The new chief information officer for Nevada said he will focus on fostering an environment that will attract and keep technical personnel who might be interested in private industry.

Terry Savage, promoted from deputy director by Gov. Kenny Guinn on Sept. 5, said his biggest challenge was giving the technical staff more autonomy and freedom to develop creative solutions.

Savage said he took a pay cut in January to move to Carson City from PRI/Interval Logic Corp., a software development company in Menlo Park, Calif. He said the city's quality of life and the positive workplace culture compensate for the salary difference.

About 10 positions in Nevada's Department of Information Technology remain unfilled, from a high of more than 60 vacancies earlier this year, Savage said, and staffing prospects have improved.

One of Gov. Guinn's top priorities for the 2001 legislative session is higher salaries for state employees, said Jack Finn, the governor's press secretary.

Lockard, who retired at the end of July, left DOIT in good shape, with no serious operational issues to confront, Savage said. However, a September report by Brown University ranks Nevada near the bottom of states offering e-government services.