Stephen Kucharski

CIO -Integrator of people, policy, process and technology

Stephen Kucharski's profile photo
LocationFairfaxUnited States
Government service27yrsSmall Business Administration (SBA)

About

I began my federal career as a Presidential Management Fellow after overseeing the Forum for Policy Research at Rutgers University. During my fellowship at the Department of Justice, I helped launch the agency’s first e-government strategies, contributed to enterprise-wide systems modernization, and served as a team lead for the Appeals Processing Unit. I also spent a year on Capitol Hill as a Legislative Assistant in the United States Senate, where I gained a deep understanding of the policy-making process that would inform my later work at the intersection of technology and public policy.

Over the next three decades—primarily at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), I rose to serve as Chief Information Officer and inaugural Chief AI Officer, where I directed some of the largest modernization and economic assistance programs in U.S. history. I led SBA’s transformation from a paper-based, mainframe-dependent guaranty lending provider into a digital-first organization with more than 150 API-integrated software partners, trusted by lenders, trade groups, and political leadership from both parties.

During the COVID-19 crisis, I was entrusted with leading the technology delivery of nearly $1 trillion in lending through the Paycheck Protection Program and related relief efforts—scaling legacy systems to achieve 13 years of SBA lending in just 13 days, peaking at $50B in a single day. This work required rapid modernization, risk management, public-private partnerships, and deft navigation of oversight, politics, and public trust during one of America’s most significant crises.

For this work and my broader leadership, I received the Presidential Rank Award – Distinguished Executive (2022), the highest honor for a U.S. career Senior Executive, and was named a GovExec Federal 100 Honoree (2024) for transformative leadership in government IT. These recognitions reflect a career defined by uniting process and systems modernization, public policy, crisis systems delivery, financial services, risk management, and public service to deliver measurable impact at national scale.

Roles

Jul 1998–May 2025
Former role

CIO

Small Business Administration (SBA), CIO and Senior Executive in the Office of Capital Access

Chief Information Officer (CIO) & Senior Executive Director | SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (SBA)| OFFICE OF CAPITAL ACCESS, OFFICE OF PERFORMANCE SYSTEM & MANAGEMENT

«  Led SBA’s $800 Billion Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) – Conceptualized, developed, and delivered the entire digital infrastructure within 10 days of the CARES Act. Enabled the distribution of 14 years’ worth of loans in just 14 days, protecting over 50 million jobs and stabilizing the U.S. economy at the height of COVID-19.

«  As CIO, led the procurement and successful delivery of the Veteran Small Business Certification (VetCert) program—SBA’s flagship initiative to expand federal contracting access for Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSBs) and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs). Established “a platinum-standard customer experience” by introducing modern policies, streamlined processes, and cloud-based technology that significantly simplified how veterans do business with the federal government. Within the first year of launch, SBA approved over 10,400 applications with an average processing time of just 15 days—less than half the previous average. The cloud-based platform was delivered in September 2023, four months ahead of schedule.

«  Modernized $1 Trillion SBA Loan Portfolio—Overhauled servicing, secondary markets, and securitization systems for 7,500+ lenders, streamlining digital infrastructure to meet modern standards.

«  Launched SBA’s First AI Governance Council—Appointed as SBA’s inaugural Chief AI Officer; led AI compliance strategy, governance frameworks, and solution vetting for high-impact adoption across eleven programs.

«  Achieved 537% Cloud Utilization Growth—Accelerated enterprise cloud migration, doubling account capacity and improving business continuity across all divisions.

«  Prevented more than $300 Million Monthly Fraud—Implemented advanced fraud analytics and high-value asset security protocols, becoming a national model recognized by Congress, top banks, and the GAO.

«  Developed Nation’s Only Free SBA Lender Match Tool—Enables over 3 Million matches between small businesses and approved lenders; used by over 2,500 lending institutions nationwide annually Link:  SBA Lender Match Demo

«  Transformed Disaster Loan Programs—Reduced loan disbursement time from 105 days to 18 days, expediting critical funds to victims of natural disasters.

«  Regularly briefed Congress, OMB, GAO, PRAC, financial industry leaders, and Big Tech firms on digital lending strategy, fraud mitigation, and public-private ecosystem innovation.

«  Led SBA’s Recovery Act and Small Business Jobs Act delivery - $42 Billion in lending to small businesses.

«  Innovative and results-driven Chief Information Officer (CIO)/Director with extensive experience leading enterprise-wide IT strategy, cybersecurity initiatives, and digital transformation efforts in federal government agencies.

«  Proven ability to modernize legacy systems, enhance operational efficiency, and implement innovative technologies to support mission-critical objectives.

«  Recognized for expertise in data governance, cloud computing, and emerging technologies to advance organizational goals while ensuring cybersecurity resilience & operational excellence.

«  Adept at driving compliance with federal IT regulations, optimizing budgets, and fostering a culture of collaboration to deliver secure, scalable, and cost-effective solutions.