Editor's Roundup
USDA people in the news

Joe Leo was named as USDA’s Chief Information Officer. He succeeded Anne Reed, who was the Department’s first CIO. Reed began in that position as acting CIO in August 1996. One year later in August 1997 she was officially named USDA’s CIO, and held that position until leaving USDA in February 2000, following 18 years of federal service. She is now based in Herndon, Va., as vice president of the Government Global Industry Group at Electronic Data Systems, an information technology firm.

From 1984 until his official appointment in January 2000, Leo served as deputy administrator for management in the Food and Nutrition Service, where he was responsible for information technology, human resources, procurement, and administrative services. During that time, from March 1998 until October 1998 he also led the planning team for administrative convergence for the county-based agencies in USDA. He then served as acting executive director of the implementation of USDA’s [then] Support Services Bureau from March 1999 until October 1999.

Leo also served as chair of USDA’s Advanced Planning Document Committee, which provides executive oversight on all major state- initiated computer system acquisitions for the administration of FNS’s food assistance programs, from 1985-2000.

From 1971-84 Leo held various positions at the U.S. Department of Transportation, all based in Washington, DC. They included serving as administrative officer to the contracting officer of DOT’s Federal Highway Administration from 1971-76, working as the senior highway analyst in the Office of the Secretary at DOT from 1977-78, serving as chief of the Aviation and Research Division in the Office of the Secretary at DOT from 1979-82, and serving as deputy associate administrator for administration and general manager for automated systems with DOT’s [then] Urban Mass Transportation Administration from 1982-84.

A native of Clifton, N.J., Leo holds a B.A. degree in political science from Western Illinois University and an M.A. degree in science policy from Purdue University in Lafayette, Ind.