Laura Callahan
March 24, 2003
Laura Callahan
Deputy Chief Information Officer and Director of the Information Technology Center
Labor Department
Laura Callahan had more than a strategy for tackling the Labor Department's management and budget challenges — she had a vision.
Callahan deployed systems to integrate the needs of each agency within the department by ensuring that a strong information technology capital plan was in place.
"She has been able to take a big picture of where a Cabinet-level agency should be in five years and begin to implement a framework of a foundation of security procedures," said Theresa O'Malley, executive officer for Labor's IT Center.
Creating a common e-mail system to allow communication among all entities in the department was one step Callahan took. She also helped manage funds that cut across the department, spending money for departmentwide initiatives and "getting more bang for the buck," O'Malley said. Callahan also conducted an IT workforce assessment, identifying skill needs and core competencies for those workers.
"For most of it, she was the complete think tank behind it," O'Malley said.
Lord, help us.....