Surprise suspensions wrack NCUA's IT department

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - In a highly hush-hush move that to date has kept even those adversely affected by the action in the dark, NCUA Executive Director Carolyn Jordan July 7 suddenly put both Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) Director Doug Verner and his deputy director, Neil McNamara, on 30 days administrative leave (with pay) pending an investigation into circumstances surrounding the selection of the Microsoft Windows platform for NCUA's AIRES examination software. Though requests for comment from NCUA have been met with a wall of silence at the agency, Credit Union Times has learned that the case against Verner and McNamara-who seem to enjoy a reputation of on-the-job excellence and congeniality-has been turned over to the agency's Inspector General, who must now inform the two of the allegations against them. And those allegations, according to the scanty information available, appear to concern Verner and McNamara's involvement in the recent selection of the Microsoft Windows 2000 operating system as the software platform for the agency's uploadable, laptop-embedded Automated, Integrated Regulatory Examination System (AIRES), installed earlier this year. NCUA Director of Public and Congressional Affairs Bob Loftus did confirm, however, that Region I Associate Regional Director Anthony LaCreta has been appointed temporary OCIO director "for an indefinite period." But Loftus would say nothing further about another agency dust-up that has, once again, spawned a whirlwind of rumors about NCUA's corporate culture and internal operations. Last November the NCUA Board approved a controversial $135 million FY 2000 budget which included $9.38 million over three years to lease state-of-the-art Compaq notebook computers for each of the agency's 1,000 employees. Committing itself also to the acquisition of new laptops every three years, the board felt the agency-wide computer upgrade was necessary because of the wear and tear (due to examiner travel) on aging equipment, the complexity of NCUA's computing environment, and the need for standardization with state-of-the-art equipment. It was on these computers that the new Microsoft 2000 AIRES program was installed for examiners earlier this year. Training in the new software then took place for federal and state examiners in the spring. It is not known just what part Verner and McNamara played in the selection of either the Microsoft platform or the Compaqs themselves, but agency procurements of this size typically are handled by contracting officers and not by department heads designated to receive the equipment. Verner, who has been at the agency since 1994, was later promoted to OCIO's (then called Office of Technology and Information Services (OTIS)) directorship in an agency personnel shake-up by NCUA Board Chairman Norman D'Amours. Since then, by all accounts available to Credit Union Times, he has done a commendable job in a high-pressure and constantly changing technical environment. "That is a critical position," said one former Verner co-worker, "and he (Verner) always seem to carry it off well, and he's a personable guy." Contacted for their comment, both Verner and McNamara said that they were totally in the dark over the development. -gmcorrigan@mindspring.com