Christopher Alvares serves as the Chief Data Officer (CDO) at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

In this role, he is responsible for developing strategies that enable USDA to fully leverage its data as a strategic asset, improving organizational decision-making and outcomes for citizens. He is also a member of the Federal Chief Data Officer Council working with other CDOs to improve the use of data across government.

Chris started his career in the private sector, working for several small biotechnology companies analyzing the relationships between genetics and human diseases. He worked in the labs generating data and quickly moved into genomic analytics. Chris became the Director of a data analytics staff providing genomic analytics services to other biotechnology and pharmaceutical clients.

Chris began Federal service in 2008 as a data analyst for the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). He helped grow and build out the analytics office from a staff of five to over 20 which supported a wide range of analytics and reporting for FSIS. Chris moved into leadership roles as Branch Chief and then Director of the Data Analytics and Integration Group in FSIS. Chris also served on the Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration with representatives from FSIS, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to advance analytics in foodborne illness. In 2018, Chris became a Special Advisor to the General Services Administration (GSA) Center of Excellence (CoE), leading a team to modernize data analytics at USDA. Chris joined the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) as Deputy Chief Data Officer in 2019 where he has been continuing the analytics modernization across USDA.

Chris graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a Bachelor of Science degree and earned a master’s from Johns Hopkins University while working. He is a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute’s Leadership for a Democratic Society program.

Anthony (Tony) Brannum serves as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Previously, Mr. Brannum was the Associate Chief Information Officer (ACIO) for the Client Experience Center (CEC), responsible for delivering services and capabilities that support USDA personnel across the country and around the globe with the tools they need to deliver the mission. Mr. Brannum previously served as the Rural Development Assistant Chief Information Officer (ACIO). In this role, Mr. Brannum provided executive leadership to facilitate, modernize, and develop information technology resources to effectively support the RD Mission Area. Prior to his appointment as the RD ACIO, Mr. Brannum served as the Deputy Assistant CIO at USDA, Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP) Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service (APHIS). In this role, he provided senior leadership for IT service delivery and partners with Marketing and Regulatory Programs to enhance the customer experience.

Prior to his appointment as the Deputy Assistant CIO, Mr. Brannum was the Director for Information Technology for Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS) Veterinary Services (VS) where he led major projects for data integration, animal health surveillance and disease traceability, and electronic certificates of veterinarian inspection certificates. Prior to joining VS, he worked at the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.

Mr. Brannum holds a Master of Science in Information Technology and Bachelor of Science in Information Systems Management from the University of Maryland Global Campus in Adelphi, MD.

In this role, Mr. Washington works with stakeholders across USDA’s 17 component agencies and throughout Federal government to formulate Information Technology (IT) strategies and to develop policies that support IT budget formulation and execution, portfolio management, governance, IT operations and information security.

Mr. Washington continues to lead the IT Modernization changes at USDA to transform the Department into a facts-based, data-driven, and customer-focused organization. In partnership with the White House Office of American Innovation and the General Services Administration, he oversaw the co-creation of five IT Modernization Centers of Excellence (CoEs); IT Infrastructure Optimization, Cloud Adoption, Customer Experience, Service Delivery Analytics, and the Contact Center. Over a two year period, the CoEs in collaboration with USDA IT professionals transformed IT and the way USDA does business today. While leading as the Department’s CIO, Mr. Washington has also served as the acting USDA Secretary in 2025 and the acting USDA Deputy Secretary in 2021.

Prior to his appointment as CIO, Mr. Washington served as the CIO for the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) as well as the CIO and Director of the Information Technology Division for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Before his roles at APHIS and NRCS, Mr. Washington was a portfolio manager in the Electronic Government Office in the Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget, where he was responsible for managing the Internal Effectiveness and Efficiency portfolio.

Mr. Washington has also worked at the Food and Drug Administration, where he was the Director of IT Governance and the Deputy Director of Infrastructure, and at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms where he was the service manager for one of the first nationwide seat management programs. He joined government after working for five years in private industry as well as serving his country for 10 years in the U.S. Air Force as a Computer Operator and Command Control Specialist.

Mr. Washington is a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Strayer University in Washington, D.C. He has been recognized as a Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal Management Excellence finalist in 2021, a Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Service honoree in 2024, and an ORBIE Award finalist in 2025.

Matthew Graviss is the Public Sector Chief Technology Officer at Atlassian, where he helps government organizations harness data, AI, and modern collaboration tools to drive innovation and efficiency. Prior to Atlassian, he served as the Chief Data and AI Officer at the U.S. Department of State, leading enterprise AI strategy and governance for global diplomatic operations. With a career spanning federal agencies and national security, Matthew has been at the forefront of AI adoption, data-driven decision-making, and large-scale technology modernization. He holds a PhD in Systems Engineering and has been recognized as a top leader in AI and public sector innovation.