Aneesh Chopra, US chief technology officer, is stepping down

Aneesh Chopra, the first person appointed to the position of White House chief technology officer, is leaving his job on Feb. 8, Politico reported. President Barack Obama tapped him in 2009 to modernize the technology used by the federal bureaucracy and develop federal Web sites and applications, according to the New York Times.

“After an incredible three years as the nation’s first chief technology officer, I am returning to my home state of Virginia to continue my work using innovative new technologies and platforms to improve healthcare, education and energy – and to grow the jobs and industries of the future,” Chopra told the Washington Post in an email.

According to Politico:

In his role, Chopra has been an advocate for integrating government and technology to create new products and services. He was a frequent visitor to Silicon Valley, where he promoted the Obama administration’s tech policies.

Chopra also helped write the White House blog post critical of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House and the Senate’s PROTECT IP Act, Politico reported.

More from GlobalPost: White House addresses SOPA concerns

Sources told the Washington Post that Chopra is planning to run for lieutenant governor in Virginia. Before joining the administration, Chopra served as Virginia’s secretary of technology for three years, the New York Times reported.

In a statement released by the White House today, Obama said: “Aneesh Chopra did groundbreaking work to bring our government into the 21st century. Aneesh found countless ways to engage the American people using technology, from electronic health records for veterans, to expanding access to broadband for rural communities, to modernizing government records. His legacy of leadership and innovation will benefit Americans for years to come, and I thank him for his outstanding service.”

More from GlobalPost: Obama's Chief of Staff William M. Daley steps down (VIDEO)