Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - November 18, 1998
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Locke wants to use Internet to improve government service

OLYMPIA — Gov. Gary Locke announced today that he has formed a council of business leaders from high-tech companies to advise the state on how the Internet could be used to improve service to the public.

The eight-member Governor's Council on the Internet will also advise the administration on policy issues affecting the Internet and the increasingly networked economy and educational system in Washington.

"Top executives from companies that are pioneering the development and use of the Internet can provide an invaluable perspective on policy issues," Locke said. "I appreciate the willingness of these very talented people to offer their expertise on how the Internet can help state government better serve our citizens and Washington businesses."

The business leaders hail from software companies, firms leading the development of electronic commerce and Internet-based technology development businesses. Members of the council will designate at least one person from their companies to provide technical expertise toward this effort.

Washington has captured top honors in both the past two years for surpassing all other states in the use of information technologies. The Digital State Award is granted by the Progress and Freedom Foundation, a private research organization based in the nation's capital. And with the launch today of Access Washington — state government's new presence on the World Wide Web — the state continues efforts to enhance service to citizens and businesses over the Internet.

The Governor's Council on the Internet is composed of the following members:

Maria Cantwell is senior vice president for consumer and electronic commerce at RealNetworks in Seattle. RealNetworks is the world leader in developing software to enable computer users to send and receive audio, video and other multimedia services over the Internet.

Andrew Fry is chief executive officer of Free Range Media of Seattle. Free Range Media is a leading provider of integrated online business solutions that maximize Internet investments for Fortune 1000 companies.

Russell Horowitz is chief executive officer at go2net, Inc. Seattle-based go2net offers a network of web sites, including one of the leading search engines, Metacrawler, and develops innovative technologies for use on the Internet.

Daniel Rosen is general manager for new technology at Microsoft Corporation in Redmond. Microsoft is the world's leading developer of software for personal computers.

Bill Patterson is senior vice president for worldwide sales, marketing and support for Attachmate Corporation in Bellevue. He is also chairman of the Government Affairs Committee of the Washington Software Alliance. Attachmate provides software solutions to more than 400 of the world's Fortune 500 companies.

Katherine James Schuitemaker is vice president of marketing at PhotoDisc, Inc. in Seattle. She chairs the board of directors of the Washington Software Alliance. PhotoDisc is a leading provider of digital imagery, with a substantial emphasis on electronic commerce.

Tom Van Horn is president and CEO of Mercata, Inc. of Bellevue. Mercata is a new Paul Allen-owned company that will focus on developing new opportunities in electronic commerce.

Kevin Vitale is chief operating officer for Wall Data, Inc. Wall Data, headquartered in Kirkland, is a leading, worldwide provider of Internet-based software solutions for business.

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