Interior Department CIO is out after holding job for over a year

The Interior Department’s top IT official is stepping down after holding the job for over a year.

Paul “Macca” McInerny, the department’s chief information officer, has left the department for a new professional opportunity, according to an email to staff obtained by Federal News Network.

“We are grateful for Macca’s leadership, service, and the many contributions he made during his tenure, and we thank him for his dedication to the Department and the OCIO,” the Office of the CIO wrote to employees. “We wish him well in his new adventure!”

McInerny joined the Interior Department as its CIO in May 2025. This was his first role in the federal government. He had previously worked in the private sector for nearly 30 years — including as a software engineer for Elon Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX.

Under his tenure, the Interior Department instructed all of its bureaus and offices to delete non-English content from their websites.

In addition to scrubbing non-English content from websites, IT staff were instructed in February to add a disclaimer at the bottom of each webpage, stating that “English is the official language and authoritative version of all federal information.”

President Donald Trump signed an executive order last year designating English as the official language of the United States. But the executive order did not require or direct agencies to make any changes to the services they provide to the public.

In the early days of the Trump administration, more than a dozen agencies took down more than 8,000 web pages, according to analysis from the New York Times. That purge primarily impacted DEI programs and content on gender identity, public health research and environmental policy.

Federal News Network first reported in July 2025 that more than 300 federal websites were targeted for elimination in a review led by the General Services Administration. Some Spanish-language websites were among those marked for removal.

McInerny also led Interior’s tech shop as the department embarked on plans to consolidate its IT operations. In September 2025 the department started consolidating IT support departmentwide to “one centralized helpdesk” for all employees.

This consolidation brought IT employees into the Office of the Secretary. Employees no longer address bureau-specific tech problems at the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service and other components, but instead tackle IT problems across the entire department.

According to a September 2025 memo, the department now handles all requests for in-person IT support, “based on geographic location, not bureau affiliation.”

The Interior Department, according to the memo, expected “no compromise in current service levels of support types” under this consolidation. Some of the department’s IT employees, however, told Federal News Network that reorganization added to their workloads.

The Interior Department moved ahead with these consolidation plans about five months after Secretary Doug Burgum called for a broader consolidation of its back-office functions.

Federal lawsuits stalled many of these agency reorganization plans, but the Supreme Court in July 2025 cleared the way for these plans to continue.

A department spokesperson told Federal News Network in a statement that McInerny’s leadership “helped modernize our information management and technology systems, strengthening the department’s ability to carry out its mission and serve the American people.”

“With nearly 30 years of experience in software innovation, he brought that experience to the department and helped lead important technology improvements, increased efficiency, and built strong, high-performing teams,” the department spokesperson said. “His knowledge, leadership, and patriotic commitment have left a lasting impact on the Department. We thank him for his dedicated service to the greatest country in the world.”

Monday’s email to Interior Department OCIO staff doesn’t state who will serve as acting CIO. Nathalie Stevens currently serves as the department’s deputy CIO for resource management. The department spokesperson did not specify who will serve as acting CIO.

“We recognize that leadership transitions often raise questions, and we are committed to ensuring continuity in our operations and support for our workforce. Additional information regarding leadership and next steps will be shared as it becomes available,” the email states.

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