WOS Trustee Anthony Thomas Honored for IT Leadership

Anthony Thomas, CIO of New York City's Department of Housing, Preservation and Development and member of WOS' Board of Trustees, received the NYC Excellence in Technology Award for 2011.

Thomas, who joined HPD in June 2010, was recognized for demonstrated leadership in IT management. The award is given to the agency CIO or Commissioner whose leadership, vision and support helped his/her agency meet its mission. "The Leadership Award is welcomed validation that my team is making a difference in the City," Thomas said. "Working in government and particularly the Housing Preservation and Development Agency is the real honor.  I am inspired by and share the Leadership Award with the dedicated civil servants with whom I work to ensure that average New Yorkers have safe, affordable, quality housing."

The citation read as follows:

"In a short time [Thomas] has emerged as an integral part of HPD's Senior Management Team and City-wide Technology governance.  He re-envisioned the way HPD develops new business processes to drive down cost and leverage technology to better service customers. He reorganized IT functions to create a business relationship group with executives oriented to specific program areas.  Anthony spearheaded the development of a state of the art IT project management organization within HPD, making IT a key partner to business owners across the agency. He is a problem solver and encourages his team to exploit new opportunities. HPD now has clear technology strategy and a multi-year plan to achieve major goals using IT as a driver. Anthony reflects the qualities of leadership necessary for IT to be successful in a complex organization." 

Thomas joined the WOS Board of Trustees in summer 2010. Before joining HPD, he served as CTO of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, which was frequently awarded for IT innovation during his tenure. Previously he served in IT leadership roles with TIAA-CREF, American Express, and DuPont.