Massachusetts names Pepoli acting CIO

Massachusetts has named Bethann Pepoli acting CIO of the state's Information Technology Division following the unexpected resignation of Peter Quinn from that post last month, a spokesman for Governor Mitt Romney's office confirmed this week.

Pepoli, who held the post of chief operating officer in the IT Division, will guide the agency until a permanent replacement CIO can be found, said Felix Browne, a spokesman for the governor. The search should be finished soon, he said.

"There's no imminent announcement, but I'm not expecting an unusually long deliberation," Browne said.

Pepoli will be considered among several other candidates, Browne said. He declined to offer a date by which the state would like to see a new CIO hired.

The state is still dedicated to adopting the Enterprise Technical Reference Model, an open standards initiative spear-headed by Quinn, by 2007, Browne said. It was that very initiative that Quinn reportedly cited for causing the political turmoil that led to his resignation.