Meet Tamara Dukes…Soon to be the New InforME Network Manager

By Janey Barton

What is InformME exactly? In its most basic sense it is public access to information. In past issues of Maine IS Technology, articles have been printed about developments concerning InforME, and in this issue you will find another article with additional details. [See InforME (Information Resources of Maine) Update]. Basically, InforME will make life easier for citizens and businesses of Maine by making more things available via the Internet, eliminating waiting in lines or waiting for mail to come with the information. Some information services will be free, some will have fees, and some will be subscription services. InforME’s goals include increasing the amount of information available electronically, expanding the user base, using the benefits of new technology to improve flow and access of information, and also creating new electronic applications. Tamara says, "InforME will be a customer- and citizen-centric service that attempts to simplify and streamline the way citizens can access public information."

"My goal is to create something that embodies Angus King Jr.’s philosophy that the citizens of Maine should be delighted with their interface with state government."

Tamara is the president of New England Interactive (NEI) and will run and build InforME as its general manager. NEI is part of the National Information Consortium (NIC), a group that ties together seven states (Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, and Virginia) that all have similar information gateways. Tamara will be reporting to an InforME Board, (see the November 1998 issue of the MIST for a listing of board members, and the constituencies they represent). The board will set policy and decide what information to make available. Some of the first applications to be developed will be information from the Secretary of State’s office regarding corporations, UCC, driver’s records, and vehicle titles. Tamara’s first tasks, once the contract is finalized, will be: 1) establishing a Maine office with LAN and WAN hookups, 2) hiring staff, and 3) starting the process of interviewing agencies to discover which services could be offered electronically by their agency.

Tamara has lived in several states (Massachusetts, Indiana, Iowa, New York, New Hampshire and New Jersey). Indiana was her birthplace and many relatives live there. She holds a degree in communications from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. Her husband, Tom, holds Master’s degrees in Social Work and in Management; and has been a college dean and director of counseling. He is currently working on a doctoral degree.

Tom has always wanted to come to Maine, since he is an avid hunter, fisherman, and sportsman and loves L. L. Bean gear. The couple has two children, Henry (6) and Ethan (5). The whole family looks forward to enjoying outdoor activities, including skiing, hiking, and camping. Tamara and Tom have been talking about Maine with their children, in anticipation of a possible move. When they told the children they probably would move to Maine, Ethan was excited and said, "I’ve been waiting my whole life to go there!" Out of the mouths of babes?