Priscilla Guthrie, a technology expert with experience in government and the private sector, has been picked by President Obama to serve as the chief information officer for the nation's intelligence community. As CIO for the Office of the Director of Intelligence (ODNI), Guthrie will face a daunting task of coordinating policy and integrating the 16 intelligence agency IT systems.

In the past, many of the intelligence agencies have not cooperated or easily shared data, and getting everyone to work together to implement new approaches will not be easy. Currently, Guthrie serves as director for the Information Technology and Systems Division at the Institute for Defense Analyses, a non-profit engaged in federally funded research.

Prior to this role, she was deputy CIO at the Defense Department from 2001 to 2006. She came to the government after 29 years at defense contractor TRW Inc., saying in interviews at the time that she was motivated to serve after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. At TRW, Guthrie led a small, global unit charged with pushing new technology into the company's business.

For more on Priscilla Guthrie:
- see this Federal Computer Week article