Langston or Gilligan for Defense CIO
By
Bob Brewin
I'm picking up hints that Dr. Marv Langston, <a href=http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jun1997/m06121997_m100-97.html>appointed</a> the Navy's first chief information officer in 1997 and <a href=http://www.gilligangroupinc.com/about/john-gilligan-biography.html>John Gilligan</a>, who served as Air Force CIO from 2000-2005, are candidates for the Defense Department CIO slot, vacant since John Grimes <a href=http://whatsbrewin.nextgov.com/2009/05/grimes_has_left_the_building.php>left the job</a> last month.
I'm picking up hints that Dr. Marv Langston, appointed the Navy's first chief information officer in 1997 and John Gilligan, who served as Air Force CIO from 2000-2005, are candidates for the Defense Department CIO slot, vacant since John Grimes left the job last month.
Langston, considered the father of the Navy Marine Corps Intranet, said he's interested in the job but only if the Obama administration wants a change agent.
What kind of change does he have in mind? Langston, who runs his own consulting firm, pointed to his blog, which, among other things, says Defense needs to develop an enterprisewide information technology infrastructure instead of the systems it has in place today, which are sliced and diced by the services and combatant commands. Langston also told me that he thought Gilligan had "the inside track" to replace Grimes.
Gilligan, also a self-employed consultant after a three-year stint at SRA International, told me he was surprised that he was under consideration for the CIO job and added, "Marv has my vote."
How about co-CIOs for Defense?