Kansas IT boss found faking CV resigns
Gov Brownback to seek truth-telling meat-cutter
Posted in Management, 10th November 2011 14:11 GMT
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The new head of Kansas' state IT department has resigned after he was found to have put a degree from a fake university on his CV.
Jim Mann, 58, former CIO of Lawson Products Inc and The Havi Group claimed he had a degree in Business Administration from the University of Devonshire on his CV but this was revealed to be a buy-off-the-internet deal from an infamous Diploma Mill. The University of Devonshire is not accredited by any US or UK authorities and the name has been involved with other fake-diploma scandals. Mann resigned from the $150,000-a-year role just days after he was appointed to it.
Governor Sam Brownback defended the IT bod saying that he had been hired for his business experience, not his academic qualifications. "The education was not a factor in his hiring," Brownback said at a news conference reported by the Topeka Capital-Journal.
IT hotshots didn't always need degrees, added Brownback, saying that his technology specialist at his last job as Kansas agriculture secretary had done a fine job without one, elaborating – "My IT guy was a former meat-cutter."
Despite the spirited defence of the governor, Mann said he had to resign: "The questions surrounding my qualifications to perform and deliver in this position have compromised confidence in me and in my integrity," his letter said. "As such, I am no longer an asset to your team and your IT mission."
The job of Kansas's new IT head was to lead an "aggressive centralisation of technology systems in the state government" – cutting costs and improving performance. It is being re-advertised. ®
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COMMENTS
They obviously should have read the article by Dominic, the recruiter...
Devonshire
Aah. I remember my days at Devonshire .... Oops!
Bah, Brownback...
Living in Kansas means having to deal with Brownback's bull right now. Whether education was a factor or not in his hiring the fact remains that the man LIED ON HIS RESUME. At least he had the decency to resign, even if Brownback didn't have the sense to fire him.
Counting down till we get to elect a new governor....
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