Chief Information Officer (OCIO)

Suzi M. Connor

Suzi M. Connor has served as CDC’s chief information officer (CIO) since May 2017. As CDC’s senior information technology (IT) leader, Ms. Connor oversees the agency’s IT strategic plan and operations. Her responsibilities include leading the Information Technology Services Office (ITSO), Acquisition Program Management Office (APMO), Management Information Systems Office (MISO), Enterprise IT Portfolio Office (EITPO), Informatics Innovation Unit (IIU), and Office of the Chief Information Security Officer (OCISO). On a daily basis, she directs the agency’s IT program, which includes enterprise architecture, IT capital investment management, policy and standards development, information management and security, and workforce development. In addition to her CDC responsibilities, Ms. Connor serves on the HHS CIO Council and various IT steering committees where she provides strategic direction on leading technologies and standards affecting the department.

Ms. Connor brings to CDC an impressive background of technical and executive management experience in the federal and commercial IT sectors. She has built a reputation for taking on transformative assignments that require decisive action to achieve significant results. Most recently, she was director of MISO, where she led a staff of 200 professionals responsible for the development, implementation, and support of CDC’s enterprise business applications. While at MISO, she developed and executed a strategic roadmap to transition the organization to an IT Center of Excellence driven by customer priorities. Prior to CDC, Ms. Connor’s tenure at HHS included director of Administrative Operations Service (AOS) for the Program Support Center (PSC) and director of Information Technology and Infrastructure Operations (ITIO).

In addition to her government experience, Ms. Connor has held managerial and IT leadership roles for Fortune 100 companies, including Booz Allen Hamilton and EDS, and has held sales and product development positions in Silicon Valley technology startups. She holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and has advanced studies toward a master’s degree in information technology from Johns Hopkins University. She is also a graduate of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and the Office of Personnel Management’s Senior Executive Fellows Program.

“Information technology enables CDC to fulfill its core mission of protecting the nation’s health,” says Ms. Connor. “Disease surveillance, health statistics, epidemiological analysis, and sharing critical public health information are all activities supported by, enabled by, or conducted through the use of IT. In the information age, the need and importance of high quality IT systems and services is only growing. I am proud to be part of an organization that is a leader in developing technical solutions that improve and advance the science of public health.”