Federal IT pioneer Giammo dies at 79

Tom Giammo, a longtime federal IT executive whose work spanned a half-dozen different agencies, passed away recently at the age of 79.  His family shared the news in an Aug. 1 death notice in the Washington Post.

Giammo began his IT career in the defense contracting sector before moving into government.  He served in the General Services Administration, the Government Accountability Office, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the since-reorganized Department of Health, Education and Welfare.  He managed the SSA's early mainframe systems, coordinated the launch of NOAA satellites and led the initial digitization of USPTO's patent system. 

Giammo won three Federal 100 awards in the early 1990s, and subsequently served as a Fed 100 judge.  He retired from the federal government in 1993.

A memorial gathering is being held Aug. 12 in Rockville, Md.   Details are available via Giammo's son, Larry, at larrygiammo.com.