Chandra Donelson departs as Space Force CDAO
Chandra Donelson has announced that she is leaving her position as the Space Force’s chief data and artificial intelligence officer.
“Over the past two years, I’ve been surrounded by the finest service members and civilians across our nation,” Donelson wrote Thursday in a LinkedIn post announcing her departure. “Together, we have remained focused on what matters most: the warfighter. We have modernized legacy systems, advanced AI-enabled capabilities, and enhanced space domain awareness to enable decision advantage. That mission has never been more critical.”
Donelson was appointed as the Space Force CDAO in 2023, a role where she oversaw the data, AI and software integration for the Pentagon’s youngest service. She was notably involved in the Department of the Air Force’s broad experimentation with generative AI capabilities, and most recently led the Space Force’s adoption of GenAI.mil.
Prior to joining the Space Force, Donelson held several positions across the Defense Department focused on data modernization, including roles at the Army and U.S. Central Command.
She spent over six years as the Army’s deputy chief data officer, where she managed several key data-driven transformations for the service — including the Army Data Literacy program and Army Data Champion program. Donelson also served as the Army’s open source intelligence data manager from 2017 to 2021, leading modernization of the service’s OSINT portfolio.
At Centcom, Donelson worked as a data and analytics officer under the J-2. She provided insights on key policies and procedures for improving data and information-sharing across the Pentagon.
Donelson did not share what her next role will be, but noted in her announcement that she “will continue to answer our nation’s call and remain relentlessly obsessed with the warfighter.”
