The C-level goes green
The General Services Administration is looking for a c-level executive to oversee the development and execution of “greening strategies” for public buildings.
Remember when at one time there was just the chief financial officer (CFO) at agencies? Then came the chief information officer (CIO) and, at least in some organizations, the chief security officer (CSO). To the gaggle of C titles we should add the CGO.
As in chief greening officer. I kid you not. At least according to this Federal Times note, the General Services Administration is looking for someone to take on this Harry Potterish moniker, and to be in charge of developing and executing “greening strategies” for the GSA’s buildings.
There is an important job behind this weird title, of course. Green is in throughout the government, and all agencies are under orders to be as alternative and as cost-effective as possible when it comes to energy use.
It also is a job that will inevitably affect IT because that’s now one of the biggest users of energy, as well as being one of the biggest polluters in the way it pumps out heat.
However, I do think GSA may be setting a precedent here, because greening is going to become the latest in-house competition among agencies. You can just feel the competitive vibes starting to rise. NASA was the latest to boast.
There was a discussion among the feds a few years ago about how the CIO really belonged in the same circle as the CFO, because that’s where the influence needed to be now that IT us such as important part of government operations. How long before each agency has its own CGO sitting in the circle?