Inside former FCC CIO Allen Hill’s full-throttle leadership

When Allen Hill rolled into FCC headquarters on his Harley-Davidson, it was more than a striking image. It captured the spirit behind a 40-plus year career marked by independence, focus and a little fearlessness. Now officially retired from federal service, Hill leaves behind a legacy of modernization, mentorship and steady leadership across multiple agencies.

Hill completed his tenure as the Federal Communications Commission’s chief information officer on October 31, closing out a run that spanned the punch-card era to the rise of AI. His impact — on systems, on strategy, and on people — will be felt for years.

“Don’t just think outside the box — get out of the box,” Hill often said. And he lived that philosophy every step of his career.

A technologist from the start

Hill’s journey began long before he ever set foot at the FCC. From high school computer labs to the U.S ...