Tech

Energy Department has its first chief data officer

Dave Dutton, who has spent nearly two decades in data management in the public and private sectors, was hired in January.

By Greg Otto

February 10, 2015

Six months after advertising the position, Energy Department has hired its first chief data officer.

Dave Dutton, previously serving as the director of enterprise data management for government-backed mortgage company Freddie Mac, lists the title of the department’s chief data officer on his LinkedIn page. DOE confirmed the appointment.

Prior to Freddie Mac, Dutton worked as an enterprise data management program manager for the Defense Commissary Agency, which oversees a chain of grocery stores run by the Department of Defense. He also served in various data management roles for the Transportation Security Administration, McDonald’s Corp. and Capital One.

At the Energy Department, Dutton will be responsible for managing the department’s open data efforts, establishing agencywide data policies regarding privacy, security and confidentiality, and will represent the agency in working groups.

Dutton’s role comes as the rise of the chief data officer continues in the federal government. Last year, former consultant Dan Morgan started as the Transportation Department’s
first CDO. Shortly thereafter, Commerce Department Secretary Penny Pritzker announced a search for her own department’s CDO. While that role has not been filled, Lynn Overmann was hired last year as Commerce’s deputy CDO.

Several other government outlets also employ CDOs, including the National Institutes of Health, the Federal Communications Commission,
the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Army.