Never a better time than now for IT to step up and make a difference says incoming Socitm President Kay Brown

There has never been a better time for IT to step up and make a difference, the incoming President of public sector IT professionals' association Socitm has told members at the start of her term.

Urging members to adopt the rallying cry: "I am a member of Socitm, an IT Professional and I can help you" she said that IT can "help you enable change, help you connect to customers and help you be more efficient. Who could turn this offer down? Who could not get IT?" she said.

Kay Brown, who is also Head of ICT at South Lanarkshire Council, one of Scotland's largest unitary authorities, was confirmed as the new Socitm President at the AGM and Spring Conference in London on April 25.

Writing in Socitm's annual report, presented at the meeting, Kay cited the fact that Socitm is now 'at the table' on many change programmes thanks to the Local CIO Council, set up by Socitm in 2008. Through this, IT professionals have been able to exert influence on key developments like the Public Services Network. In Scotland, she noted, Socitm is representing the IT sector in the activity around Digital Futures and the transforming of public services.

Previously a Vice President of Socitm and committee member of Socitm Scotland for 10 years, Kay is also a Fellow of BCS and a CITP. She has worked in Local Government since 1991, following an earlier career in a range of IT roles in the private sector, with CERN, BOC, Alexander Stenhouse, and Honeywell Bull.

Kay represents Scotland on the Local CIO Council, is a member of the Local Government Delivery Council, and was a Top50 CIO in 2009.

Speaking soon after taking up the Presidency, Kay said that her main area of focus in the coming year would be membership, including promoting Socitm as the society of choice for the whole public sector, and not just local government.

A further aim would be to help Socitm members gain the high ground at the heart of the transformation agenda by continuing to focus on professionalism and adding value through Socitm services and activities including benchmarking, best practice sharing, and policy and futures work.

The Socitm AGM also saw the election of a new Vice President: Lynette Ground, IS Customer Service Manager at Action for Children joins the existing Vice Presidents Steve Halliday, Head of ICT at Solihull MBC and Nadira Hussain from Tower Hamlets.

Further information:

A print quality image of Kay is available at: http://www.socitm.net/images/No29_Kay_Brown.JPG

Kay Brown
Socitm President
Tel: 01698 454344
Email: Kay.Brown@southlanarkshire.gsx.gov.uk
kay.brown@socitm.net

Vicky Sargent
Tel: 07726 601 139
Socitm Press Office
vickysargent@socitm.net