A NEW KIND OF AWARDS PROGRAM

When Nextgov launched in March 2008, we promised we'd cover how information technology plays in the evolution of government. We stated one of our founding principles "is to bring information technology out of the IT shop and into the government 'boardroom,' where it can inform and direct policy decisions and help set agency strategies."

To do that, government executives must step outside their comfortable confines to think and manage differently. They have to be bold. They have to take risks.

The Nextgov Award will recognize public officials who have done just that, those who have dreamed ideas that improve the way government works and, ultimately, the lives of its citizens. These are innovative, and at times provocative, programs, policies and management practices that rely on technology to move government in a new direction, to challenge federal employees to think and work differently.

The nominations process for the 2010 awards program is now closed. Over 100 nominations were received and have been reviewed by our panel of prominent federal technology experts, including:

• Alan Balutis, Director of the Internet Business Solutions Group at Cisco Systems and former CIO at the Commerce Department
• Dan Chenok, Senior vice president and general manager at Pragmatics Inc. and former branch chief for information policy and technology in the Office of Management and Budget
• Ira Hobbs, Founder of Hobbs & Hobbs LLC and former CIO at the Treasury Department
• Don Kettl, Dean of the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland
• Ellen Miller, Co-founder and executive director of the Sunlight Foundation
• Dan Mintz, Chief technology officer for the civil and health services group at Computer Sciences Corp. and former CIO at the Transportation Department
• Molly O'Neill, Vice president at CGI Federal and former CIO at the Environmental Protection Agency
• Anne Reed, President and chief executive officer of Acquisitions Solutions Inc. and former CIO at the Agriculture Department