Mike Leavitt (click to enlarge)

Mike Leavitt, my old boss, has been named NASCIO's National Technology Champion.

The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) named Michael Leavitt, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as the association's 2006 National Technology Champion Award recipient in recognition of his outstanding contributions in the field of information technology (IT) public policy and practice.

"Secretary Leavitt's passion for enabling the use of technology has advanced citizen service, information sharing and good government," said Wisconsin CIO and NASCIO President Matthew Miszewski. "We applaud his dedication to implementing widespread deployment of health information technology in order to provide safer, timelier, more efficient, effective, equitable and less costly, patient-centered health care."

From Michael Leavitt NASCIO's National Technology Champion - Government Technology
Referenced Fri Jun 02 2006 09:47:13 GMT-0600 (MDT)

I think the choice is excellent and the award well deserved. Ironically, I was just thinking about him and his passion for eGovernment this morning.

Mike's passion for technology is matched by as deep an understanding of it as I've seen in anyone without a technology background. For example, he called me not too long ago and said "I just finished your book" meaning my Digital Identity book. We talked for a few minutes and it was clear to me from the conversation that not only had he read it, but he was ready to apply the concepts to things he was working on. I can only hope that we keep finding important jobs for him to do because America needs public servants like Mike Leavitt.