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September 20, 2006
Letter of Recommendation for Duane Wagner
To put this simply -- working with Duane Wagner has been the technical highlight and the deepest joy of my professional life, an incredible glimpse of what our computer profession could be at its best and must aspire to.
In my 29-year career in computer technology, I have never worked with anyone who has more energetic dedication, deep capacity in the numerous interleaved disciplines of computer science, pure motivation to solve the hard challenges of employing technologies cost-effectively in turbulent business contexts, and consummate professional integrity, than Duane. And he's an absolute pleasure to work with.
In the early 90's I implemented the Architecture Office at the Department of State to oversee agency-wide IT standardization and configuration control, formal integrated capital planning, modernization aligned to validated business requirements, and continually enhanced security. As the Architecture Office's first Chief (and working for the first three agency CIO's), I had a budget (and the office, reporting to the CIO and Under Secretary for Management, had the cachet) to enable me to hire the best and brightest from the top-tier computer and consulting firms serving the metropolitan D.C. area. In retrospect it's clear to me the agency would have been better served at that time if I could have found three Duane Wagner's to replace my entire staff of ten contractors hand-picked from four tier-one firms. Duane knows all the technologies and how they truly fit together better than anyone I've met.
We hire contractors to make our intractable problems manageable and our headaches go away. Do yourself a professional favor. Peruse this guy's resume and know there's no fluff on it -- he can do everything he says he can in spades. Meet with him and be open about what you want to achieve. And then hire him. It will feel like working with an enhanced version of yourself that worries about your actual problems and supports your highest professional goals even better than you do. Then breathe with relief.
I can't possibly do justice to Duane in one summary letter. Call me and I'll delight in expanding on Duane's seemingly unlimited competencies and capacities. You too can one day retire with wonderful memories of an incredibly demanding profession.
Ernest Johns
Architecture and Strategic Planning
Bureau of Administration
540.477.4258
