New Leadership at the ITAA

The Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) announced some changes in the ranks yesterday, with president Harris Miller departing and mulling a potential run for the U.S. Senate from Virginia. Robert Laurence, vice president of public sector at Sybase, will be taking on the role of interim president.

Not new to ITAA, Laurence has been involved with the organization since the early 1990s, and was even chairman when the name was changed from the Association of Data Processing Service Organizations (ADAPSO) in 1991. He expects to be in the role of interim president for at least a few months, while a committee finds a permanent replacement for Miller. Essential to the job, Laurence says, is the ability to stay on top of change.

"Our industry is a very dynamic one. Whatever individual comes in for the long term not only has to be recognizable as an individual, they also have to be a spokesperson and very nimble. We need to be responsive to the constant industry changes and able to step up to the needs of our members long term," Laurence says.

Beyond filling the position and promoting effective public policy, Laurence hopes both himself and the new president will expand ITAA's influence. "We need to do a better job at getting the message out. Often when you get beyond the beltway, the significance of ITAA isn't as well understood. We need to change that," he says.