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United States President Barack Obama made use of his weekly radio address to announce that he has appointed Aneesh Chopra -- Secretary, Technology, in the cabinet of Virginia Governor Tim Kaine -- as his new Chief Technology Officer in the White House.
The White House also announced that President Obama had nominated another Indian American, Rajiv Shah -- currently Director of Agricultural Development in the Global Development Program for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation -- as Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics in the US Department of Agriculture.
While Chopra's appointment does not need any confirmation by the US Senate, Shah's nomination does, but is expected to be a formality, considering his impeccable track record at the Gates Foundation and his previous experience, expertise and tremendous qualifications which includes both an MD and a Masters degree in health economics.
Obama, who announced Chopra's appointment, along with that of Jeffrey Zients, a CEO, management consultant and entrepreneur, who will become the Administration's first-ever Chief Performance Officer, said, in his role as CTO, "Aneesh will promote technology innovation to help achieve our most urgent priorities -- from creating jobs and reducing health care costs to keeping our nation secure."
He said, "Aneesh and Jeffrey will work closely with our Chief Information Officer, Vivek Kundra, who is responsible for setting technology policy across the government and using technology to improve security, ensure transparency, and lower costs."
"The goal is to give all Americans a voice in their government and ensure that they know exactly how we are spending their money -- and can hold us accountable for the results," Obama said.
While acknowledging that "none of this will be easy," the President argued that "big change never is. But with the leadership of these individuals, I am confident that we can break our bad habits, put an end to the mismanagement that has plagued our government, and start living within our means again."
In nominating Shah, along with several others for positions in agencies across the government, Obama said, "I am grateful that these fine individuals have made the admirable decision to serve their country."
He said, "Their expertise and dedication will be a valuable asset both to my Administration and our nation as we work to bring about the real change that the American people need today."
In his role as Director of the Agricultural Development at the Gates Foundation --including grant-making portfolios in science and technology, farmer productivity, market access, and policy and statistics -- Shah's mandate was to help the world's poor lead healthy and productive lives.
Chopra, in his role as Secretary, Technology, in Kaine's cabinet, was the lead player in effectively leveraging technology in government reforms to promote Virginia's innovation agenda and to foster technology-related economic development.
Chopra, was the co-founder of the Indian American CEO Council in Washington,DC, which has now tied up with The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) and become its DC chapter.