This year's Federal 100 judges met at FCW's offices Saturday, Jan. 6. The weather was threatening, but in true Federal 100 fashion, they dodged the Blizzard of '96 by finishing the selection in near-record time.
Each year's panel has its own personality, and the panel's choices reflect the values, experiences and concerns that its members bring to the selection process. Some guidelines remain constant, however.
* The award is for work done in 1995. This is an All-Star team, not a Hall of Fame award.
* It is what the person did, not the job he or she held, that counts.
* Some recipients may be controversial. This is not a popularity contest, and some individuals who had a major effect on the community may not be uniformly liked.
* Some of the awards may be symbolic, representing other deserving people who may have done similar but unrecognized work.
The awards remind us that even in these times of focusing on process, it is people who make the difference in federal computing. One such person, who continues to provide the Federal 100 awards with support and advice even though he is no longer a judge, is Frank Reeder, director of administration at the White House. His steadfast belief in the need to recognize people for their accomplishments remains our guiding principle.
* * *
David Borland
Vice Director of Information Systems for Command, Control, Communications and Computers (DISC4)
Department of Defense
Borland is the senior civilian in the Army responsible for coordinating all Army information technology programs. Joining DISC4 in 1994 after five years as director of the Army's primary contracting shop, the Information Systems Selection and Acquisition Agency, Borland is acutely aware of the pitfalls that can derail IT acquisitions and of the people who have run successful ones.
Defense still commands a majority of the IT funds and a sizable percentage of the Federal 100 nominees. The Defense representative on the judging panel always has more homework and verification duties than anyone else. Borland's quiet, direct style contributed a seasoned professional's experience to the proceedings. He is a three-time Federal 100 winner and a winner of the Superior Civilian Service Award from the Army.
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