Hastings named last INS CIO

Scott Hastings has been named the chief information officer at the Immigration and Naturalization Service — the first and last person to officially have that title.

Hastings will replace George Bohlinger as the CIO of the agency. Until now, Bohlinger has worn a number of hats, also serving as chief financial officer and the agency's executive associate commissioner for management — jobs he will continue to hold.

But no one — until now — has had the title of CIO at INS, which is being reorganized under the new Homeland Security Department.

Hastings has served as the associate commissioner for information resources management since May 2001. More recently, he has been detailed to the Office of Homeland Security to help develop the new department that President Bush recently signed into law. INS will become part of the new department in the federal government's reorganization to fight terrorism.

Joe Leo, corporate vice president of Science Applications International Corp. and the program manager for SAIC's integration contract with INS, said Hastings has "done an outstanding job at the INS, especially since [Sept. 11, 2001] getting INS systems in shape following disclosures about security lapses that allowed the Sept. 11 hijackers to enter the United States."

In a memorandum Nov. 27, outgoing INS Commissioner James Ziglar said that Hastings' "long tenure with the INS has provided him with in-depth knowledge of the INS organization and its information technology requirements. This will serve the INS well as we move to the Department of Homeland Security."

Although the new Homeland Security Department likely will have only one CIO, sources expect the department to have a number of associate CIOs in charge of various divisions.