After nearly 20 years in the Federal government, David Nelson – chief information officer (CIO) at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) – is slated to retire from public service on Friday, Jan. 26.
An NRC spokesperson confirmed to MeriTalk today that Scott Flanders, NRC’s deputy CIO, will take over Nelson’s role in an acting capacity.
In the CIO position, Nelson also holds the titles of chief data officer and chief AI officer (CAIO).
“As the CIO has been designated Chief Data Officer, and the Chief Data Officer has been designated as Chief AI Officer, those designations transfer to Mr. Flanders as well during his tenure as acting CIO,” NRC said in an emailed statement.
Nelson was named the CAIO for the NRC last month. President Joe Biden’s recent executive order on AI requires Federal agencies to name officials to the CAIO position. As a regulatory agency, the NRC is exempt from CAIO requirements, but the agency said that it was “analyzing the executive order and assessing whether and how it applies” given its independent status.
Nelson has served in the Federal government since 2004, according to his LinkedIn page. Before joining the NRC, he worked for more than a decade at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services where he held the CIO title from 2014 to 2016.
