Fedwire

Zaidman heads to private sector

Federal Aviation Administration veteran Steve Zaidman retired earlier this month for a job at Computer Sciences Corp. Zaidman, who has been the FAA's associate administrator for research and acquisitions since July 1998, is an account executive for transportation security at CSC. At the FAA, Zaidman managed a 2,000-person organization responsible for upgrading the National Airspace System infrastructure.

Outsourcing panel preps report

The Commercial Activities Panel, a public/private panel formed a year ago to find the best ways to outsource federal functions to industry, expects to release its recommendations this week.

The 12-member panel, which is required to submit a study to Congress by May 1, has been reviewing procedures used to determine which functions government employees should perform. It has also examined existing procedures that compare the public vs. private costs of performing a government function, among other issues.

Benefits site officially launched

The Office of Management and Budget and the Labor Department plan to officially unveil the GovBenefits Web site (www.govbenefits.gov) April 29.

The site — the first of President Bush's e-government initiatives to be launched — brings together information on services and benefits offered by numerous agencies across government.

Weather Service taps CIO

Barry West will become the next National Weather Service chief information officer. He replaces Carl Staton, who will become CIO of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

West comes to NWS from the General Services Administration, where he has been a deputy director in the Office of Electronic Government.