New Tech Exec at Matria Shakes Up Reporting Relationships

Thomas Underwood begins a new job with Matria Healthcare in Marietta, Ga. on June 11, 2007. Underwood was hired as the health company’s EVP of technology, which is a new position. He will oversee IT, informatics and product development and will report to Matria Chairman and CEO Parker H. “Pete” Petit. Meanwhile, Deborah Dean, Matria’s SVP and CIO, and Martin Olson, the SVP of informatics and product development, both of whom had been reporting to the CEO, will report to Underwood when he starts.

Matria created Underwood’s position because it required “additional executive leadership,” according to the CEO, and because the company wants to focus more on developing technology, analytics and informatics. Matria hired Underwood for his leadership chops and for his experience growing two businesses–one that was sold to McKesson HBOC and one that was sold to Underwood’s previous employer, First Consulting Group. To learn more about Underwood, check out the press release Matria issued announcing his hire.

Michael Howell was promoted to CIO at the U.S. Department of the Interior. He moved into his new post yesterday, after serving as assistant director for information resources and technology management at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Howell now reports to Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne. In his previous role at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Howell was responsible for all aspects of information resources and technology management, policy, budget, strategic planning and operations. He previously served as chief of the Interior Department’s IT Portfolio Management division, where he was resposbible for managing the department’s $900 million portfolio of IT investments. He also previously served as acting CIO and deputy CIO for the Bureau of Land Management.

Allan Wade, a former CIO of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIO), joined Civitas Group LLC‘s advisory board. Civitas is an advisory and investment firm that invests in technology companies serving the homeland security market. Wade retired from the CIA in 2005 after a 35-year career with the organization.