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Glenn Mahone/Doc Mirelson
Headquarters, Washington                    March 24, 2003
(Phone: 202/358-1600)

RELEASE: 03-118

NASA NAMES NEW CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER

     NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe announced today, 
Patricia L. Dunnington is the agency's new Chief Information 
Officer (CIO).

"Pat brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our 
management team, " Administrator O'Keefe said. "She has an 
intimate knowledge of the agency, and she will be a key 
leader, planner and manager as we continue to apply cutting 
edge information technology to NASA," he said.

The CIO reports directly to the NASA Administrator and is 
responsible for the development of an integrated focus on 
information resource management strategies, policies, and 
practices. These encompass strategic planning; standards in 
computing, networking, and security; establishment of system 
and information architectures; and incorporation of life-
cycle management concepts into information technology 
acquisitions and management.

Dunnington succeeds Paul Strassman. Strassman is NASA's 
Special Assistant to the Administrator for Information 
Management, and he was also serving as acting CIO. A leading 
expert in the IT community, he came to NASA last spring to 
develop a strategy and architecture. Having succeeded in 
that task, he plans to retire to private life. "Paul has 
given us a much needed road map to address our information 
technology needs for the future. He's introduced 
contemporary business practices and a game plan that will 
help us fully implement the plan," Administrator O'Keefe 
said.

Dunnington was NASA's Deputy Chief Information Officer since 
August 2002. Prior to her headquarters assignment, she 
completed a Senior Executive Service Candidate Development 
Program Developmental Work Assignment with Cisco Systems, 
Inc., San Jose, Calif. She also served as the Chief 
Information Officer of NASA's Langley Research Center, 
Hampton, Va.

Dunnington joined NASA in 1982 as a Presidential Management 
Intern in the Office of Aero-Space Technology and served in 
a number of increasingly responsible positions, including 
CIO for the enterprise office. She also served as NASA's 
Acting Deputy CIO in 1996. She received her B.A. from The 
Catholic University of America, Washington and her M.G.A 
from the University of Maryland, College Park, Md. She has 
received numerous awards including NASA's Exceptional 
Service Medal and NASA's Langley Research Center Superior 
Accomplishment Award.

-end-

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