INTERVIEW: Alan Balutis, FGIPC's bridge-builder
Connecting state and local government leaders
Alan P. Balutis accumulated a quarter-century of federal experience before becoming in April the first person to serve as executive director and chief operating officer of the Federation of Government Information Processing Councils and its affiliate, the Industry Advisory Council.
Alan P. Balutis
During his final year of government service, Balutis directed the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Advanced Technology Program.
Balutis earlier served as Commerce Department deputy CIO and as director of other offices relating to budget planning and IT. He came to Washington in 1975 as a fellow of the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration, and he held several jobs at the then Health, Education and Welfare Department before joining Commerce in 1979.
He earned a bachelor's degree from Syracuse University and master's and Ph.D. degrees from the State University of New York at Albany.
He was recently inducted into the Post Newsweek Information Resources Management Hall of Fame [GCN, Nov. 5, Page 49].
GCN associate editor Patricia Daukantas interviewed Balutis by telephone.
GCN:After 25 years of government service, how does it feel to work for a private, nonprofit group?
BALUTIS:
GCN:Has your leadership of both FGIPC and IAC drawn the organizations closer together?
BALUTIS:
GCN:Is FGIPC still relevant to federal IT managers?
BALUTIS:
GCN:What do the technology sector's problems mean for the federal government?
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GCN:How can agencies balance the demands of citizen-centric government with the need for critical infrastructure protection?
BALUTIS:
GCN:In the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, there's been a lot of talk about public-private partnerships. What are your organizations doing to foster partnerships?
BALUTIS:
GCN:Many officials have been calling for agencies to share more data about potential terrorists, and yet there have been cultural and statutory barriers. What's your perspective?
BALUTIS:
GCN:What cultural changes have you noticed since Sept. 11?
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GCN:What about the statements that government must seek ideas from the private sector to fight terrorism?
BALUTIS:FirstGov.gov
GCN:hat can the private and public sectors learn from each other in terms of retaining and recruiting people and providing career opportunities?
BALUTIS:
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