Homeland security IT official to resign

HERSHEY, Pa.-Jim Flyzik, a senior advisor to Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge, announced Monday that he will retire from government Dec. 17. Flyzik has been on temporary assignment to the White House after leaving his post as chief information officer of the Treasury Department in April.

Flyzik is in the middle of a second 120-day detail to the Office of Homeland Security, where he has been working with Ridge and CIO Steve Cooper on various technology projects, including the integration of more than 50 terrorist suspect "watch lists."

Flyzik made his announcement at a press conference here during the Industry Advisory Council's annual Executive Leadership Conference. The council is made up of hundreds of executives from IT companies that do business with the government.

Flyzik says he has made no career plans beyond mid-December, but he noted that while serving at Treasury he had contemplated leaving public service and taking a job in the private sector. He is a 28-year veteran of the federal government, having served as the vice chair of the Federal CIO Council and as a member of the President's Critical Infrastructure Protection Board. Flyzik said his career has brought him "positive experiences I know I'll never match no matter where I go or what I do."

Flyzik came to the White House primarily to assist Cooper, who had no previous federal experience. Over the past several months, Cooper has learned the major issues and names in the federal IT arena, Flyzik said, and he added that he was happy to have played a role in helping him.

Flyzik has long been one of the most visible CIOs in government. But Cooper has for months been the most likely candidate to take the position of CIO in the proposed Homeland Security Department. Flyzik's name rarely surfaced as a major contender for the position.

A new vice chair of the Federal CIO Council will be announced Nov. 20, Flyzik said. He said he's already spoken with potential candidates, but didn't reveal who they were.

Flyzik said the task of integrating the terrorist watch lists would be completed by the end of the year.