Who Could Be Obama's Tech Czar?

The Washingtonian.com yesterday posted an article asking readers to suggest who could fill the position as federal chief technology officer. Presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama said he would appoint a CTO to coordinate the federal government's technology infrastructure and to promote transparency into policymaking. The article reports such technology luminaries as Vint Cerf, known as the father of the Internet; Microsoft's Steve Ballmer; and Amazon.com founder and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos.

Putting aside whether any of these or other top tech executives would leave their day jobs in charge of some of the most powerful technology companies in the world (it's hard to picture these barons of the tech industry in a government position), it raises the question of what skill sets are needed for such a position. Would someone coming from a high-profile private-sector job have the necessary knowledge and skill to manage through the bureaucracy? Would they become too frustrated with the rules and culture of resistance? Or would someone with government know-how (and some private-sector ingenuity) get more accomplished? Or, on the flip side, would they not be willing to take bold steps, if bold steps are needed?

Stanford University law professor Lawrence Lessig, who is head of the Center for Internet and Society, told Washingtonian.com that the position required a "true geek." Is it all about bits and bytes? I have a feeling the person also would need a resume showing some healthy experience in change management. And some strong leadership skills wouldn’t hurt, either.

What kind of person would be best for the role?