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After weeks of uncertainty, the White House has officially named Amy Gleason as the acting administrator of the White House DOGE office.

 Gleason, a seasoned health technology executive and former nurse, has a long history in the medical records space. Her appointment clarifies speculation over who was leading the agency, which was left unaddressed for an extended period.

Background on Amy Gleason

Amy Gleason’s career has been deeply rooted in healthcare and digital services. She has worked in multiple roles at the United States Digital Service (USDS), an agency initially established during the Obama administration. 

According to her LinkedIn profile, she served in the US Digital Service from 2018 to 2021 as a digital services expert. 

According to the White House archive, she was previously the chief operating officer of CareSync, where she was recognized by the Obama administration as a "Champion of Change" for her work in improving patient care coordination.

An archived White House page honoring Gleason notes that she started her career in nursing before transitioning to health technology. Her interest in digital healthcare solutions was further fueled by her personal experience navigating the healthcare system after her daughter was diagnosed with a rare illness.

Role and Responsibilities in DOGE

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was created by former President Donald Trump through an executive order.  It serves as a rebranding of the Digital Service, a key agency within the executive branch. Despite confirmation of Gleason’s position, it remains unclear when she assumed leadership of DOGE or the exact nature of her duties.

A White House official confirmed her role to Business Insider on Tuesday, though Gleason herself has yet to make a public statement. Tuesday evening, her X (formerly Twitter) account remained private. In her bio, she described herself as having previously worked on the "COVID response with US Digital Service."

Connections to Russell Street Ventures

Gleason’s extensive experience in healthcare extends beyond the public sector. Between November 2021 and December 2024, she worked with Russell Street Ventures, a health industry investment firm founded by Brad Smith.

Smith, and Kendall Lindemann, were previously identified as DOGE employees by Business Insider. According to her LinkedIn, Gleason took on a senior advisory role in January 2025.

From 2014 to 2018, she served as the vice president of research for the Cure JM Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to finding treatments for juvenile myositis, a rare autoimmune disease. She has been running her own consulting company in the Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida, area since 2018.

Questions Remain

Despite the White House's confirmation of Gleason’s role, there remains skepticism regarding her actual influence within DOGE.

Jonathan Kamens, a former USDS engineer who was fired on February 14, suggested that she be brought in to assist with the transition to the second Trump administration.

A current USDS employee told Business Insider, "From our view, she has been as surprised by things coming out of DOGE as the rest of us," adding that she was not considered "part of Musk’s crew." 

Another former USDS employee cautioned against assuming that Gleason held real power over DOGE simply because she was named administrator, stating, "I would not presume that just because Amy Gleason was named as the DOGE administrator, necessarily means she’s been acting as the administrator this whole time."

Elon Musk’s Role in DOGE

Elon Musk’s involvement with DOGE has been a subject of controversy. While Trump previously announced that Musk would lead the agency, Musk was never officially named to the position.

The White House stated in a court filing that Musk is not the official leader of DOGE but rather serves as a senior advisor to Trump. Business Insider reported that Musk’s title in a White House record was listed as "unlisted."

For weeks, the White House refrained from disclosing whether there was a DOGE administrator. Trump formally created the role on Inauguration Day, but no immediate appointment was announced.

White House Press Briefing

On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt faced repeated questions from reporters regarding the identity of the DOGE administrator. Shortly after her briefing, Semafor broke the news of Gleason’s role.

The next day, Trump held his first formal cabinet meeting, where Leavitt stated that the administration would discuss the work of the DOGE office.

As the agency develops, questions remain about its future direction and Gleason’s role going forward.