Virgina’s Chopra now America’s CTO
Monday, April 20th, 2009
Aneesh Chopra
It was a proud moment for Virginians as Aneesh Chopra, the state’s Secretary of Technology, was named CTO by President Obama on Saturday April 18, 2009. Chopra was in the running with many of Silicon Valley’s most prominent figures, including Steve Ballmer, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and Eric Schmidt (among many others).
Many feel Chopra received the nod because of his track record. His work in Virginia has included initiatives like Learning Apps Development Challenge, which encourages middle-school math students to develop their own iPhone apps. He has also developed a state-funded “venture capital fund” to allow government agencies to try out risky but promising new approaches to delivering their services or improving their productivity.
Representatives from Google and various Silicon Valley venture capital firms are praising President Obama’s decision. Tim O’Reilly has created a list entitled eight reason to be excited about Chopra.
It’s an exciting time. The nation’s first CTO is not only extremely qualified, but his Virginia background signals the growth of a national technology movement, beyond traditional hotbeds like Silicon Valley. With a new voice for Virginia in Washington, many are hoping for a renewed focus on funding the state’s technology development companies and programs.
See what President Obama had to say.
