Trump names Amy Gleason as acting head of controversial DOGE

The Trump administration has announced that Amy Gleason, a former US Digital Service official, is the acting head of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a controversial organization backed by billionaire Elon Musk.

Although Mr. Musk is playing a significant role in the cost-cutting initiative, the White House clarified that he is a senior adviser to President Trump and not an employee of DOGE.

Gleason's appointment follows weeks of speculation regarding the identity of the individual technically running DOGE, as an executive order from President Trump mandated the appointment of an administrator who would report to the White House.

DOGE has been pushing federal agencies to make significant budget cuts, including firing employees and canceling contracts, leading to unrest among government employees.

In response, more than 20 former members of the United States Digital Service, recently renamed the US DOGE Service, resigned. They issued a letter condemning Mr. Musk for attempting to "dismantle critical public services."

Who is Amy Gleason?

Amy Gleason is a relatively low-profile executive with a background in healthcare technology. At 53, she brings experience from her tenure with the United States Digital Service from 2018 to 2021, where she collaborated on the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Gleason's LinkedIn profile reveals her ownership of Gleason Strategies, a consulting firm, and her advocacy for treating juvenile myositis, a rare autoimmune disease affecting her daughter. Her 2020 TED talk highlighted her frustrations with the healthcare system and her push for technological and data-driven improvements.

Her previous roles include vice president for research at the Cure JM Foundation from 2014 to 2018 and co-founder of Care Sync, a telehealth company. More recently, she served as chief product officer for Nashville-based healthcare startups Russell Street Ventures and Main Street Health.

Both firms, founded by healthcare entrepreneur Brad Smith, focus on innovative healthcare solutions for underserved populations. Smith, like Gleason, has been involved in the DOGE initiative.

Although Russell Street Ventures' website has been deleted, it reportedly described the company as one focused on scaling businesses serving vulnerable patient populations. Main Street Health emphasizes supporting rural primary care physicians in value-based care.

Although her biography has been removed from these companies' websites, archived information indicates Gleason "spearheaded technology efforts for the federal COVID-19 response" and collaborated on initiatives with the CDC and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.