Obama order cites CTO as assistant to president

A Federal Register notice adds the chief technology officer to the membership of the White House Domestic Policy Council.

President Barack Obama has indicated in a Federal Register notice that his chief technology officer would also be an assistant to the president.

The Feb. 11 notice amended and updated the membership of the White House Domestic Policy Council, which coordinates the process of making policy and advises the president. A 1993 executive order established the council.

Executive Order 13500 provides an official title for the CTO. The order states that one of the council members would be the “assistant to the president and chief technology officer,” who would replace the AIDS policy coordinator on the council. Read the notice here.

Many publications and organizations have speculated about Obama's choice for CTO.

White House officials have referred questions about the CTO to the White House Web site, which states that the president would appoint a CTO “to ensure the safety of our networks and lead an interagency effort, working with chief technology and chief information officers of each of the federal agencies, to ensure that they use best-in-class technologies and share best practices.”