NASA has hired David Salvagnini as its chief data officer (CDO), filling the role after Ron Thompson retired last fall.
Salvagnini stepped into his new role in June, after serving as the director of the Architecture Integration Group and chief enterprise architect at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).
“I am excited to share that I have started a new position as the NASA chief data officer. After 22 years as an IT professional in the Intelligence Community (IC), this is a big change,” Salvagnini wrote on his LinkedIn. “That said, as a leader, it was time for me to broaden my experience and be part of an entirely different mission. Like the IC, NASA is an amazing organization that will stretch me personally and professionally.”
“As I look to the future, I am energized by the NASA mission, ‘NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery’ and the strategic themes: discover, explore, innovate, and advance that enable that mission,” he added. “I am also excited to grow my network and partner with CDOs and data professionals across government, private sector, academic, and research institutions.”
Prior to his time at ODNI, Salvagnini served in several positions at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), including as CDO, technical director of the Chief Information Office (CIO), and deputy chief of the Enterprise Cyber and Infrastructure Services Division.
He joined DIA as a civil servant in May 2005, after retiring from the Air Force as a communications and computer systems officer.
