Yesterday I reported that the White House plans to tap Teri Takai, chief information officer for California, as the new Defense Department CIO.
I'm told that after my item ran, Takai briefed her staff in California on her planned move to Washington, although I'm still waiting confirmation from her office that she did so.
Although Takai has no federal or military experience, through her membership in the National Association of State Chief Information Officers she is wired into key technology players in the Obama administration, including Aneesh Chopra, the chief technology officer.
See this photo (second page of the document) of Takai, when she served as Michigan CIO, and Chopra, when he was Virginia Secretary of Technology. And we can probably expect more from the duo in their federal roles.
COMMENTS
Based on what Takai accomplished in during her two years in California (awards for websites, blogs, and tweets), heaven help our defense systems. That said, with Takai gone, perhaps California can recruit a CIO who is dedicated to true public service and implementing substantive changes in CA's IT delivery. Let Takai transfer her self-promoting emphasis to the Federal level; I'm sure her consultant and vendor cronies are salivating at the opportunities Takai's Federal appointment will bring to their private coffers.
Yosemite Sam 02/17/10 07:01 pm ET
Monday Feb. 8 in Sacramento CA:
We've been waiting for confirmation on this all morning. It's starting to look like just a floated rumor.
Dave in Sacramento 02/08/10 03:36 pm ET