June 23, 2005

San Jose’s new technology boss returns to Bay Area

Appointment comes after 10-month search that began last August

By Sheila Sanchez
Staff Writer

John Bjurman has been named San Jose’s new chief information officer, replacing Jim Helmer, who oversaw San Jose’s Department of Information Technology as interim director. Helmer will return to his post as director of the city’s Department of Transportation.

Bjurman, who will assume his new position July 18 at a salary of $165,000, has been the technology solutions director and chief information officer for the city of Durham since 1999.

John Bjurman

The San Jose City Council and San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales confirmed Bjurman’s appointment June 14 after city officials conducted an extensive and long national search that began in August last year after Helmer was asked to lead the department when former technology chief Wandzia Grycz was forced to resign Aug. 8.

Grycz, who last week filed a wrongful termination, legal malpractice and defamation lawsuit against the city, left the department after investigations found flaws in the department’s handling of municipal contracts. She has denied wrongdoing and maintains she was made a scapegoat in the bungled technology deal.

One investigation, conducted by San Jose City Auditor Gerald Silva and San Jose City Attorney Rick Doyle, found favoritism in the award of an $8 million contract to install Cisco System equipment for a computer-and-phone network in the new $345.6 million downtown high-rise City Hall complex above east Santa Clara Street.

Other probes revealed that the department had unclear technology standards and engaged in improper bidding procedures that discouraged contract competition.

The department—with a $16.3 million operating budget and 117 employees—has been under the public scrutiny microscope since last summer. San Jose City Manager Del Borgsdorf, the Santa Clara District Attorney and a private investigator have also investigated the department.

Bjurman comes to the city with 22 years of combined public and private sector management experience in the cities of Durham, N.C., Livermore and Pleasanton, along with Analytical Technology Applications Corporation, a Mountain View technology firm. He graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in computer information systems.

“John Bjurman brings the management experience and technical knowledge to provide strong leadership in this critical area,” said Borgsdorf. “I am confident that under John’s direction our technology investments will be well-managed to support our delivery of services to the residents and businesses of San Jose. With a new city hall and customer service center in place, Bjurman and his team will play a key role in the implementation of the city’s one-stop customer-service model.”

While in Durham, Bjurman consolidated the city’s various information services into one department capable of providing a wide range of technology solutions and improved customer service throughout the city organization, said a prepared press release. He also helped formulate and implement Durham’s e-Commerce web applications.

As director of technology solutions, he oversaw computer support, as well as geographic information systems, the citywide telephone system, the cable TV franchise and the telecommunications cable infrastructure.

Prior to that, Bjurman spent 12 years in information services with the Bay Area cities of Livermore and Pleasanton. He established the first information services division for Pleasanton and implemented citywide LAN and WAN.

He also championed the establishment of Pleasanton’s first citywide Web site. During Bjur-man’s time with Livermore, he was instrumental in bringing software applications to the city’s payroll, general ledger, business license, and utility billing sections, and conducted extensive applications training for staff, the release stated.

“Technology is a tool that should be used to enhance San Jose’s ability to deliver services to its residents,” said Bjurman. “This is one of the premier cities in the nation, and I’m looking forward to making sure our city technology resources are well managed to support the city organization.”