The search committee in charge of finding a replacement for retiring New York City IT Commissioner Paul Cosgrave didn't have to look far.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg tapped Carole Wallace Post, who had served as director of agency services in the Mayor's Office of Operations, as the new commissioner of the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT). She is the agency's first female commissioner.
Post said at a press conference Wednesday, Dec. 30, that under her leadership DoITT would continue working to consolidate IT infrastructure, put city services online, establish enterprise solutions for common citywide functions, and make citizen-to-government interactions easier and more efficient.
"I worked closely with DoITT over the past several years on a wide variety of programs and initiatives," Post said. "My experiences with DoITT have revealed the complexities that the agency deals with -- that they tackle every day -- and the skills that the agency staff have to rise to the challenges."
Bloomberg credited Post for leading the design and implementation of several highly visible public-facing applications and efforts, including the city's Stimulus Tracker, an online database that allows citizens to track the city's expenditure of funds obtained from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act; the Citywide Performance Reporting system; the Street Conditions Observation Unit (SCOUT), a team of inspectors who travel every city street once per month and report conditions that need attention to 311; and NYCStat, a Web site that contain the city's essential data, reports and statistics.
Bloomberg said he has told her to conduct a top-to-bottom review of DoITT and report back within 30 days. Post said Wednesday that the DoITT would demand greater accountability and transparency from its vendors and strategic partners.
"She is someone I've gotten to know very well over the past several years and someone whose experience and skills ensure that she will hit the ground running," Bloomberg said at a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
The DoITT has more than 1,200 employees and a $375 million budget. Bloomberg said the tough budgetary times ahead will only further the agency's importance to the city. "I think this agency is going to have a greater impact, not just in the next four years, but for a few decades at least going forward, than maybe any other agency," he said. "The potential that can come out of this agency really is mind-boggling, if you think about it."
Post began her career in the New York City government in 2001, serving in the Department of Buildings. She moved to the Mayor's Office in 2006. Prior to joining the public sector, Post worked as a city attorney for Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., and as special counsel in a private law firm.
She will begin work at the DoITT on Jan. 19. She replaces Paul Cosgrave, who served as commissioner since 2006 and announced his retirement in December.
