Former CIO Hobbs to coach federal executives

Ira Hobbs, a former chief information officer for the Treasury Department, has joined the Council for Excellence in Government to coach government executives in the organization’s Leadership Fellows Program. As a coach, Hobbs, who retired earlier this year, will guide participants through a yearlong personal and professional development curriculum and direct a range of activities to build the executives' self-awareness and leadership skills. Hobbs will coordinate site visits to assess progress and leadership benchmarks for fellows with public and private executive managers. He also will provide individual career coaching and feedback to participants. Before joining Treasury, Hobbs was the Agriculture Department's deputy CIO for seven years. Hobbs is perhaps most widely known for his work as co-chairman of the CIO Council's Workforce and Human Capital Committee to improve the recruitment, retention and skills of the federal information technology workforce. “Ira is one of the most respected individuals in the federal IT arena, and his extraordinary experience and expertise is an immeasurable asset to our leadership program,” said Patricia McGinnis, council president and chief executive officer.