USDA CIO Sam Berry departs role to focus on farmer record modernization

TL;DR

USDA CIO Sam Berry is stepping down from his CIO role while remaining at the agency to lead the "One Farmer, One File" modernization initiative; CISO Tony Brannum is expected to serve as acting CIO. This leadership change happens against the backdrop of a $300 million Blanket Purchase Agreement awarded in April 2025 for IT modernization work. The move is one of several federal CIO departures reported in 2026 and could alter program priorities, decision authority, and contractor relationships across USDA IT modernization efforts. Contractors supporting enterprise IT, data analytics, cloud, and ag‑tech work at USDA should expect potential shifts in procurement cadence, points of contact, and evaluation criteria. Near term, opportunities tied to the April 2025 BPA (Blanket Purchase Agreement) and related solicitations may see paused actions or reprioritization while leadership stabilizes. Monitor USDA communications closely and prepare capture and compliance materials for rapid response.

Key Points

• What happened: USDA CIO Sam Berry is stepping down from his CIO role but staying with the agency to focus on the "One Farmer, One File" modernization initiative; CISO Tony Brannum is expected to serve as acting CIO.
• Who is affected: USDA; NAICS codes listed in segmentation: 541512, 541511, 541519, 518210, 541513, 541990; market segments include IT Services, IT Modernization, Data Analytics, Cloud Services, Enterprise IT, Agricultural Technology; compliance surfaces include FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program), NIST 800-171 (NIST Special Publication 800-171), FISMA.
• Timeline: A $300 million Blanket Purchase Agreement was awarded in April 2025; this transition is another in a series of federal CIO departures in 2026; Berry’s exact transition date TBD pending source review.
• What contractors should do NOW: Validate contract and compliance posture, refresh capture packages for BPA and follow‑ons, confirm continuity plans and points of contact, and register alerts on relevant USDA solicitations.

Who Is Affected

Primary affected segments are IT modernization and data/enterprise IT contractors working with USDA on agricultural IT initiatives. Specific NAICS codes, agencies, and contract vehicles named in source material are:

• Agencies: USDA
• NAICS: 541512, 541511, 541519, 518210, 541513, 541990
• Compliance regimes: FedRAMP, NIST 800-171, FISMA

Specific contract vehicles beyond the April 2025 Blanket Purchase Agreement mentioned in the Summary: pending source review.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is Sam Berry leaving USDA entirely?

A: No. The Summary states Sam Berry is stepping down from the CIO role but remaining with the agency to focus on the "One Farmer, One File" modernization initiative.

Q: Who will lead USDA IT while the transition occurs?

A: The Summary indicates CISO Tony Brannum is expected to serve as acting CIO.

Q: Will the $300 million Blanket Purchase Agreement be affected?

A: The Summary notes the $300 million BPA was awarded in April 2025 and that this leadership change may impact ongoing IT modernization efforts and contractor relationships at USDA. Specific contract actions or modifications tied to the BPA are pending source review.

Definitions

• One Farmer, One File: The named USDA modernization initiative referenced in the Summary focused on farmer record modernization.
• Blanket Purchase Agreement: A contracting vehicle referenced in the Summary; here it denotes the $300 million BPA awarded in April 2025 for IT modernization work.
• acting CIO: A senior official serving temporarily in the Chief Information Officer role; the Summary indicates CISO Tony Brannum is expected to assume this acting role.

Intelligence Response

• Cabrillo Signals War Room — Already detected this event and delivered this briefing. Continuously monitors leadership changes, public contract awards, and agency announcements to surface analyst alerts and executive summaries.
• Cabrillo Signals Match Engine — Automatically rescoring pipelines and opportunity fit when leadership and procurement posture change; reprioritizes open opportunities against the updated USDA profile.
• Cabrillo Signals Intelligence Hub — Tracks USDA, the listed NAICS codes, compliance regimes, and the April 2025 BPA; saved searches will alert capture teams when follow‑on solicitations or amendments appear on SAM.gov (System for Award Management) and other feeds.
• Proposal Studio (Proposal OS) & Proposal Studio Workflow Tracker — Use for rapid refresh of capture artifacts, compliance matrices (FedRAMP / NIST 800-171 / FISMA), and to run a disciplined 9‑gate capture response with audit-ready routing and roles.

Who to notify: Capture and pursuit leads, proposal managers, security/compliance leads, contracts officers, and executive leadership.

First 48-hour playbook:

• Hour 0–4: Confirm internal points of contact for USDA accounts and log the leadership change in Cabrillo Signals War Room. Assign notification tasks to capture lead and security lead.
• Hour 4–12: Run a Match Engine rescore on active opportunities tied to USDA and the listed NAICS codes; flag highest-risk/highest-value items.
• Hour 12–24: Use Proposal Studio to refresh win themes and compliance matrices for BPA‑adjacent work; prepare one‑page executive summary for leadership.
• Hour 24–48: Initiate outreach to confirmed USDA contacts (permitted channels), finalize continuity plan for active task orders, and set saved-search alerts in Intelligence Hub for BPA modifications and follow‑on solicitations.