IT execs confer with Obama

President Barack Obama met with a group of technology chief executive officers at the White House Jan. 28 to build support for tech-related initiatives in his economic stimulus package.

Technology leaders are generally pleased with the president’s approach to technology and the stimulus package, said Dean Garfield, the new president of the Information Technology Industry Council, who participated in a White House briefing immediately after the CEOs’ meeting. Seven of the CEOs who were present at the meeting are members of the council, Garfield said.

“The mood was somber but very supportive and energized,” he said. “People are facing tough decisions, but they realize that with initiatives like health IT, broadband and the smart grid, it will not only create new jobs but also put us on a better path for our future.”

Garfield arrived from California three weeks ago after a stint as vice president of the Motion Picture Association of America. His wife, Chandra Tuck-Garfield, is a former aide to Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.) and former assistant director of the Minority Telecommunications Development Program.

Company leaders present at the meeting included Steve Appleton of Micron Technology; Greg Brown of Motorola; John Bryson of Edison International; David Cote of Honeywell; Debra Lee of BET Holdings; Sam Palmisano of IBM; Eric Schmidt of Google; Mike Splinter of Applied Materials; Wendell Weeks of Corning; and Ron Williams of Aetna.