SHARE:                                              

The Merrill Baumgardner Award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated excellence in the field of automation in a state workforce agency.

This year's distinguished recipient of the Merrill Baumgardner Award is Dennis Thompson. Mr. Thompson's years of dedication, creativity, vision and leadership as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Department of Workforce Development (DWD) make him eminently suitable for such an honor.

More than thirty-nine years ago, Mr. Thompson began his employment with DWD as a Statistical Machine Operator. His ambition to provide effective and efficient systems that benefit the public has led him from this entry-level position to that of Chief Information Officer, overseeing the technology strategy, operation, and implementation of various types of equipment along the way.

From 1979 to 1984, Mr. Thompson was instrumental in the design, development and implementation of the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Automated System for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. For the first time, DWD employees were able to input UI claims into an automated system which provided transactional and payment history, significantly advancing the effectiveness of the DWD.

In 1993, Mr. Thompson served on an Internet Pilot Workgroup that investigated and made recommendations to the U.S. Department of Labor on the use of the Internet for performing many contracted UI functions. In January 1994, he participated with a distinguished group of individuals to help define the role of what became the Information Technology Support Center (ITSC). In this capacity, he helped to quickly set the groundwork for the ITSC by developing a mission statement, deciding on a governance structure, defining the purpose of the center, identifying activities the center was not to perform, and identifying a funding allocation methodology. Mr. Thompson served on the Steering Committee which identified the presentation format and types of information and services important to the workforce development community for the initial implementation of the Workforce ATM, NASWA's website.

From 1989 through 1999, Mr. Thompson served five terms on the Interstate Conference of Employment Security Agency's (ICESA) Automation and Telecommunications (A&T) Committee and actively worked on issues such as automation funding, building an annual compendium of State's Information Technology (IT) environment, awareness and preparation for Y2K, and planning for the annual conferences.

Mr. Thompson's dynamic leadership has guided the DWD from an era of labor-intensive paper domination to real time on-line claimstaking, serving more constituents with greater effectiveness. Among his many accomplishments are directing the development and implementation of a PC-based Training and Employment Directory, the Accounts Receivable Trial Balance (ARTB) system, Mail Claims system, Telephone Claims systems, Interactive Voice Response system, virtual call centers and web-based applications for tax filings and payments.

For the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Mr. Thompson has been a pioneer in providing the best information technology solutions for the Department of Workforce Development (DWD). The breath and depth of his vision has set the standard for, and created the best practices for technological solutions in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Dennis Thompson's integrity, honesty, professionalism and most of all his extreme dedication to the constituents served, makes him a commendable public servant for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and an example to state employees across the nation.

[Download the 2009 Salute to Leadership Awards Booklet ]