Zach Whitman

Zach Whitman is the Chief Data Scientist at the General Services Administration (GSA). He has been in this role since July 2023. In November 2023, he was also appointed as the agency’s Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (CAIO). As the CAIO, he will be responsible for driving the creation of GSA’s AI strategy and establishing new governance. 

Before joining GSA, Zach served as the Chief Data Officer at the U.S. Census Bureau for over seven years. During his tenure, he worked to make data as accessible as possible and to build trust in data analytics across the US. He led a team that developed a search engine function for people using census data and working to solve discoverability issues. 

As the Chief Data Scientist at GSA, Zach works on the Data Analytics Center of Excellence (CoE) team, where he leads cloud migration, data architecture modernization, change management, data and analytics, data management, technology procurement, and strategy formation modernization efforts at external federal agencies. He is also tasked with implementing sophisticated risk management requirements so the projects he oversees comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and policies, including those addressing privacy, confidentiality, copyright, human and civil rights, and civil liberties. 

Zach has over a decade of experience in research and data analysis and has released several research publications. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geology from Colgate University and a Doctorate in Hazard and Disaster Management from the University of Canterbury. 

In his current role, Zach is focused on driving innovation and creating a data-focused culture at GSA. He is also working to manage the risks of AI while expanding the use of data within the agency.