Utah’s Chief Information Officer Leaves Post

Chief Information Officer Phillip Windley, the private sector computer guru Gov. Mike Leavitt put in charge of implementing his sweeping vision of a completely connected, Internet-driven state government, told the governor of his decision Tuesday and sent a resignation letter Wednesday. Windley insisted the governor did not ask him to leave.

BY REBECCA WALSH
THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE

"People have missed the real issues. I’ve become a symbol of so many things I didn’t have anything to do with," Windley said in an interview. "I’ve discovered that the conversation is increasingly about me, instead of about the important issues facing Utah. I’m removing myself from the conversation."

In March 2001, Leavitt entrusted Windley with his high-tech legacy: integrating state technology offices, updating the state’s e-mail system and making state services — from applying for a plumber’s license to filing taxes — available online by 2004.

But Windley’s star faded in September when legislative auditors concluded Information Technology Services managers bypassed or manipulated state hiring practices to give jobs to nine of Windley’s former colleagues from the now-defunct Internet company Excite@Home.

Leavitt has remained largely silent on the issue, leaving Chief of Staff Rich McKeown, spokeswoman Natalie Gochnour and human resources managers to do damage control.

Wednesday was no different. Leavitt, who was jetting among seven states this week and meeting with other governors to talk about homeland security, was unavailable to comment, Gochnour said.

But she said Windley deserves credit for modernizing state government. Governing Magazine gave Utah an "A" grade for technology under Windley; Digital State ranked Utah seventh. Nevertheless, she said, Leavitt "supports" Windley’s resignation. Windley will work through the end of the month.

"There is no rift here," Gochnour said. "The governor recruited him, asked him to be a change agent, gave him a vision to implement. But in the end, we didn’t get the reaction internally that we wanted. Implementing these kinds of changes is difficult. There were some mistakes made. Phil became the symbol of those mistakes."

In one case, an Excite@Home employee was hired at $75 an hour by a state contractor to avoid competitive hiring practices, according to the auditors’ review. Another Excite@Home worker was paid even before she had signed a $100,000 contract with the state. One job was redefined and interviewing stopped midstream to meet the $80,000 annual salary requirements of a former Excite worker. And a longtime Information Technology Services manager was forced to retire early to make way for an Excite veteran.

And five of the nine Excite@Home workers were hired an average of six steps above the state salary schedule’s midpoint — earning about $12,000 more a year.
Leavitt appointed Tax Commissioner Palmer DePaulis as ITS ombudsman to field complaints. Governor’s Office staff and Human Resources Director Karen Okabe tried to explain the apparent discrepancies to lawmakers, disgruntled employees and the media. Collectively, they blamed much of the unrest on employees unused to change.

But ITS workers and state lawmakers remained unconvinced. Legislators asked state auditors to delve deeper into irregularities in the division. Attorney General Mark Shurtleff is reviewing the case. And state technology workers have been dissatisfied meeting with the governor’s staff and DePaulis.
State Sen. John Valentine, R-Orem, said Windley’s resignation could be a fresh start for Utah’s technology offices.

"Sometimes you have to do a restructuring," Valentine said. "I’m not certain Phil was the problem. But unfortunately, his resignation is probably what’s going to be needed to get ITS back on track."

Employees were buoyed by Administrative Services Director Camille Anthony’s e-mail Wednesday informing them of the change.

"Everybody is smiling. We’re so happy," one worker said. "We’re hoping this is the beginning of the end and they’re going to rectify other wrongs that they’ve done. They need to clean up the rest of the mess."

Utah Public Employees Association Director Fred Van Der Veur said Windley’s resignation doesn’t put an end to questions about state hiring practices or take the heat off the so-called Excite@Home Nine. He wants each of the other employees hired improperly to reapply for their jobs.

"The issue goes deeper than an individual," Van Der Veur said. "One resignation doesn’t make this go away. The state personnel system is what’s broken. What is the executive branch culture that allowed us to get to this point?"

Trying to separate himself Wednesday from the hiring irregularities, Windley pointed out — again — that he is not director of Information Technology Services — one of his Excite@Home proteges, Stephen Fulling, is.

And Windley identified six "roadblocks" undermining Leavitt’s technology vision in his resignation letter. To fix the problems, lawmakers and the governor must give the next chief information officer more authority, integrate the state’s disparate computer networks and raise technology workers’ salaries, he says.

Gochnour acknowledged the controversy may not end with Windley’s resignation. DePaulis will remain in place to meet with employees, she said, and the Governor’s Office will continue to respond to audits and investigations.

"We recognize this is part of making progress," she said. "Discontent is real. We have to work through that. If there are unanswered questions, they need to be answered. We have always wanted this to be an open process. If we’re going to stay a leader in information technology, we’ve got to work through the obstacles."

http://www.sltrib.com/12052002/utah/8396.htm