Bob Jacobs
Headquarters, Washington 							April 29, 2002
(Phone: 202/358-1600)

RELEASE: 02-76

NASA ADMINISTRATOR NAMES SENIOR IT ADVISOR

NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe today named Paul A. Strassmann as Special Assistant 
to the Administrator for Information Management, effective immediately. Strassmann, who 
has been honored worldwide for his pioneering work in Information Technology (IT) 
development, will serve as a senior advisor to the NASA Administrator on information 
management and technology structure issues.

"Paul's work has attracted worldwide attention and acclaim," said Administrator O'Keefe. 
"His experience in advancing next-generation technologies and information management 
concepts will be vital as the agency explores a comprehensive IT strategy."

In his new position, Strassmann will conduct an analysis of current information management 
operations and will support the development and implementation of an agency-wide vision 
for IT. He will also work in close cooperation with the Special Assistant to the Administrator 
for Financial Management to optimize the efficiency and operation of the Integrated 
Financial Management Program, known as IFMP.

Strassmann is president of The Information Economic Press, and his monthly articles have 
appeared in Computerworld magazine since 1994. He has served as Chief Corporate 
Information Systems executive from 1961 to 1985 for General Foods, Kraft and the Xerox 
Corp.

Strassmann served as senior advisor to the Science Applications International Corporation; 
he is Associate of the Butler Group, a United Kingdom consultancy; and he is on the Board 
of Visitors at the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University.

After serving as an advisor to the Deputy Secretary of Defense, he was appointed in 1991 to 
a newly created position of Director of Defense Information, where he was responsible for 
organizing and managing the corporate information management program across the 
Defense Department. In 1993, He received the Defense Department's highest civilian 
award, the Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service.


"Paul has been a key contributor in shaping business and information technology systems 
for both private industry and government," added Administrator O'Keefe. "I look forward to 
his innovative contributions as we move to update and upgrade NASA's IT infrastructure."

Strassmann has authored more than 200 articles on information management and has 
written several books on how to invest in information technologies, including "The 
Information Payoff," "The Business Value of Computers," "The Politics of Information 
Management," "The Squandered Computer" and "The Information Productivity of U.S. 
Corporations."

His involvement with computers dates back to 1954 when he designed a method of 
scheduling toll collection personnel on the basis of punch card toll receipts. He earned an 
engineering degree from the Cooper Union in New York and a master's degree in industrial 
management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Additional information about Strassmann is available on the Internet at:

http://www.strassmann.com/

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