Scott Blackburn \u2014 the acting executive in charge for the Office of Information and Technology, or chief information officer, at the Department of Veterans Affairs \u2014 announced his resignation from the agency April 17, 2018, via tweet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a letter posted to his Twitter account, Blackburn called his time at the agency the \u201chonor of his professional life\u201d and celebrated an overall increase in veteran trust for VA from 47 percent in 2015 to 69 percent today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFrom leading the MyVA transformation under Secretary McDonald to serving as interim deputy secretary and then acting CIO under Secretary Shulkin, everyone that knows me understands that I have given my heart and soul to VA, always \u2018putting veterans first\u2019 and living the ICARE values of Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect and Excellence,\u201d Blackburn wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy effort has always been about better caring for veterans regardless of presidential administration, Republican or Democrat \u2014 and I have been honored to serve alongside both in a bipartisan way. I want to thank Secretary McDonald and Secretary Shulkin for creating these tremendous opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Blackburn has only served as acting CIO at the VA since October 2017, after VA CIO Rob Thomas retired from the post. Blackburn has worked at the VA since 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Blackburn\u2019s resignation comes just weeks after Donald Trump fired VA Secretary David Shulkin<\/a>, who characterized his firing as the beginning of a Trump administration effort to privatize the VA.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Blackburn\u2019s resignation also occurs in the midst of the VA\u2019s ambitious transition to an interoperable electronic health record system<\/a> with the Department of Defense, for which he was a central figure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Blackburn did not specify his reason for leaving, but said that he would remain the agency\u2019s \u201cbiggest cheerleader\u201d and emphasized his faith that \u201cveterans, veteran advocates, veteran service organizations and lawmakers will keep VA leadership in check and accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Blackburn tweeted that his next step will be to take time off for a few months, but didn\u2019t elaborate on where he intends to work after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a bittersweet moment in my career. Today I officially resigned my position at @DeptVetAffairs<\/a>. It has been the honor of my life. Too many people to thank. Will continue to advocate for #Veterans<\/a> in other ways. Next stop – time off for a few months \ud83d\ude42 pic.twitter.com\/qN9HWWocjn<\/a><\/p>— Scott Blackburn (@Srblackb) April 17, 2018<\/a><\/blockquote>\n