CBP IT Chief Charles Armstrong Wins Federal Computer Honor

Washington – U.S. Customs and Border Protection is pleased to announce that Charles R. Armstrong, CBP assistant commissioner and chief information officer for the Office of Information and Technology, has been named one of the top Federal Information and Technology (IT) executives by Federal Computer Week Magazine. Each year, this industry publication names 100 top IT leaders in government, industry and academia who were found to be agents of change with a commitment to excellence and a sense of devoted duty to public service.

“Everyone knows that technology makes the world go ‘round but getting the right information to the right people in an effective and timely manner makes all the difference in the world,” said Armstrong. “This is the second time I have received this prestigious honor and once again I credit my talented IT team who work to maintain a vision of creative excellence and commitment as we serve one of the hardest-working agencies in federal government, U.S. Customs and Border Protection.”

Selected by a panel of government and industry leaders, Armstrong was recognized for his development of efficient ways for CBP to better manage and use information technology to share in the critical CBP mission of preventing terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the country and protecting our homeland. CBP is the largest law enforcement agency within the Department of Homeland Security with more than 58,000 employees working in locations throughout the nation and overseas.

Armstrong brings over 26 years of leadership and technology experience to the operation and management of IT. He previously served as deputy chief information officer for DHS, where he championed IT initiatives for improving the agency’s secure information sharing capabilities. Beginning his federal career with the U.S. Navy Department and working for the former U.S. Customs Service, Armstrong is a Harvard Senior Executive Fellow and was also named previously as one of Federal Computer Week Magazine’s Federal 100 in 2001.

Supervisory Border Patrol Agent George Bressler, was also named as one of the top 100 IT leaders in government for successfully mobilizing representatives of 150 organizations — including state, local, federal and tribal government agencies — as lead coordinator for the Operation Golden Phoenix anti-terrorism training exercise in San Diego in July 2008. The drill, which also included private organizations, simulated a biological threat at the border that evolved into a major medical disaster. The goal was to quickly mobilize cross-organizational collaboration. Golden Phoenix used new tools and technologies, including the Common Alerting Protocol for exchanging emergency alerts and messages.

The CBP Office of Information and Technology is responsible for agency software development, infrastructure service and support, tactical communications, CBP laboratory scientific services, research and development functions and IT modernization initiatives that support CBP.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.