NASIRE might hire a Washington representative

NASIRE Web site

The National Association of State Information Resource Executives is seriously

considering creating a staff position based in Washington, D.C., said Bradley

Dugger, chairman of NASIRE's Partnership Development Committee.

The organization would like to have a staff member that could interact with

local, state and federal interest groups and follow legislation, said Dugger,

also Tennessee's chief information officer.

"As an organization, we're spread across the country, and we think we have

a lot to bring to the table," he said. "We want to have a presence in town."

NASIRE president Otto Doll said the executive committee will discuss the

issue on April 30 at the group's midyear conference in North Carolina.

"It's a discussion, but if people look like they'll come to a conclusion,

we'll consummate it at that point," said Doll, also South Dakota's commissioner

of the bureau of information and technology. Doll said no names are being

considered but said he expects the position to be part time.

Although the job description of the position — if it is created — is still

being debated, Dugger said the person would not lobby but would gather information

and help disseminate it via the organization. Because the members have full-time

jobs, they do not have the time to attend meetings in the city, he said.

The idea was an initiative of NASIRE's strategic plan, developed in November.