Government Technology
Government Technology: State & Local Government News Articles

Sacramento CIO Steve Ferguson to Become CIO of San Jose



Print
Comment
Steve Ferguson, Sacramento, Calif., CIO

Sep 3, 2008, By Andy Opsahl, Features Editor

Steve Ferguson, CIO of Sacramento, Calif., is leaving the state's capital to become CIO of San Jose, Calif. He starts work in the Silicon Valley city Sept. 15, earning $195,000 annually.

"There is a high interest in technology and how it works to provide public service in San Jose," Ferguson said. "It's been a little bit of a struggle in Sacramento, getting the same level of interest at the highest levels."

Ferguson got wind of the job opening last January and submitted his resume the following month. The opportunity to work with San Jose City Manager Debra Figone enticed him because of her focus on government IT.

"I've known her for about 10 years and respect her a great deal," Ferguson said.

San Jose has gone without a regular CIO since 2006, when it lost John Bjurman after only six months on the job. Wandzia Grycz held the position before him until she resigned in 2005. A city audit accused her and others of breaking city rules in designing a phone-and-network contract with Cisco Systems Inc. for San Jose's new City Hall. Grycz later sued, claiming she left under city pressure and faced false, disparaging remarks from city officials. She settled with the city for $10,000 earlier this year.

Ferguson's job switch made his retirement benefits through the California Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) more lucrative. The system will base Ferguson's benefits on his San Jose salary, which is 28 percent higher than his Sacramento pay rate.

"I get a big jump in my PERS benefits as well as getting San Jose retirement when I leave there," Ferguson said.
He recently oversaw the deployment of Sacramento's 311 customer relationship management (CRM) system. Ferguson also considers overhauling the city's utility billing system in 2005 and introducing its online permit system in 2006 to be among his greatest Sacramento accomplishments.

Ferguson and his wife initially plan to keep their home in the Sacramento suburb of Granite Bay. Ferguson will spend Monday through Friday in San Jose.

"We're going to sit tight for a while, do the commute thing and then decide at some point in time if we want to make the move," Ferguson said.


If You Liked This Article, You May Also Like...


Latest Government Technology News


Industry Solutions for Government

Read real world deployments of technology in government from our sponsors.

View All Industry Solutions

Related Products and Services

Marketplace



This section
brought to you by:


Mobile Communications Survey Executive Summary

More than 200 responses were captured to help gauge the effectiveness and types of communications and situational awareness capabilities currently deployed for emergency response. View the Executive Summary Now!

Dispatch Operations and Interoperability

A New Era in Public Safety BlackBerry® smartphones running on Sprint networks deliver a wide range of applications that are transforming public safety operations.


Hurricane Preparedness Tips When a hurricane hits, are you prepared to keep in touch?


Case Study - Morris County, New Jersey The Morris County Communications Center upgraded to a new trunked radio system with the benefits of a cellular network, extending coverage beyond county lines


Case Study - Iredell County, North Carolina Spanning over 570 sq miles, it became imperative that the Iredell County Emergency Communications, Operations and Management extend it's communications systems to enhance reliability, security, and coverage.


Case Study - City of Anaheim, California The City of Anaheim saw an opportunity to leverage existing GST and partner with nearby cities to enhance safety operations through data interoperability.


Case Study - Charlottesville, Virginia Fire Department Taking advantage of a range of interoperability solution, the Charlottesville Fire Department has achieved a network that can serve as backup to their existing public safety network.


Sprint ERT Go-Kit with GST Optima Rapid, interoperable communications for emergencies, drills and field exercises.


Optimal Interoperability Until recently it was not possible to cost effectively connect commercial networks to LMR systems. Improvements in communications technology have resulted in greatly enhanced operational capability and have reduced the log-term cost of communications system ownership.


Multi-agency interoperability for Public Safety Establishing cross-agency, real-time situational awareness is critical to effective incident management as well as daily resource management.


Video


DHS Grant Links

DHS Grants and Assistance Programs Link to overview of available grants administered by The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)


Fact Sheet: Fiscal Year 2008 Preparedness Grants Major changes in funding and focus for 2008 DHS grant programs


Remarks on 2008 Homeland Security Grant Guidance DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff and FEMA Administrator David Paulison


$1.8 billion in DHS Homeland Security Grant Program Awards


Funding Public Safety Communications Whether you are a law enforcement agency, looking for funding to support an interoperable communications solution or a school, seeking to improve communications between building administrators, grants may provide the funding you need to implement a robust, scalable communication system.


Yes! I would like more information about Sprint's dispatch operations and interoperability solutions.