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Background
Throughout his 40-year career in the intelligence community,
information industry, and the legislative branch of the
Federal government, Bob Chartrand has been able to mesh
his love of history, government, and literature with a
keen interest in both the philosophy and pragmatics of
applying advanced technologies to the needs and desires
of the Nation and its people.
Often declaring that "the intelligence profession
is a superb basis for mastering decision making and the
handling of requisite information," he learned early
on that such mastery is essential in dealing with the
key issues, policies, and programs confronting leadership
in government and industry. To that end, he has sought
to apply analytical techniques and an ability to encapsulate
the essence of a focal area, whether in written or spoken
form. During the last quarter-century, in his service
as a senior advisor to the United States Congress, he
dealt with dozens of Members of the House of Representatives
and Senate, as well as staff personnel from their personal
offices and sundry committees and subcommittees.
His chosen field is accurately reflected in the title
under which he represented the Congressional Research
Service of the Library of Congress: "Senior Specialist
in Information Policy and Technology." In a wide-ranging
series of assignments, he has been called upon to organize
hearings and workshops, consult with Members and staff,
and prepare an array of book-length reports and lesser
writings. Among the topics featured in this documentation,
as well as his books, are the ways in which "information
technologies"—such as computers and telecommunications—are
utilized in business, agriculture, science, education,
emergency management, and a range of other social and
community crucial areas. Oftentimes, he serves as the
catalyst for bringing together leading professionals who
could offer invaluable perspectives on the many facets
of information in our time. The most recent ensuing from
such initiatives is the third volume in a trilogy extending
over a 20-year period, called Critical Issues in the Information
Age .
And because he had "no (institutional) ax to grind,"
there often were requests to serve on special task forces
or committees addressing information planning or problems
within the executive branch of the Federal government.
Illustrative of these were assignments with three White
Houses (Ford, Carter, Reagan), the Departments of Energy
and Commerce, the Federal Election Commission, the Civil
Rights Commission, the General Services Administration,
the Smithsonian Institution, and the President's Commission
on Population Growth and the American Future. In both
1979 and 1991, he fulfilled key roles in creating and
carrying out the two White House Conferences on Library
and Information Services.
On the international scene, a Fulbright-Hays appointment
leading to the Italian Parliament's establishment of a
computerized legislative information system resulted in
his being awarded the rank of "Cavaliere Ufficiale:
of the Order of Merit." Subsequent taskings included
serving as the U.S. representative to UNESCO for the SPINES
Programme, a NATO-sponsored opportunity to review information
services, USIA speaking assignments in Brussels and Rome,
and being the first senior lecturer on information science
and technology for the U.N. Development Programme to the
People's Republic of China.
Earlier career endeavors commenced with city-wide responsibilities
as a senior staff member for the government of Kansas
City, Missouri, under L. P. Cookingham. In the military,
his intelligence postings ranged from duty at sea (on
two aircraft carriers) and in Korea at JOC/NLO to analytical/briefing
duties on COMSECONDFLT Staff, at the Naval Photographic
Interpretation Center, and with the Naval contingent at
the National Security Agency; also, he fulfilled a special
assignment with Commander, Fifth Air Force (Nagoya, Japan).
Later, as a civilian, he was on the staff of the National
Photographic Interpretation Center (under Arthur Lundahl).
Next, for a span of seven years, he worked for private
corporations in the information industry—Thompson-Ramo-Wooldridge
(now TRW), IBM, and Planning Research Corporation—in
a variety of technical and managerial capacities, performing
systems analysis and design in such diverse areas as legal
information retrieval and multi- sensor data acquisition,
processing, and utilization.
Consultancies are currently pursued with the Center for
Strategic and International Studies, National Research
Council, National Library of Medicine, and several private
entities. In addition to editorial and advisory board
roles, he often is a speaker at conferences, seminars,
and for public groups. Awards received include the ASIS
Award of Merit, the IAC/ADP Test of Time top honor, being
an original selectee for the GCN Hall of Fame, selection
as a AAAS Fellow, and member in the Cosmos Club of Washington.
He is listed, among other volumes, in Who's Who in America
and American Men and Women of Science .
He graduated with a Masters of Arts Degree in history
and government, while a Teaching Fellow, from the University
of Missouri at Kansas City; additional doctoral work was
performed, along with teaching duties, at Louisiana State
University.
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