For More Information:
William R. Steinhaus
Dutchess County Executive
(845) 486-2000
countyexec@co.dutchess.ny.us
For Immediate Release
July 30, 2002
DUTCHESS COUNTY TO IMPROVE SERVICES THROUGH
TECHNOLOGY—“e DUTCHESS”
Poughkeepsie, NY..... County Executive William R. Steinhaus
and thirty five department heads and key county managers today attended an
e-Government (Electronic Government) seminar hosted by IBM at the company’s
Executive Briefing Center in Poughkeepsie. IBM officials discussed current
e-Government trends and directions and their impact on improving the delivery of
government services to the public.
County Executive Steinhaus commented, “Our vision and goal is to enable Dutchess County residents to conduct their business with county government on-line, not in-line. To help achieve that vision, IBM as a public service, agreed to make available their top talent for this half-day seminar.”
Recognizing that citizens want better access to their
government, improved communication between government
agencies, and
improved interactions between businesses and government, County Executive
Steinhaus recently visited IBM’s Institute for Electronic Government (IEG) in
Washington, D.C where he was briefed by senior corporate IBM management on
e-Government trends and directions. The IBM IEG is a collaborative effort with
institutions such as the Kennedy School for Government and The Council of State
Governments to foster innovative thinking within and amongst governments
worldwide. According to the Director of the Office for the
Aging, John Beale, who
attended today’s seminar, "seniors are the fastest growing segment on the
internet. E-Government is user friendly, timesaving, cost effective, and makes
new management tools available which can directly benefit the Dutchess County
senior population.
Roger Akeley, Commissioner of the Department of
Planning and Development
stated, “E-government is bound to intensify and improve communication between
the County and local units of government. It promises to help us to work as
partners in our delivery of public services.”
Rita Brannen, Commissioner of Finance, commented, “Dutchess County government is well positioned for a smooth transition to e-government as a result of the foresight of County Executive Steinhaus and the Dutchess County Legislature. With their support, Dutchess County government has the electronic backbone in place to support new financial, operational, and informational applications which will provide direct benefits to our clients- the public.”
County Budget Director Kevin Fish noted, “Dutchess County government has the reputation of being an action-oriented organization. Today’s training is part of a long journey to build upon that strength and transform our organization, our business practices and our valued employees to meet tomorrow’s challenges.”
“Today’s seminar was designed so our eyes would be opened,
our horizons widened, and our resolve to better serve the public expanded,” said
Mr. Steinhaus. “The objective was achieved.”
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