Acting Deputy Secretary Patrick Gallagher praised four Commerce Department employees today for being among the most innovative employees working in government information technology. Employees at both the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) were among the top forward-thinking people working in government IT. 

The employees were chosen by FierceGovernmentIT, the publication that annually recognizes a group it calls the "Fierce 15” and tracks federal government information technology developments in U.S. government. The Commerce employees included on this list are the U.S Census Bureau’s Lisa Wolfisch, along with Patrick Grother, Naomi Lefkovitz and Kevin Stine from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Acting Deputy Secretary Gallagher praised the employees saying they "represent the best the Commerce Department has to offer in spurring innovation across the Federal IT sector. Their efforts have helped provide greater access to our data by businesses and communities and have furthered the administration’s efforts in cybersecurity, privacy standards and biometric technology.” 

Lisa Wolfisch, chief of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Web and Social Media Branch, was recognized by the publication for her efforts on digital transformation to create a modern platform for data dissemination, providing access anywhere, any time, and on any device. Since overseeing the implementation of the Census Bureau’s 2010 Census Web site, Wolfisch has focused her efforts on the agency’s digital transformation project.  This project is improving access to Census Bureau statistics and introducing new audiences to them with embeddable data tools, website enhancements and new services including the Census Open API and mobile apps, America’s Economy and dwellr.

The three employees at the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Information Technology Laboratory were recognized for handling "behind-the-scenes orchestration of some of the most progressive projects underway in government."

As the biometric testing project leader at NIST, Patrick Grother and his team focus on developing, evaluating, testing and providing guidelines for biometrics technologies for identification and authentication. Most recently, Grother and his team led research activities on the use of biometrics in multifactor authentication, including images of the human iris to serve as a unique identifier, or biometric, on smart card credentials such as those used in federal government identity cards.

Senior Privacy Policy Advisor Naomi Lefkovitz was recognized for leading the Federal Cloud Credential Exchange pilot program of the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace. In this critical role, Lefkovitz developed ways to enhance privacy by adapting existing technologies. She is currently leading a research program in privacy engineering and privacy standards engagements.

Kevin Stine, group leader of NIST's Security Outreach and Integration Group, was recognized for his lead role in orchestrating the "open public review and comment process" that President Obama called for in Executive Order 13636 "Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity."