Cook out as USDA CIO
Reasons for departure unclear; Hunter named acting CIO.
Cheryl L. Cook (above) has left her position as CIO of the USDA, leaving Joyce Hunter as acting CIO.
Agriculture Department CIO Cheryl Cook stepped down on March 6. Joyce Hunter, USDA's deputy CIO for policy and planning, has been named acting CIO.
USDA officials confirmed the departure, but offered no reason for it. Cook could not be reached for comment, and her email autoreply states simply that "I no longer work at USDA." The message refers senders to Hunter, Deputy CIO for Enterprise Management Sue Bussells and Acting Deputy CIO for Operations Nancy Reeves-Flores.
Cook, who won a 2015 Federal 100 award for her leadership on USDA's mobility management efforts, has served in a variety of roles at USDA, in Pennsylvania state government and in the non-profit sector. She had continued to reside in Pennsylvania, commuting to D.C. for her CIO duties.
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