The ties that bind
What is the tie that links a would-be restaurant owner,
rock-and-roll singer, SWAT team member, movie producer, baseball commissioner,
automobile tester, HGTV home-renovation host, deep-sea fisherman, home chef,
NFL linebacker, travel writer and shortstop for the New York Yankees?
Those might have been the jobs of this year’s winners of
the fourth annual Rising Star awards -- if they had not pursued much less
fanciful careers in the world of information technology.
Thank goodness for our government and our nation that the
28 men and women singled out for recognition in the early stages of their
technology careers have found a truer calling – at least for the time being.
Nominated by colleagues and chosen by an independent panel of judges, this
year’s winners work in all corners of government and in private-sector
businesses that serve the government.
In the course of putting together their profiles for this
special issue, we asked each Rising Star to tell us his or her dream
nontechnology job – hence the answers listed above. More to the
point, we asked about their latest accomplishments, career highlights and whom
they considered to be their early IT mentors.
What emerged are the ties that bind them to one another
and the government IT community at large: initiative, creativity,
entrepreneurial drive and, of course, unlimited imagination.
The 1105 Government Information Group, publisher of
Federal Computer Week, is pleased to present the 2009 Rising Star award
winners. As always, we tip our hats to our distinguished judges — and to Phil
Kiviat and the Young AFCEANs, who first suggested this program and offer
much-welcomed support.
About the Author
David Rapp is editor-in-chief of Federal Computer Week and VP of content for 1105 Government Information Group.