The White House recently announced that Amy Gleason has been appointed as the acting administrator of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Known for her expertise in health care technology, Gleason previously served in the initial Trump administration. Her current role involves leading the department’s efforts to implement budget cuts, including job reductions and contract cancellations across various agencies.
Although these initiatives have been publicly supported by entrepreneur Elon Musk and his associates, the White House clarified that Musk is involved in this process solely as a senior adviser to President Donald Trump and not as an employee of DOGE. Prior to this announcement, the individual managing DOGE was unknown, even after an executive order from Trump mandated the appointment of an administrator to report directly to the White House.
On Monday, a government lawyer admitted in court that the identity of the DOGE leader was unclear, and earlier the same day, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt refrained from providing that information during a press briefing. She mentioned that “career officials and political appointees” were involved in the department’s daily operations.
Gleason’s credentials include a tenure between 2018 and 2021 with the United States Digital Service, where her contributions involved the federal response to the coronavirus. She rejoined the digital agency, now called US DOGE Service, when Trump returned to office. Despite requests, neither Gleason nor DOGE responded to inquiries for comments on her appointment.
In a related development, over 20 former members of the digital service penned a letter on Tuesday expressing discontent with Musk’s involvement, alleging he aims to “dismantle critical public services.” During her time away from federal service, Gleason held the position of chief product officer at Russell Street Ventures and Main Street Health, two health care startups based in Nashville.
These companies were founded by Brad Smith, a health care entrepreneur who also served in the Trump administration and currently collaborates on the DOGE initiative. However, Russell Street Ventures recently pulled down its website, whereas Main Street Health maintains that its mission is to support rural primary care physicians in achieving value-based care.
Gleason’s biography on Main Street Health’s website was taken down, but archived data reveals her notable contributions to federal COVID-19 technology initiatives with health agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Her career also includes running a consulting business, Gleason Strategies.
Aside from her professional endeavors, Gleason is recognized for advocating research into juvenile myositis, a rare autoimmune condition affecting children, including her daughter. She shared insights into health care challenges during a TED talk in 2020, emphasizing the necessity for tech and data revamps to benefit patients and professionals. Before her current engagements, she held a vice presidency at the Cure JM Foundation and co-founded Care Sync, a telehealth company.
