Dear Fellow State Employee: Good afternoon. I wanted to take a moment on behalf of the Governor to let you know about today’s announcement that promised changes at VITA have been completed. Let me begin by saying that we have heard and understand the many concerns raised that VITA and Northrop Grumman must be focused on its mission of better serving the technology needs of Virginia’s state workforce. Since taking office, Governor McDonnell has taken three significant steps in fulfilling his promise and our goal of an improved VITA that is directly accountable to all of us.
The first step was legislation that has now passed and been signed into law that puts VITA under the direct control and authority of the Governor. That is important as necessary changes can now be implemented more quickly and effectively. The second was appointing a new Secretary of Technology and VITA CIO to help instill a new direction for the agency. Secretary of Technology Jim Duffey has significant experience in the private sector managing IT operations. Additionally, the appointment of former Delegate Sam Nixon, a career IT professional and longtime public servant, brings real-world experience of the industry and an understanding of the issues that have confronted state employees in the past. Finally, the Commonwealth has entered into a substantial modification of the contract with Northrop Grumman which provides for significant performance improvements and operational efficiencies by the vendor. These include the creation of a rapid response team with additional onsite resources and abilities to quickly resolve individual IT issues. Also overhauling the VITA Help Desk will provide other improvements that are critical to keeping you operating at maximum efficiency such as resetting a password within one hour.
It is a new and improved VITA with much more accountability and responsiveness from Northrop Grumman that we believe will better serve you in your efforts to serve the citizens of Virginia. One of the primary duties of Sam Nixon is to ensure that customer service is a top priority. Finally, both the Governor and I are personally committed to making this a success. We ask for your continued patience and constructive feedback as we proceed forward.
| Sincerely, |
| Martin L. Kent |
| Chief of Staff |
| Governor Robert F. McDonnell |