The White House announced that it has hired Google exec Megan Smith to become the next U.S. Chief Technology Officer and Assistant to the President. Smith replaces Todd Park, who is moving to Silicon Valley in a new position as recruiter of tech talent for the federal government. The White House also announced that Alexander Macgillivray, former counsel for Twitter and Google, will serve as a deputy CTO with a focus on Internet and intellectual property policies and the intersection of big data and privacy.

“Megan has spent her career leading talented teams and taking cutting-edge technology and innovation initiatives from concept to design to deployment,” said President Obama yesterday. “I am confident that in her new role as America’s Chief Technology Officer, she will put her long record of leadership and exceptional skills to work on behalf of the American people.”

“As the nation’s top tech leader, Smith will guide the administration’s information-technology policy and initiatives,” reports The Wall Street Journal. “She most recently was a vice president at Google X, the research lab that develops the company’s ‘moon-shot’ projects, such as beaming Internet service via balloons.”

“Megan has inspired so many people through her commitment to inclusion and innovation,” said Google co-founder Sergey Brin. “We’ll miss her at Google X and are excited to see what the future holds for her in Washington.”

Macgillivray served as Twitter’s top lawyer and head of public policy from 2009 to 2013, and was previously deputy general counsel at Google for six years.

“With technology increasingly worming its way into everyday life, the U.S. government is in need of more tech-savvy leaders and advisers,” notes WSJ.