Policy & Practice | August 2019

our do’ers profile

In Our Do’ers Profile, we highlight some of the hardworking and talented individuals in health and human services. This issue features Robert Hobbelman, Chief Information Officer, Division of Information Systems, Virginia Department of Social Services.

Name: Robert Hobbelman Title: Chief Information Officer (CIO), Division of Information Systems, Virginia Department of Social Services Years of Service: 25 years Rewards of the Job: Continuously improve service delivery to people who are in the most difficult times of their lives. This encompasses ensuring children and families have food on the table, that they have Medicaid coverage, a place for safe child care, a foster home, and a life without fear and anxiety. Accomplishments Most Proud Of: There are many initia- tives I am proud off, from implementing automated solutions for eligibility workers as well as bringing much needed automation to our child welfare workers. I think the one that most stands out is the involvement in our information technology (IT) infrastruc- ture service delivery and changing it from a single vendor to a multisource integration provider. I was part of the request for information (RFI) process, and oversight committees from planning activities for process improve- ments to adopting solutions for our agency as an early adopter. Now with

the program in full swing I am honored to be the lead IT representative for 12 state agencies in the Relationship Management Committee to ensure the program delivers the required added value. While much more work is ahead of us, the transitional services will eventually be a major differentiator for Virginia and all the Executive Branch agencies that depend on them. Future Challenges for the Delivery of Public Human Services: I think the biggest chal- lenge is the best possible integration of our very disparate service delivery models. Besides a technology platform approach, the ultimate delivery of services has to improve at every level. Artificial intelligence (AI) has to become a major contributor to prevent the need for our services (or at least see a major reduction in the overall need). So many signs are there at an early age that our services are needed, yet we do little about the use of these signs and how to prevent future need. I think AI can be a major contributor to turn that around and we should fully embrace this amazing technology. Little Known Facts About Me: I was adopted at a young age and have lived through many years of social workers assisting the family through

tremendously rough years. My adoptive parents had several health issues and felt awful that I had been brought into the home under such difficult cir- cumstances. After years I was able to reconnect with my birth mom, and to this day, it is still one of the best experi- ences of my life. This is probably the most important reason I am committed to the job, and the services we provide. Outside Interests: I am an active soccer player and fan of the sport (Go AJAX and the Netherlands) but beyond passionate about aviation. My aircraft-spotting hobby is to see every airplane built in the world. While the task is impossible, I receive tremen- dous pleasure by planning trips, see as much as I can while on a trip, and go to the next air show or aviation-related event. In my spare time I am an editor for an online database that fellow spotters can use to track their personal sightings. I have made connections all over the world because of this hobby and I have been places just to see even one preserved airplane that most people would never visit. My favorite airplane is the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom. A major goal of mine is to see every preserved aircraft in the United States. With 7,843 of them in existence, I have seen just over 5,400 so I am getting closer to my goal.

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