Information Technology Organization Positions Work for the Future

Contact:  Kurt Weiss, (517) 335-0050
Agency: MI Dept. of Information Technology

Contact:  Jeff Moore, (703) 575-1685
Organization:  Altarum Institute

Lansing - CyberMichigan was formed in 1998 under the name of Cyber-state.org in order to bring together the private, public, and non-profit sectors to work with communities so that all Michigan citizens and organizations could have quality access to information and communication technologies.  After eight years of intensive and successful work to meet its original mandate, the CyberMichigan Board of Advisors unanimously agreed to dissolve the organization on December 31, 2006 and transition its entrepreneurship and health care program work to other existing entities.

"Really good organizations - particularly mission-driven organizations like CyberMichigan - know when it is time to recognize that their founding mandate has been met and it is time to move on with endings and new beginnings," said John Dean, Chairman of the CyberMichigan Board of Advisors.  "And CyberMichigan has been one of those really good and highly effective organizations."      

"The timing to transition the work of CyberMichigan is right," said Teri Takai, Director of the Michigan Department of Information Technology and a member of the CyberMichigan Board of Advisors.  "CyberMichigan has played a critical role in the information technology arena, advancing the dialogue on issues of importance to Michigan citizens such as high-speed Internet access and connectivity.  The work that CyberMichigan has done paves the way for progress in the new IT-related needs and priorities that we see emerging."
 
CyberMichigan originated to provide guidance on the direction of information technology in Michigan as a result of a recommendation from the Michigan Information Technology Commission, a group convened by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, and the Council of Michigan Foundations.  The organization remained focused on making Michigan a world leader in developing and applying information and communication technologies to improve the health, economic well-being, and educational achievement of every Michigan citizen.  CyberMichigan operated within Altarum Institute, a nonprofit research institute working to become the nation's preeminent provider of objective health systems research and solutions.        

"CyberMichigan played an impartial and catalytic role in helping facilitate the rapid evolution of Michigan's information and communication technology capabilities," said Jan Whitehouse, CyberMichigan's President.  "We have many accomplishments to celebrate, notably how we facilitated early policy debate and implementation of high-speed technologies.  We have planted many seeds that will continue to make Michigan a leader in employing ICT tools in health care and entrepreneurship.  Our successes make me, Altarum and the entire CyberMichigan Advisory Board very proud."

One of the many lessons learned from the CyberMichigan experience is the importance of a good advisory board.  CyberMichigan assembled a group of nationally recognized IT leaders from industry, academia and state government to set its strategic course and measure its value.  The State of Michigan had several members on the board  including Lt. Governor John Cherry and Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land.  The CyberMichigan Board also served as an informal advisory board to Director Takai and the Department of Information Technology. 

CyberMichigan's programmatic activities will now move on to other organizations in the state.  A partnership has been formed with the Small Business Foundation of Michigan to ensure continuous leadership, momentum and growth for the Michigan Entrepreneurship Education Network (MEEN) program.  Founded in 2002, the MEEN program was created to develop and strengthen entrepreneurship across the state through the development and support of high quality entrepreneurship education and training.  CyberMichigan's work in the health care sector, focused on using information and communication technologies to encourage health behavior change among middle and high school students, will reside within Altarum Institute.  Both program areas will continue to receive financial support from The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation through 2007.  There will be no job losses as a result of the CyberMichigan shut-down.