Susan Perez BA, CISM

Susan brings with her more than 32 years of exceptional Department of Veterans Affairs and Veterans Benefits Administration leadership, policy experience and expertise, from data management and data analytics to electronic health records. Her extensive background and vast experience includes working in program management, cyber workforce management, health IT, and cybersecurity. Susan’s ability to integrate varied teams of employees and contractors across the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) enterprise and VA’s Office of Information and Technology (OIT) make her uniquely qualified to drive progress toward VA’s modernization goals.

Prior to joining VA Puget Sound, Susan was Executive Director, Strategy and Program Integration, Veterans Health Administration, Clinical Services, where she provided leadership and served as senior advisor to the VISN 20 and 10 Network Directors and was responsible for advising on all matters pertaining to VA’s electronic health record. During that time, she established comprehensive strategies and policies to improve transparency and accountability and to safeguard the delivery and implementation of a new electronic health record that VA is implementing for Veterans and their families.

Susan’s various leadership roles include serving as the Executive Director and Acting Deputy Functional Champion in VHA’s Office of the Functional Champion, where she helped support issue mitigations associated with the initial deployment of VA’s $10 billion electronic health record. Additionally, Susan helped shape security requirements for the Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 initiative (a common identification card for all Federal employees and contractors), has worked with the VA Chief Technology Officer to modernize technologies to deliver benefits and health care to Veterans, and as the OIT Office of Information Security Chief of Staff, safeguarded communications for VA’s 400,000 employees. Among her many contributions while at VBA, Susan led the Automate GI Bill Benefits/Chapter 33 project, which automated claims processing for Veterans’ Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefit claims.

For over four years, Susan served as the OIT Chief of Staff and Executive Director, IT Program Integration. In this position, she worked closely with VA’s CIO and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary providing recommendations on organizational, operational and human capital issues. In addition, Susan provided guidance and direction to OIT senior executive staff, and interacted with other VA Administrations and staff offices, as well as other agencies in the Federal Government.

During the three years that she served as VA’s OIT Executive-in-Charge of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Susan established the OIT CARES Act funding and approval processes, devised a new COVID unfunded requirements process, and facilitated the execution of over $2.15 billion budget. Susan’s efforts enabled employees and contractors working in the second largest agency in the Federal Government to seamlessly transition to telework and telehealth without difficulty. For her efforts and leadership in guiding OIT’s COVID response, Susan received the prestigious Secretary of the VA Exceptional Service Award.