Deputy Chief Information Officer

Izella Dornell

Deputy Chief Information Officer

Biography:

Izella Dornell was named Deputy Chief Information Officer at the U.S. Department of Commerce in July 2010. Selected based on her proven ability to lead and manage while achieving efficiency and results, she will serve alongside Chief Information Officer Simon Szykman in an office responsible for providing leadership, establishing policy, and maintaining oversight for the information technology investments that support the diverse portfolio of programs across the Commerce Department’s dozen bureaus.

In 2009, Dornell joined the Department of Commerce as the Special Assistant for Program Management and was directly responsible for the department-wide portfolio investment review process. She is well known across the Commerce Department for her ability to achieve results through systematic principles and program planning and management.

Dornell began her professional career at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas, as a technical intern and has held several key program management leadership roles in major Human Spaceflight programs for over 30 years both at JSC and NASA headquarters. While at JSC, Dornell served as Space Shuttle Program Control Manager, Resource Manager for Space Exploration, and Human Spaceflight Integration Manager for the Space Shuttle, International Space Station and Constellation Programs. During her detail assignments at NASA headquarters, she was Deputy Chief of Staff and Acting Director of Resources for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate.

In addition to several leadership achievement awards from NASA, Dornell has received special recognition from the Mayor of Houston and the Governor of Texas for her excellent visionary leadership contributions and strong commitment to public and private sector service.

Dornell has bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and physics from Tennessee State University and a Master in Business Administration from the University of Houston. Throughout her career, she has continued educational pursuits, including completion of several Executive Leadership Development Programs at Harvard University, Simmons College and Pennsylvania State University. Dornell also graduated from the NASA Johnson Space Center’s Leadership Development Program.