New VITA chief meets with top managers

By: OLYMPIA MEOLA AND JEFF E. SCHAPIRO TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITERS | Times-Dispatch
Published: August 24, 2009

In his first day on the job, the new boss of Virginia's computer agency huddled with top managers and readied for a sit-down with officials of the giant company criticized for spotty service to the state.

George F. Coulter met for about an hour with senior officials of the Virginia Information Technologies Agency at the Chester headquarters it shares with embattled contractor Northrop Grumman.

Coulter, a former corporate chief information officer who comes to VITA with no government experience, toured the boxy, angular building and sent an e-mail to employees at mid-afternoon in which he said, "We have a lot of work ahead of us."

Coulter continued, "But, from my first impression today, you already have come a long way and should be proud of what you have done."

In an e-mail to The Richmond Times-Dispatch, Coulter said he will confer tomorrow with representatives of Northrop Grumman, which the state hired under a 10-year, $2.3 billion contract to provide information-technology services to more than 80 agencies.

Coulter did not respond to an e-mail asking him to elaborate on his session with VITA staff and what he might tell Northrop Grumman's executives.

Coulter succeeds Lemuel C. "Lem" Stewart Jr., who was fired in June by the VITA oversight board after proposing withholding a $14 million payment to Northrop Grumman as punishment for faulty service and incomplete billing.

Next week, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine is expected to visit VITA's offices. Kaine is managing the fallout from the VITA-Northrop Grumman deal and has suggested that its balky management is contributing to problems in carrying out the state's richest outsourcing contract.

"We expect the governor will express his support for the ongoing work of VITA staff and see personally what we have accomplished," said VITA spokeswoman Marcella Williamson.