Impact Case Study: Marcela Alava

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By the Aspen Policy Academy

Our Impact Case studies are short documents that showcase our trainees’ experiences with and impacts from Academy programming.

After participating in the Tech Executive Leadership Initiative (TELI) program in 2020, Marcela Alava shifted her career to public service and became a leading official at the White House. After a career leading information technology initiatives both in the private sector and for nonprofit organizations, Marcela wanted a role that would allow her to have a greater impact. Through TELI, a program launched by the Aspen Tech Policy Hub alongside the Tech Talent Project and Project Redesign, Marcela discovered how government technology leadership positions could make a difference. During the program, Marcela also connected with federal technology leaders, which eventually led her to roles at the White House supporting technology solutions. She is now the Chief Information Officer at the Social Security Administration, overseeing technology strategy, implementation, management, staffing, and solutions for the entire 60,000- person agency.