Google Executive Reportedly Tapped For Federal Chief Technology Officer Seat

A veteran executive at Google has been reportedly tapped by the White House to take over as the next federal chief technology officer following an announcement the current official is transferring out of the office.

Megan Smith, who has been with Google for 11 years and serves as vice president at Google's X Lab, is being considered for the opening, according to sources who spoke with Bloomberg on condition of anonymity. She previously served as COO of PlanetOut, a site for the LGBT community.

Smith has been touted by MIT Media Lab, where she serves as an advisory council member for her alma mater, as being a "tech evangelist" who has worked on a range of projects including SolveForX. She also has led Google's Business Development team and the acquisitions for the company of Keyhole (Google Earth), Where2Tech (Google Maps) and Picasa in her time at the Mountain View, Calif.-based giant.

[Related: HHS Tech Boss Is Next Federal CTO]

Smith would be the third person to fill the U.S. CTO role, and the first woman in that seat, if selected for the new job.

The CTO's responsibilities as an assistant to the president include overseeing the government's use of technology and finding ways to increase jobs as well as broadband use.

In a press release issued last Friday on the White House blog, President Barack Obama announced his technology officer Todd Park would take a new role as a tech adviser based in Silicon Valley. Park is set to take over that position for the administration this month after he moves with his family.

Park, who joined the White House in 2009, helped launch the Presidential Innovation Fellows program, which partners government official with private-sector individuals for work on developing projects. He also has helped solve problems regarding the launch of HealthCare.gov in the last several months.

"From launching the Presidential Innovation Fellows program, to opening up troves of government data to the public, to helping spearhead the successful turnaround of HealthCare.gov, Todd has been, and will continue to be, a key member of my administration," Obama said in the release. "I thank Todd for his service as my Chief Technology Officer, and look forward to his continuing to help us deploy the best people and ideas from the tech community in service of the American people."

A spokesman for Google, when asked about Smith's candidacy for the federal seat, wrote CRN to say the company "does not comment on rumor or speculation" and declined to be interviewed. Representatives from the White House had yet to return calls for comment as of press time.

This story will be updated if more information is released.

PUBLISHED SEPT. 2, 2014