Contents | January 2007 | Volume 2, Issue 1
Meet the Team
Lara Coffer, DIR’s Data Center Services (DCS) Manager, has worked for the State of Texas for over 16 years. After graduating from East Texas State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics and Computer Science, she took a job with the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) in the IT Department as an application programmer on the Tax Redesign project. While with TWC, Lara had diverse technical roles including application redesign, mainframe programming, systems architecture, and database administration. She also had the opportunity to negotiate and manage several large IT contracts and manage TWC’s data center operations including the print/mail service, which processed 3.5 million pages a month, including more than 800,000 unemployment warrants (checks) monthly at peak. When she left TWC, she was the Data Processing Director, with responsibility for 125 employees and a $15 million budget. Lara’s first exposure to the Data Center Services (DCS) project was as the lead for the technical services and database administration workgroups. She joined the DCS team in September 2005 as the Manager of Operations Integrity, where she led the RFO development and evaluation process.
As the Data Center Services Manager, Lara has responsibility for the technical side of DCS management including transition, transformation, and ongoing operations. Her staff of 14 includes the Service Delivery Manager and four DIR Service Representatives, who work with agencies to address day-to-day service needs, as well as the transition/transformation team, and the print/mail, mainframe, and server tower leads. Additionally, the DCS risk, security, architecture standards, and disaster recovery functions also report to Lara. In her rare free moments, Lara volunteers as a math tutor and can be found playing Texas Hold ‘Em.
Donna Clay began her career with the State of Texas at the Comptroller of Public Accounts (CPA), during the tenure of Bob Bullock, as a part-time employee while attending the University of Texas. During her 22 years with the Comptroller’s Office, she performed a variety of functions including business analysis, programming, and project management. She was part of the management team that directed the development and implementation of the statewide financial management and payroll systems. She managed multiple procurements from development of the solicitations to contract award for a wide array of technology services with system integrators and consulting firms. Donna left state government in 1997 to work in the private sector. As a contractor, she worked on several technology projects including Year 2000 Project Office with DIR and a business process reengineering project at Texas Workers’ Compensation Commission.
Donna joined DIR in July 2005 as one of the first members of the Data Center Services team. In her current role as Manager of DCS Administration, Donna has responsibility for DCS governance, communications, financial management, and contract administration. Her team works closely with agencies through the Data Center Services Advisory Council. Donna and her husband like to escape the heat of Austin by visiting the mountains of Ruidoso, New Mexico.
Ginger Salone is the Chair of the Data Center Services Advisory Council. Ginger’s IT career spans 30 years; beginning as a programming intern with E-Systems while studying at East Texas State University and progressing to her current role as Information Resources Manager (IRM) for the Office of the Attorney General (OAG). For much of her 21 years with the state, Ginger worked for the Comptroller of Public Accounts (CPA). At the CPA, she advanced through a number of management and technical roles including telecommunications systems programmer, manager of data center services, and Division Manager for IT. In 2005, she moved to OAG to become Deputy Director of Information Technology for Child Support and in 2006 assumed her current position as IRM. Ginger has also served the state as Chair of the Telecommunications Planning and Oversight Council (TPOC), President of the Texas Association for State Systems for Computing and Communications (TASSCC), and as a founding member of the Texas Online Authority. Throughout her life, Ginger has lived in small Texas towns. She currently commutes to Austin from her country home outside Bastrop via dirt road and prefers staying home to enjoy her four children and three grandchildren to just about anything else.
As Chair of the DCS Advisory Council, Ginger plays a key role in data center services governance. The DCS Advisory Council serves as an interactive communication forum between customers receiving data center services and the Department of Information Resources. The DCS Advisory Council provides advice, counsel, and feedback to DIR and the DCS Service Provider regarding plans, initiatives, and service experiences. The Council also works collaboratively to promote the effectiveness of DCS service delivery.
Tedi Wells, Account Executive, has worked for the IBM Corporation for over 23 years. She began as a Systems Analyst for the IBM Software Development Laboratory and moved up in the organization with positions in systems engineering, marketing, and project management. Most recently, Tedi was Delivery Executive for the IBM Western Region with responsibility for 250 staff working on numerous state and local government projects in California, Washington, and Arizona. These projects included the health and human services data center and child welfare system (California), Automated Client Eligibility System (Washington), and Motor Vehicle Department online services and statewide portal (Arizona).
Tedi and her husband moved to Austin for the DCS project. In her role as Account Executive, she has responsibility for all aspects of the project including transition, transformation, technical solutions, customer satisfaction, and innovation. Tedi’s team includes all of the IBM team partners and will grow to include 650 staff working with the DCS agencies. Tedi enjoys Austin, especially the people and the food, despite her recent introduction to cedar fever.
Getting Information
The DIR website has a wealth of information on the current status of the Data Center Services project. It includes information for agencies and vendors, and provides several ways to give feedback and ask questions of DIR. These web pages include
Agency Resources
- Governance (links to the Data Center Services Advisory Council page with Charter and meeting notes, presentation of the Policies and Procedures Manual development process, and a list of DIR Service Representative agency assignments)
- Finances (links to details on how the data center services base case was developed and how pricing will be managed)
- Contract (links to training and contract documents)
- Transition and Transformation Planning (links to calendars and training about transition and transformation activities)
- Tools, Workshops, and Resources (links to complete workshop presentations, checklists, and other tools)
Vendor Information
- Resources (links to information on the DCS contract, RFO, and HUB information)
- Archives (links to historical presentations)
Questions and Feedback
- Agency Questions: datacenteragency@dir.state.tx.us
- Vendor Questions: datacentervendor@dir.state.tx.us
- Anonymous Feedback: www.dir.state.tx.us/datacenter/dccQuestions.htm
Questions and Answers
I have accepted a job offer from one of the IBM partners. What changes can I expect on Commencement Date? What will stay the same? When you transition to service provider employment on Commencement Date, you will be covered by the personnel policies of your new employer (e.g., health care and leave) and will receive your paycheck from the service provider. Your supervisor will also be an employee of the service provider. However, you will continue to perform the same job function and support Texas data center services. Most employees will also report to the same office. Check with your agency's HR Department to see what specific procedures and paperwork are required complete the transition.
Where can I get more information on the IBM team? The DCS Contract Orientation Workshop slides include organization charts and other information on the IBM team.
Where will the data centers be located? The two state-of-the-art data centers will be located in San Angelo and Austin. The Austin facility will include data center and print/mail operations and the two facilities will provide backup to each other.
On March 31 at midnight, IBM will assume operational responsibility for the 31 in-scope data center facilities; operations will be gradually consolidated to the two data centers over approximately 24 months.
I received a job offer from one IBM team partner and my colleague received a job offer from another. How will we work together after we are employed by different companies? Differences in employer should not effect daily operations. All involved staff, regardless of employer (State of Texas or one of the IBM team partners), will be supporting Texas data center services. The Policies and Procedures Manual will guide interactions and provide agency-specific processes.
Transition Calendar
January 29 – Agency Customer Representative Training. One-day orientation for new agency Customer Representatives. The Customer Representatives will work with DIR and the IBM team to coordinate data center services for their agency. Each agency has one Customer Representative and one backup.
February 1 – Affected Employee Information Meeting and Reception. Evening networking event hosted by IBM team management for affected employees.
January-March – Knowledge Transfer. Agency and IBM team subject matter experts share knowledge of agency technical operations.
January-March – Data Gathering / Confirmation. Meetings with agencies and IBM team to discuss agency-specific processes and procedures for data center services.
January 29-April 4 – Asset Inventory Using Snapshot ® Tool. Deployment of the asset discovery tool Snapshot® via the agency’s network to update and validate hardware inventory counts for use in the chargeback system.
January 29-February 28 – Asset Inventory (Wall to Wall). Physical tagging of equipment and cross-reference to Snapshot® asset report results.
February 15 – Job Offer Decision Deadline. Final deadline for affected employees to submit acceptance or decline of job offer from one of the IBM team partners.
Mid-February-March – Agency Workplace Planning. IBM team works with agencies to assess workplace needs (e.g., ID badges, desk space, etc.) and plan appropriately.
Mid-February-March – Agency Transition and Transformation Plan Reviews. Agency Customer Representatives and IT Directors meet with the IBM team to review agency-specific plans for transition of services and transformation (consolidation) of operations.
Mid-February-March – Policies and Procedures Manual Reviews. Agency Customer Representatives and IT Directors review agency-specific sections of the Policies and Procedures Manual.
Mid-March – Commencement Readiness Reviews. IBM team reviews commencement readiness checklist with agencies to assess and prioritize activities leading up to March 31 services commencement.
Late-March – Commencement Communications. Communications to agencies regarding what will change and what will not change related to commencement.
