Transforming the Business of Government -- Acknowledgments

This book commemorates the 25th anniversary of The IBM Center for The Business of Government. Over the last quarter-century of connecting research to practice, we have benefited greatly from collaborating with partners, through various networks and ecosystems, who also find value in improving the management and operation of government.

 The insights and recommendations outlined in this book have been 25 years in the making. We’ve drawn on the Center’s extensive library of over 451 reports, 800 radio show interviews with government leaders and influencers, and extensive roundtables and other sessions to convene and collaborate with thought leaders, experts, and government executives who want to make a difference in shaping the future of government that can best serve the people. While we cannot acknowledge each individual for their inspiration, support, and ideas across the years, we would like to thank those who have worked with the IBM Center in contributing to the ideas presented here.

To help government leaders build capabilities and resilience to prepare for future shocks, we launched an initiative in collaboration with the IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV) and the National Academy for Public Administration that developed content instrumental to Parts I and II of this book. Other partners included the Center for American Studies in Rome and the American Chamber of Commerce in the Netherlands. We would like to thank all those who participated in the Future Shocks initiative, and especially those who authored reports and blogs disseminating the insights of this initiative—specifically, principal author Chris Mihm (former Managing Director, Strategic Issues, Government Accountability Office), as well as report authors Professor Robert Handfield (North Carolina State, Pool College of Management), and Tony Scott (former U.S. OMB Federal Chief Information Officer).

We would like to acknowledge and thank our IBM colleagues who drafted content and contributed to the success of the Future Shocks initiative. They include current global government leaders Cristina Caballe and Florian Breger, as well as former leaders Mike Stone and Tim Paydos; IBV leaders Kee Won Song and Dave Zaharchuk, as well as IBV contributors Gerry Parham, Wendy Roth, Jacob Dencik, Catherine Fillare, and Karen Butner; and other IBM colleagues including Meeyoung Yoon, Gina Gutierrez, Maren McKenna, Sharon Moore, and Franciso Pelayo. We would also like to express our appreciation for another successful collaboration with the National Academy of Public Administration led by Terry Gerton, Joe Mitchell, along with Erika Cintron, Jillian McGuffey, and Kyle Romano.

Part III of this book would not have been possible without the thoughtful contributions of our 25th Anniversary Challenge Grant winners: Jason Briefel, Ignacio F. Cruz, Kevin Dehmer, Ana-Maria Dimand, Paula Ganga, Ken Lish, Shelley Metzenbaum, Renata Miskell, Heath Mitchell, Ilia Murtazashvili, Andrea S. Patrucco, Kayla Schwoerer, Stephanie Walsh, and Michael Windle. We truly appreciate colleagues who reviewed portions of this book, offered comments and suggestions, and gave of their time to review and comment on the text. Specifically, we wish to thank James Christian Blockwood, Gabe Chang, Alice Fakir, Leanne Haselden, John Marshall, Emily Tavoulareas, and Dave Wennergren,

This book and the commemoration of our 25th anniversary would not be possible without the support of IBM executives over the years, especially Susan Wedge, who is currently the Managing Partner for the U.S. Public & Federal Market in IBM Consulting. Their continued support has sustained   the Center and has made what we do a reality. Special thanks and appreciation go to our IBM Center colleagues Ruth Gordon, Margie Graves, and Mark Newsome. As you can imagine, the Center’s success is built on the work and effort of those who have come before, especially former Center Directors Mark abramson and Jonathan Breul, and former Center Senior Fellow John Kamensky. We’d also like to acknowledge other colleagues who we have helped the Center meet its missions throughout the years, including Executive Fellow Ed DeSeve, Visiting Fellows Katherine Barrett and Richard Greene, Angela Evans, Danny Harris, and Praja Trivedi, and some 500 authors who have brought forward insights and expertise through Center reports and guest blogs.

Finally, big thanks to Dan Muggeo, Frank Coffy, Anthony Hanna, and Steven Vogel with Daniels+Roberts, Inc., for their exceptional creative, editing, and production assistance. We are grateful for their steady patience and invaluable guidance in the layout and design of this manuscript. Thanks to Jon Sisk and Jaylene Perez, with Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, for their help in publishing the book.