Missouri CIO To Join Tier Technologies

By William Welsh, Staff Writer


SEPT. 7 ? Missouri Chief Information Officer Michael Benzen has accepted a position as vice president for government services at Tier Technologies Inc., beginning Oct. 1.


Gerry Wethington, director of the information systems division for the Missouri State Highway Patrol, will be acting CIO.


Wethington will help Missouri implement a comprehensive plan for e-government, which is expected to receive major funding following the fall election, said Benzen. The appropriation, which could reach $25 million, would fund as many as 70 e-government initiatives, including online registration of motor vehicles, he said.


At Tier Technologies, Benzen will help the company obtain new business in a marketplace with which he is highly familiar.


"I believe we can bring to the government arena a tremendous amount of expertise and capability that will enable the states to meet their goals," Benzen said of his new position.


Among Benzen's major accomplishments during five years as Missouri's CIO was helping the state develop and implement an ongoing electronic commerce plan. He served as president of the National Association of State Information Resource Executives during the 1998-1999 term.


Tier Technologies Inc. of Walnut Creek, Calif., specializes in consulting, software engineering, systems integration, training and platform migration. About 40 percent of its sales are to government agencies. In 1999, the company had about 780 employees and sales totaling $92 million, according to Hoover's Online of Austin, Texas.