Energy CIO departs after short tenure

Newly-appointed Energy Department Chief Information Officer Ryan Riedel has left the agency, multiple people familiar with the matter told Nextgov/FCW.

Riedel was appointed to the position in early February after more than four years at SpaceX, where he served as a network engineer. The Energy CIO oversees technology policy and cybersecurity across the 15,000-person department, its many national labs and the National Nuclear Security Administration.

Former Energy principal deputy CIO Dawn Zimmer has been named acting CIO, according to those familiar. Zimmer previously held the title of acting chief information officer after Ann Dunkin resigned from the position during the administration change. Zimmer’s LinkedIn lists her as acting CIO. 

The reason for Riedel’s departure is unknown. Reports of his appointment circulated in early February. The apparent turnover at Energy comes amid turbulence in the federal government employment landscape, with staff cuts executed by the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency. This resulted in the termination of scores of government workers, including some at Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration, though many were subsequently rescinded. 

Energy did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.