U.S. Department of Labor Announces Chief Data Officer, Data Board, and Chief Evaluation Officer

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor announced Scott Gibbons as Chief Data Officer to lead the Department's Data Board and Christina Yancey as Chief Evaluation Officer for the Department.

"A commitment to rigorous program evaluations and an improved digital infrastructure are two key components of the Department of Labor's future success," Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Patrick Pizzella said.

Chief Data Officer Scott Gibbons
Scott Gibbons has been designated the Department's Chief Data Officer. Gibbons recently served as the Acting Chief Data Officer and as the Program Manager for Data Analytics within the Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) located in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy (OASP). Prior to his service in CEO, Gibbons worked for 20 years in various analytical and statistical capacities at the Bureau of Labor Statistics and in the Department's Employment and Training Administration. He holds a master's degree from American University and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Maryland.

In January 2019, President Trump signed into law the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018, which included the Open, Public, Electronic, and Necessary Government Data Act (OPEN Government Data Act). The OPEN Government Data Act, among other things, directs the head of each agency to "designate a nonpolitical appointee employee in the agency" to serve as its Chief Data Officer.

The Chair of the Data Board, the Chief Data Officer, is a career position filled through the civil-service process.  The Chief Data Officer will be supported by additional career employees selected through the civil-service process, and will report to the Assistant Secretary for Policy.

U.S. Department of Labor Data Board
The Data Board will serve as the principal entity acting on the Secretary's behalf with respect to data governance issues. It will establish, coordinate, and manage policy, processes, and standards for the management of Department data. Comprised of the Chief Data Officer, Chief Information Officer, and designees from 20 Department agencies, the Data Board shall oversee Department-level data sharing agreements with external organizations and across Department entities. The Data Board shall raise awareness and promote data management best practices across Department entities.

Chief Evaluation Officer Christina Yancey
The CEO, located in OASP, oversees the Department's evaluation activity. The CEO is responsible for coordinating with Department's agencies and program offices that sponsor evaluations through dedicated contracts or as part of their grant-making.

Christina Yancey has been designated the Chief Evaluation Officer for the Department. Yancey recently served as the Acting Chief Evaluation Officer and as the Supervisory Program Analysis Officer of the CEO located in OASP. Prior to joining the Department in 2014, Yancey served in the Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs, coordinating performance management and strategic planning activities for the agency. Yancey holds a Ph.D. from the School of Public Affairs at American University and a Master of Arts in Criminology from the University of Maryland, College Park.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.