Government Technology - March 2008 - (Page 55)

C I O A N D D I R E C T O R , D E PA R T M E N T O F I N F O R M AT I O N T E C H N O L O G Y, C I T Y A N D C O U N T Y O F H O N O L U L U GORDONBRUCE Gordon Bruce enjoyed a long, successful IT career in the private sector. But when the public sector beckoned three years ago, he accepted the challenge. And he’s glad he did. For three years now, Bruce has been CIO and director of the Department of Information Technology for the city and county of Honolulu. “I tell everybody it’s the best job I’ve ever 33 had, because it’s an opportunity to make a difference across the board,” Bruce said, adding that whether it’s working on public safety or helping people do business with the city or county, he enjoys making a contribution. C O N T I N U E D F R O M PAG E Waikiki Beach, Honolulu “I tell everybody it’s the best job I’ve ever had, because it’s an opportunity to make a difference across the board.” proud of,” he said. “We replaced a 38-yearold financial system with a new state-of-theart ERP solution in 18 months — on time and on budget.” The system cost more than $10 million, but it was much less expensive than many predicted it would be. That’s just one of many projects Bruce and his team have approached aggressively. It’s a method that’s been endorsed by the mayor, who recruited Bruce for his private-sector experience. Once hired, Bruce inherited an antiquated infrastructure that needed major upgrades — one independent study concluded that IT had been underfunded by at least $100 million in the previous five years. Since Bruce came on board, much of the focus has been on creating a solid new infrastructure. The goal is to lay the foundation for better future service for city and county residents. The infrastructure upgrade is about 90 percent done. It’s been a busy three years for Bruce and his staff, but he’s satisfied with the results thus far. “The direction of the mayor, his leadership, the partnering with our vendors and the team effort on the part of the staff that jumped onto this train, have been refreshing for me,” Bruce said. “It’s wonderful to see how it all works.” JIM MEYERS, STAFF WRITER 55 Join Our Growing Government Team Apply your government experience to a career with ESRI, a company known for innovation and growth in the geographic information system (GIS) software industry. Our dynamic sales, marketing, and consulting experts work together to provide strategic direction and leadership for federal, state, regional, and local government agencies. Since Bruce came on board, much of the focus has been on creating a solid new infrastructure. Starting out in government was certainly an adjustment. “Among my friends, the odds were that I wouldn’t last three months,” Bruce said. At first, he did get frustrated with how slowly things moved in government, but he’s now known for getting things done quickly. “Even the private-sector people I talk to cannot believe what we’ve done. And that’s something I tell my people they should be We are looking for energetic, articulate people who are enthusiastic about GIS technology and have expertise in government-related disciplines for the following positions: These positions are based in our Washington, D.C., regional office and corporate headquarters in Redlands, California. Join the team dedicated to helping government agencies improve the quality of life for their constituents. Copyright © 2007 ESRI. All rights reserved. ESRI, the ESRI globe logo, and www.esri.com are trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of ESRI in the United States, the European Community, or certain other jurisdictions. ESRI is an equal opportunity employer. Learn more and apply online at www.esri.com/careers/govt. http://www.govtech.com http://www.esri.com http://www.esri.com http://www.esri.com/careers/govt

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Government Technology - March 2008

Government Technology - March 2008 Contents Point of View Big Picture The Last Mile On the Scene Four Questions for... Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers Let's [Not] Get Physical No Data Left Behind Conservation King Community Drug Test Reinventing the System Better Late Than Never Closing the Deal Spectrum Products Personal Computing signal:noise Digital Communities The Expanding Focus of Digital Communities The Digital Imperative Hot Fusion Redefining Municipal Wireless Made in the USA Bridge Detectives The 2008 Agenda

Government Technology - March 2008

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