at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is one of the IT leaders who announced his role had been cut as a result of the restructuring.
“While there are always opportunities for improvement, the FDA IT environment has been best in class – not only across HHS but often across the federal government,” wrote Desai in a letter shared on LinkedIn. “To those departing, know that your legacy at the FDA endures. Your commitment has been the foundation of our shared success, and I remain ready to support you in any way I can.”
“To those who remain, I understand that this is a time of uncertainty and concern… Let me remind you: our mission transcends individual roles,” he continued. “I urge you to hold fast to the collaboration and innovation that defines us, and I trust fully in your ability to meet this moment.”
Greg Singleton, the former chief artificial intelligence officer at HHS who most recently served as the department’s director of IT platforms group – a team dedicated to consolidating and modernizing enterprise-wide IT platforms – also announced his termination yesterday in a LinkedIn post.
“As an Executive leader in Artificial Intelligence and Tech Integration, I’ve seen the amazing things we can do with clear vision and inspiring leadership,” Singleton said in his post.
The Office of Digital Transformation (ODT) at FDA was also hit by the layoff wave according to a LinkedIn post by Jessica Berrellez, executive officer of ODT and director of the Office of Organizational Excellence, who announced her role had been impacted.
“It feels like I’m leaving home for the second time,” she wrote. “I was placed on administrative leave this morning and went in to collect my belongings. Many colleagues across the FDA and the Office of Digital Transformation were also impacted. Leaving is hard – but my gratitude runs deeper than the sadness.”
Gina Kiang, who served as the deputy executive director at HHS and helped lead IT modernization efforts at the department, said her role was also cut.
HHS did not offer a substantive response to MeriTalk’s queries on other IT and cyber-related job cuts stemming from the restructuring plan.