WellPoint announced that its EVP and CIO, Ron Ponder, will be leaving the health insurance company based in Indianapolis at the end of the year.  His resignation comes as the company restructures and merges with WellChoice.  On November 1, Mark Boxer will become EVP of technology and operations and CIO.  He will report to the CEO, Larry Glasscock.  Boxer currently leads consumer-driven health plans, enterprise services, e-business, AdminaStar Federal and United Government Services for Wellpoint.  He will retain responsibility for e-business and enterprise operations in his new position.  In a press release announcing Ponder’s imminent departure from the company, Glasscock acknowledged the “instrumental” role Ponder played in the company’s growth, success and strategy.  Ponder is on CIO’s Board of Advisors.

Speaking of fallout from M&A activity, Ameritrade announced earlier this week that its recently appointed CIO Jerry Bartlett would continue in his position once the Omaha, Neb.-based brokerage firm completes its acquisition of TD Waterhouse, which was announced last June.  Not sure yet what this means for TD Waterhouse’s CIO, Richard Rzasa, or if he’s even still working for the company.  He certainly seems to have the credentials to be snatched up by another organization.  I e-mailed the corporate communications team at TD Waterhouse to find out.

Charles Church was appointed CIO of the Department of Homeland Security’s Preparedness Directorate on October 18.  He is also CIO of the DHS’s Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection Directorate.  He e-mailed to me a bulleted list of his accomplishments at DHS that include

• Creating and deploying a two-way collaborative communication network that allows DHS to work with state, local and “tribal” [his word] officials in real time on issues of national security.
• Developing a database for storing information on and assessing the security vulnerability of dams, bridges, buildings and power plants.  

John Hanssen was recently promoted to CIO of Stratos International, a manufacturer of components for the telecom industry.  Hanssen had served Stratos International at the company’s Trompeter Electronics subsidiary since 1995, most recently as director of information technology.  Prior to Stratos International, Hanssen worked for Lockheed Martin and Motorola.  He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and business management from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa.

Marty Moderi joined Scholarship America on October 24 as its CIO.  He comes to the Minnesota-based company from Six Sigma Technologies, a consulting firm in Lisle, Ill., where he served as president.  Moderi previously worked for McDonald’s and the law firm of Baker & McKenzie.

Michael S. Hering heeded my call for information yesterday and wrote to let me know that he was appointed manager of information systems for the Department of Health and Human Services in Colusa County, Calif., several months ago   He previously worked for Glenn County, California’s Human Resources Agency as an information systems analyst.  There’s no shame in self-promotion, so let me know—in a timely manner, of course—when you or someone you know gets a promotion, takes a new job or leaves a company (for whatever reason) and I’ll get a blurb about it on the blog.