Air Force's Gilligan honored with Franke Award
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The award caps a 24-year career that includes accomplishments such as developing guidelines for buying PCs, notebooks and other IT commodity products through the Air Force's commodity council.
PHILADELPHIA ' When John Gilligan joined the government in 1981, he figured he could learn how agencies worked and then go back to the private sector and use that knowledge in his future career.
Twenty-four years later Gilligan, the Air Force's CIO since 2001, is leaving government having learned much. Gilligan, who was the Energy Department's CIO before coming to the Air Force, stepped down last week as CIO and will leave government in June [see GCN story].
'The government gives you a great opportunity for those willing to move ideas forward ' especially those that come from others, including industry' Gilligan said last night at the American Council for Technology's 2005 Management of Change Conference.
Gilligan's words echoed his career in government. For his dedication and leadership, ACT honored him with the 2005 John J. Franke Award.
'When we got together to discuss who would be this year's winner, it was almost unanimous consent,' said Sandy Bates, former commissioner of the Federal Technology Service and 2004 Franke award winner. 'John always takes time to listen; he appreciates other perspectives and he always was a provider of good advice.'
Along with Bates, Gilligan joins former winners Ira Hobbs, Treasury Department CIO; David Borland, former Army deputy CIO; Jim Flyzik, former Treasury CIO; and Marty Wagner, associate administrator of the General Services Administration's Office of Governmentwide Policy.
Bates said Gilligan's accomplishments include developing guidelines for buying PCs, notebooks and other IT commodity products through the Air Force's commodity council. 'He always took a pragmatic approach to his work,' Bates said.
Gilligan said developing a relationship with industry has been important to his success. 'I'm truly honored and humbled by this award and the company I find myself in,' he said. 'I knew something was up because I had so many people interested in making sure I was at this conference.'
ACT also announced its new board members, who will serve two-year terms. They are:
- President'Barry West, Federal Emergency Management Agency
- Executive Vice President'Martha Dorris, General Services Administration (GSA)
- Vice President, eastern region'Randall Witty, GSA, Atlanta
- Vice President, DC region'David Zeppier, Homeland Security Department (DHS)
- Vice President, central region'Bob Haycock, Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management
- Vice President, western region'Sherrie Householder, GSA, San Diego
- Vice President, Cross-Council Coordination'Ed Meagher, Veterans Affairs Department
- Vice President, Marking and Communications'Scott Hastings, DHS
- Vice President, Professional Development'Mike Carelton, GSA
- Treasurer'Adair Martinez, VA
- Secretary'Kevin Carroll, Defense Department
NEXT STORY: House approves GSA reorganization bill