Another DIA departure: Gus Taveras resigns as CTO

Defense Intelligence Agency is also in search of a CIO and a permanent director.

Exit Sign

Gus Taveras is stepping down as the Defense Intelligence Agency's chief technology officer, the third high-level departure from the Pentagon's spy agency revealed in recent weeks. Taveras, who has been CTO since December 2012, confirmed the news in an Aug. 19 email to FCW.

His last day will be Aug. 22. 

Taveras said in a note posted to his LinkedIn page that he was leaving government to work for industry, without specifying where. He reflected on the intelligence community's move toward a single, standards-based IT architecture, known as ICITE. Investments in ICITE "are the building blocks for accelerating information sharing, adoption and efficiencies – all original pillars of the [director of national intelligence's] unified vision," Taveras wrote.

Prior to serving as DIA CTO, Taveras was a technical adviser to the DOD CIO and Army G2, among other positions in a career that began in 1987 as an infantryman in the Marine Corps. 

Taveras' resignation further empties DIA's leadership roster. Less than two weeks ago, David Shedd replaced Ret. Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn as DIA director on an interim basis. The Washington Post reported in April that Flynn had been asked by Director of National Intelligence James Clapper Jr. to step down before his tenure was up in the wake of numerous classified leaks.

The agency is also in search of a CIO to succeed Grant Schneider, a career employee who had held the job since 2007 and is on the way out the door.

A DIA spokesman said recently that there is no timeline for naming a permanent DIA director.