Program Steering Committee: Membership

George Bakolia, North Carolina's Chief Information Officer, is head of the Office of Information Technology Services (ITS) and has broad responsibility for information technology across state agencies.

The State CIO is appointed by the governor to set policy and direction for information technology and manage the delivery of IT services to state agencies. The State CIO also provides leadership for the state's technology initiatives, is responsible for IT procurement and develops strategic IT partnerships with state agencies, colleges, universities, public schools, local governments and others.

In addition to leading ITS, Bakolia has statutory authority for project approval and oversight and the development of statewide IT policies. He is also responsible for IT security in state government and has a major role in information technology planning and budgeting. Bakolia is a member of the Governor's Terrorism Preparedness Task Force and the Board of Directors of the Microelectronics Center of North Carolina and he serves as Chair of the Wireless 911 Board.

Charles (Charlie) has served as the Deputy State Budget Officer in the Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM) since January 2002. His main responsibilities include overseeing the preparation of the Governor's budget to the General Assembly, supervising the development of statewide budget and revenue data necessary for more informed decision-making, and consulting with agency officers on budget execution. He also coordinates North Carolina's economic and financial report presented to the Bond Rating agencies each year.

Prior to his current position, Charlie served as lead budget staff to the House Appropriations Committee where he was responsible for assisting the House of Representatives in developing and adopting the State's budget. He holds a BA from North Carolina State University and a master's degree in Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Thomas Wright is from Southern Pines, North Carolina. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and received his Masters from East Carolina University. Mr. Wright began his career as a personnel analyst in the Office of State Personnel (OSP) in 1976. He worked as a personnel analyst in classification and compensation, working across all occupational areas and programs throughout the state system. He has also worked in the Commonwealth of Virginia and UNC-Hospitals. In January of 1997, he became the Personnel Director for the North Carolina Department of Justice. He remained in that position until February 2001, at which time Governor Michael F. Easley appointed him State Personnel Director. Through his leadership, Mr. Wright has led the Office of State Personnel toward a major transformation in the way services are provided to clients.

Mark Foster is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the North Carolina Department of Transportation. In his role as the Department's CFO, Mark oversees the development and execution of the department's fiscal operations and statewide transportation planning. He is an executive steering committee member of the Statewide Business Infrastructure Program and a financial liaison to the North Carolina Turnpike Authority.

With more than 25 years of experience, Mark has directed finance, accounting, human resources and business services administration for several Fortune 200 companies. Prior to joining NCDOT in 2003, he owned Foster Consulting Services. Mark holds a BBA from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

In June 2001, Governor Michael F. Easley nominated Robert L. Powell for the position of North Carolina State Controller. Prior to assuming the position, Powell had 28 years of service with North Carolina State Government, 24 of which were in the Office of State Budget and Management.

Powell has been active in his career with the National Association of State Budget Officers where he served in a variety of roles on the Executive Board. He served as President of the organization in 2000-01 and has been conferred with Lifetime Membership as a result of his service. In 1994, Governor James B. Hunt, Jr. awarded Powell with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine for a career of service to the State and for his service on behalf of information technology in North Carolina. As State Controller, Powell serves as Chair of both BEACON and the Dispute Resolution Committee. He also serves on the Debt Affordability Advisory Committee, the NC Deferred Compensation Committee and the Executive Branch Ethics Committee.