Phoenix City Manager Frank Fairbanks today named Charles Terrell Thompson Sr., as the city's Chief Information Officer for the Information Technology Department (ITD).

"This was an extremely competitive nationwide process with many well-qualified candidates," said Deputy City Manager Cynthia Seelhammer, who oversees ITD. "We were looking for a high-energy individual with a strong customer service background, and Charles will bring those strengths to the city."

As ITD director for Phoenix, Thompson will manage a budget of $45 million and 214 employees in a department responsible for the city's computer and wireless networks as well as its radio and telephone systems.

Thompson currently serves as the senior executive director and chief information officer for the Orange County Public Schools in Orlando, Fla., where he leads a team of more than 300 information technology professionals supporting over 200 facilities. Prior to this job, he served as the chief technology officer for the District of Columbia Public Schools in Washington, D.C.

Thompson has more than 15 years of information technology experience in both the public and private sectors and has worked abroad as part of a special assignment team to develop technical business solutions for Cisco Systems in Korea.

"Charles has considerable experience in the planning and development of large-scale information technology projects in complicated political environments," said Seelhammer. "He brings substantial leadership skills and considerable teaching experience to the city of Phoenix, and we're confident that under his leadership the department will continue to set the standards nationally and internationally in public sector technology," she added.

Thompson earned a Master of Science in Operational Analysis, a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems Management and a General Services Administration (GSA) Executive CIO Certification from the University of Maryland.