Jim Close became acting chief information officer on Aug. 23. He replaced Kathy Hofstedt Bode, who retired Aug. 22.
As acting chief information officer, Close is responsible for directing the Office of Information and Technology Services in an interim role, and coordinating MnDOT’s role in the IT consolidation.
Close began his MnDOT career in 2000 after serving for four years as the state of Minnesota’s Y2K director. Close served for nine years as a project manager in OI&TS before becoming the IT strategic planning and data management manager in 2009. In that role, Close set up and managed enterprise architecture, which drives the future direction of MnDOT technology.
Prior to his employment with the state, Close worked for IBM as the AS/400 product director.
Close graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stout in 1987 where he received a bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics, Concentration in Business Management. Photo by Nick Carpenter |
Newsline recently spoke with Jim Close, MnDOT's acting chief information officer, about the statewide IT consolidation and how it will affect MnDOT. The legislation, passed during the special session this past summer, mandates that the state CIO will control and direct all executive branch information and telecommunication technology spending by July 1, 2013.
What is the purpose of the IT consolidation?
The Legislature and Governor’s Office want to account for all state IT spending and improve the efficiency of IT services by eliminating duplicate services provided within and among agencies. By eliminating redundancy in IT services, the state can eliminate cost.
How long has MnDOT been planning for the consolidation?
We started as soon as the law was passed. The legislation is only a few months old so there has only really been about 60 days of continuous planning. The ongoing process almost seems like a journey.
How does the consolidation affect MnDOT’s IT employees?
The Office of Enterprise Technology’s virtual organization for State IT will be announced next Monday, Oct. 3. However, nothing will change from a staffing standpoint on Oct. 3. All IT employees will still report to their supervisors and assume their normal roles. During this fiscal year, MnDOT will be working to consolidate IT Services and develop a transition plan for staff.
How many MnDOT IT employees does the consolidation affect?
MnDOT has between 225-250 employees supporting IT. That range is determined by factoring in attritions, retirements and vacancies.
How will the consolidation benefit MnDOT?
Our goal with this consolidation is to make sure IT investments all follow the same MnDOT strategic direction. One key benefit will be the consistent deployment of IT services; in addition, IT will be able to respond and deploy services faster. We also will be able to have strategic staffing for IT resources, create opportunities for IT staff and identify backup for critical IT staff and services.
Finally, there also will be volume services savings for potential IT assets. IT is a service that supports the business. By controlling our costs, additional dollars can be used toward the people of Minnesota.
MnDOT continues to work with OET on the IT consolidation and will provide information as it becomes available. Employees also can visit ihub.dot.state.mn.us/itweb/IT-Consolidation.html for the latest updates. |
