Flyzik joins Ridge's team

Jim Flyzik, chief information officer at the Treasury Department and vice chairman of the federal CIO Council, has been detailed to the Office of Homeland Security to advise Director Tom Ridge on information technology issues.

During the assignment, which is expected to last at least through the summer, Flyzik will work closely with Steve Cooper, senior director for information integration and CIO of the Homeland Security Office.

Federal IT experts praised the move as an important step in increasing coordination among agencies involved in domestic security.

"One of the most important things the government is doing is homeland security," said Olga Grkavac, an executive vice president with the Information Technology Association of America. "And with his extensive experience in government, Jim will be a valuable addition to this critical office."

Many of the problems and challenges the office faces in terms of knowledge management and interoperability across agencies are IT-related, said Alan Balutis, executive director of the Federation of Government Information Processing Councils. "Jim Flyzik's move to the office, combined with the recent hiring of Steve Cooper as CIO, really dramatically improves their IT insights and capabilities."

Mayi Canales, deputy CIO at Treasury, will become the acting CIO.

No determination has been made on what Flyzik will do once the detail at the Office of Homeland Security is over. However, he said he would keep his position as vice chairman of the CIO Council.

Meanwhile, the Bush administration has been seeking candidates to fill the Treasury CIO position, as well as the CIO jobs at the Social Security Administration and the Agriculture Department.