The Department of Defense (DoD) has announced that Dr. Kelly Fletcher has been named as the permanent Principal Deputy DoD Chief Information Officer (CIO). Dr. Fletcher is a career member of the Senior Executive Service and has served at DoD CIO since February 2020 in a variety of roles. She has led engagement with the Defense Agencies and Field Activities, providing oversight of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) and leading strategic resource planning across the information technology (IT) and cybersecurity domains.
As the Principal Director for the Deputy CIO for Resources & Analysis (DCIO(R&A)), she ensured that IT and cyber priorities were appropriately resourced throughout DoD – including by the military Services, the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) and within DoD CIO.
Prior to joining DoD CIO, Dr. Fletcher served, from September 2018 to February 2020, as the Deputy Director for Program Analysis & Evaluation at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) where she supervised and coordinated the development of the DHS-wide budget (~$50B appropriated). In addition, she led the realignment of the Federal Protective Services (more than 10,000 employees, ~$1B annual spend) from the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to the Management directorate.
Dr. Fletcher served in the Department of the Navy from December 2016 to September 2018 in a variety of roles – including Acting CIO and Business Modernization Lead. As the CIO, she provided strategic leadership for all Department of the Navy information technology policy and budget decisions and led a Department-wide reorganization of information technology governance and oversight.
Dr. Fletcher spent six years with the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) where she served as the Special Assistant to the Deputy Director. She coordinated CAPE’s nine divisions and more than 60 analysts to support the development of the FY18-FY22 DoD budget.
A recognized thought leader and sought after speaker in the field of technology and national defense, Dr. Fletcher was named one of FedScoop’s Top Women in Tech in 2018.
Dr. Fletcher earned her Ph.D. in engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and her B.S. from Washington University in St. Louis.