Shanghai '05

Dianah L. Neff has 17 years experience in providing leadership and implementation of organization-wide strategic information technology planning, assuring reliability of information technology infrastructure, and directing information technology departments in their delivery of technology support services in both city and county organizations. Prior to working in government she had 14 years experience in the private sector working for high-tech software and hardware firms in Silicon Valley.

She was appointed as Chief Information Officer for the City of Philadelphia in May 2001, reporting to Mayor John F. Street and serving on the mayor's cabinet.

As head of the Mayor's Office of Information Services, the city's central IT agency, Neff has guided the betterment of technology in the city:

• Neff is leading the Wireless Philadelphia project to create a citywide, 135 square miles, digital infrastructure to help citizens, business, schools and community organizations make effective use of wireless technology.

• Philadelphia has recently made the successful transition to the eCommerce world by enabling the capability to pay tax and utility bills online. Future functionality includes online payment for accident reports, city deeds and permits.

• Philadelphia's geographic information system (GIS) is one of the country's most robust, including more than 100 layers of data including crime statistics, social services indicators and information crucial to the mayor's neighborhood transformation initiative.

• The City of Philadelphia's official Web site, www.phila.gov, was relaunched in October 2002 to wide praise. The site has evolved from an information-only site to an interactive resource that empowers residents, visitors and businesses to transact with the city online.

• Under Neff's watch, 11 recreation centers in the city opened computer centers offering families improved, free, neighborhood-based access to technology. The centers were opened at no cost to taxpayers, thanks to support rallied by MOIS from local businesses.

Prior to Philadelphia, she played a leading role in making City of Palo Alto the first city in the US to have a website; worked with San Bernardino County businesses and School District to develop a joint venture, Enterprise for Economy Excellence; developed and implemented City of Bellevue's (WA) Y2K compliance and in San Diego in conjunction with City Center Development Corp. identified and mapped the 70,000 miles of fiber underneath the city's streets in effort to attract businesses downtown.

Neff has a BA in marketing and economics, and MBA with concentration in operations research. She is a past guest professor at Hayward State University and University of Washington in their Public Administration programs where she taught Information Systems Design and Management of Technology to non-technical managers.