Dr. Jose O. K. Angeles
Chief Data Officer, U.S. Southern Command
Dr. Jose O. K. Angeles (A.K.A. “Dr. A”) reported to U. S. Southern Command in February 2023 and currently serves and the Command Chief Data Officer (CDO). As the CDO, he is responsible for USSOUTHCOM’s enterprise data governance strategy leading the development and implementation of standards, policies, and procedures that will transform how data is used and managed across USSOUTHCOM and its Joint Task Forces. This initiative is designed to empower staff to leverage emerging technologies – including automation, data analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence – to drive innovation, improve situational awareness, and enable data-driven decision-making at all echelons.
Dr. Angeles has been involved with USSOUTHCOM since 1990. He recently returned to USSOUTHCOM HQ from Joint Interagency Task Force South where he was the J6 Director/Chief Information Officer from August 2021 to February 2023. Prior to that, he was the Director of Staff at AFRICOM J6 from Nov 2019 to July 2021 and the Deputy J6 at Special Operations Command Africa from November 2016 to October 2019.
Dr. Angeles’ involvement in DoD started in 1982 when he joined the active-duty U.S. Air Force as a developmental engineer. He was on active duty for 11 years working on major or high interest DoD programs such as Global Position System (GPS), Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS), and USSOUTHCOM’s Hemispheric Counterdrug Surveillance Systems.
From 1993 to 2015, Dr. Angeles supported USSOUTHCOM in integration of Partner Nation command centers, initial deployment of multinational information sharing systems, modernization of headquarters information technology, and development of USSOUTHCOM mission specific internal use applications supporting J1, J2, J3, J6, and the Command Group.
Simultaneously from 1993 to 2010, he was an Air Force reservist first assigned to USSOUTHCOM until 2000, followed by the U.S. Army’s Communications Electronics Command from 2001 to 2004, U.S. Joint Forces Command from 2004 to 2008, and culminating in his last reserve assignment from 2009 to 2010 as the Mission Support Group Executive Officer, 514th Air Mobility Wing, McGuire AFB, NJ.
Dr. Angeles holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University, NY; an MBA with a focus on Information Systems Management, Strategic Leadership, and Military Management; and a Ph.D. in Information Systems Management from Trident University International, CA
Dr. Angeles is a part-time online instructor, currently teaching several graduate classes leading to master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Information Systems Management or Organizational Behavior.
Jose Angeles is married to Lilliana Espeleta from Costa Rica. His family also includes his son, Pablo, his son’s wife, Nicole, and two grandchildren, Andres and Valentina, who live in Boquete, Panama.