General DNR News

DNR Undersecretary Harper Honored as Elite in IT Management by IDG's Computerworld

“The Voice of IT Management” Recognizes Robert D. Harper for Creativity, Business Savvy in 6th Annual Awards Program

Baton Rouge - The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced that Robert D. Harper has been recognized by IDG's Computerworld, the "Voice of IT Management," as one of the business world's Premier 100 IT Leaders. The award honors executives who show exemplary technology leadership in resolving pressing business problems. Honorees, including Harper, were named and profiled in the January 3 issue of Computerworld and will be honored again at Computerworld's Premier 100 IT Leaders Conference, occurring March 6-8, 2005, at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Harper was selected from nearly 600 nominees, who were measured against Computerworld's IT Leadership Index, a set of characteristics that describes executives who guide the effective use of IT in their organizations, and evaluated by the editors and by an external panel of outside judges. Other honorees include leading IT executives from corporations such as State Street Corp., UPS, Hewlett-Packard, Cardinal Health, MasterCard International LLC, Marriott International, and AFLAC.

"Our Premier 100 list honors those who have kept fighting despite the many obstacles that technology has thrown at them this year." said Don Tennant, editor in chief of Computerworld. "This group of men and women has proven themselves through all facets of business, including some of the toughest challenges, such as cultural hurdles, language barriers, corporate politics, internal and external communication, and maintaining fresh, creative ideas. They think out of the box and do not cower away from difficult projects; rather, they embrace the struggle while foreseeing the opportunities it can bring in the future."

Harper was appointed Undersecretary of the Department of Natural Resources in June 1992. Prior to his work at DNR, Harper served as Senior Budget Analyst at the Division of Administration. His expertise lies in all aspects of budget and finance management.

The complete list of Premier 100 IT Leaders can be found in the January 3, 2005 issue of Computerworld and online at www.computerworld.com. The issue includes several feature articles summarizing the challenges IT Leaders expect to face in the coming year, including motivating staff, avoiding project pitfalls, shoring up network security and preparing for the rebound.

About Computerworld
Computerworld, the "Voice of IT Management," is the most trusted source for the critical information needs of senior IT management.

Computerworld is a business unit of International Data Group (IDG), the world's leading technology media, research and events company. A privately held company, IDG publishes more than 300 magazines and newspapers, including Bio-IT World, CIO, CSO, Computerworld, GamePro, InfoWorld, Network World and PC World.

The company features the largest network of technology-specific Web sites, with more than 400 around the world. Company information is available at http://www.idg.com.

Editors: For more information, contact the DNR Public Information Office at 225-342-8955.