Company: CDW Government, Inc. Vernon Hills, IL
Company Description: A wholly owned subsidiary of CDW Corp. (NASDAQ: CDWC), a FORTUNE 500 company, CDW Government (CDW-G) is a trusted technology advisor to federal, state and local government agencies, as well as to educational institutions at all levels. CDW·G offers best-in-class technology products and services from top-name brands such as APC, Cisco, HP, IBM, Microsoft, Sony, Symantec, Toshiba and ViewSonic.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Executive

Nomination Title: James R. Shanks, Executive Vice President of CDW Corporation, Inc. and President of CDW Government, Inc.

   1. Tell the story about what this nominee achieved in 2004 (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

As an executive vice president of CDW Corporation and the president of CDW
Government, Inc. (CDW-G), Shanks leads the senior management team, making
strategic decisions regarding the operational approach and direction of the
government and education-focused organization.  Shanks’ leadership style is
mentoring and supportive, fostering an environment where talented team members
grow their potential and exceed expectations.  Beyond the success of his own
organization, however, Shanks also lends his knowledge to help resolve customer
technology challenges and promote improvements.

Contributing to Government-Industry Relationships

Shanks has helped agencies and their industry partners address complex
regulatory issues surrounding IT initiatives in the Federal government.  Most
notably, he built win-win partnerships with small businesses by expanding the
CDW-G Small Business Partner Consortium.  The consortium, with nearly 20
member companies, enables small and disadvantaged businesses to compete
effectively for Federal contracts.  Additionally, it ensures that Federal
agencies are getting competitively priced technology products and services, as well as superior customer support while meeting Federal contracting requirements.  This
organization has had tangible results, empowering smaller companies such as
Betis Group, Inc. and NCI Information Systems, Inc. (NCI) to amplify their
offerings and capture major defense contracts.
 
Recognizing Challenges in the IT Market

Engaging with the government at a strategic level to create solutions to pressing
technology problems, Shanks and other CDW-G executives recently
commissioned a study on agency compliance with Federal requirements to extend
teleworking to 100 percent of eligible employees.  While the CDW-G Federal
Telework Report focused on personnel and technology obstacles, it also
highlighted potential policy conflicts between legislative mandates for telework
and Federal information security requirements.  This report provides visibility and
actionable recommendations for agency executives focused on solving the
problem.

Connecting with Government IT Executives

Shanks has launched and managed the development of media channels for
government IT executives to share best practices, learn about new commercial
practices, and stimulate debate within the industry.  CDW-G’s three magazines,
State Tech, Ed Tech and Fed Tech, are published quarterly and have more than
250,000 qualified subscribers.

Helping Coworkers Exceed Expectations

Shanks wholeheartedly believes in creating an environment where workers can
succeed while experiencing personal growth.  This philosophy is reflected
throughout CDW-G, which has been recognized in FORTUNE 100 Best Places to
Work for seven years straight.  Shanks – and everyone at CDW-G – identifies
every employee as a “coworker” to build a sense of community and allow talented
people to express ideas.  In an environment where coworkers are empowered to
take risks, approximately 75 percent of coworkers receive bonuses tied to specific
performance measures, and tenured coworkers receive vacation trips when
company goals are met.

Financial Success

Shanks’ influence on CDW-G’s growth and overall success is evident when looking at the company’s financial results.  Since his appointment to president of CDW-G,
public sector sales have increased more than 95 percent, from 2001 sales of $681
million to 2004 sales of $1.33 billion.

   2. List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: List each link on a separate line, begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.website.com]:

Biography

http://www.cdwg.com/webcontent/insideg/people/bios.asp?n=shanks
CDW Announces Executive Promotions to Position Itself for Future Growth
(04/16/2001)
http://www.cdw.com/webcontent/inside/press/2001/press0416.asp

Industry Accomplishments

Government Information Technology Executive Council (GITEC) Executive Advisory
Committee Member
http://www.gitec.org/index2.htm
http://www.gitec.org/shanks.htm

Industry Magazines

Fed Tech Magazine
http://fedtech.texterity.com/home/
CDW-G Debuts Fed Tech Magazine for Federal Technology Executives
(03/23/2004)
http://www.cdwg.com/webcontent/InsideG/press/pressG032304c.asp
Ed Tech Magazine
http://edtech.texterity.com/home/
Ed Tech Magazine Debuts for K-12 Education Leaders
http://www.cdwg.com/webcontent/InsideG/press/press033103.asp
State Tech Magazine
http://statetech.texterity.com/home/

CDW-G Small Business Consortium

CDW-G Expands Small Business Consortium to Serve State, Local and
Education Customers (05/10/2004)
http://www.cdwg.com/webcontent/InsideG/press/pressG051004.asp
CDW-G Issues RFP Seeking SMB Partners for Federal Contracts (03/24/2004)
http://www.cdwg.com/webcontent/InsideG/press/pressG032304d.asp
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Gets Big Results From CDW-G Small
Business Consortium (02/24/2004)
http://www.cdwg.com/webcontent/InsideG/press/press022504.asp

CDW-G Telework Study

CDW-G Federal Telework Report Reveals Roadblocks to Broader Telework
Adoption (01/31/2005)
http://www.cdwg.com/webcontent/InsideG/press/pressG013105.asp
Government Executive – Telework Participation Still Lags Behind Interest
(01/31/2005)
http://govexec.com/daileyfed/0105/013105p1.htm
Federal Times – Few Employees Given Chance to Work From Home: Survey
Shows Little Knowledge of Opportunities (01/31/2005)
http://federaltimes.com/index.php?S=624543

Coworker Environment

Fortune Magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For
http://www.fortune.com/fortune/bestcompanies
Fortune Magazine’s 100 Most Admired Companies
http://www.fortune.com/fortune/mostadmired/
Washington Business Journal – Sweeten the Deal (02/07/2005)
http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2005/02/07/smallb1.html
Herndon Times – Herndon: A Great Place to Work (01/19/2005)
http://www.timescommunity.com/site/tab5.cfm?newsid=13777941&BRD=2553&PAG=461&dept_id=511691&rfi=6

Other Business Successes

CDW-G to Sell Apple Products Through SEWP Contract (03/23/2004)
http://www.cdwg.com/webcontent/InsideG/press/pressG032304a.asp
CDW-G Named as Preferred Reseller of Smart Card Technology to Department of
Defense (03/23/2004)
http://www.cdwg.com/webcontent/InsideG/press/pressG032304b.asp
CDW-G Builds Momentum in Federal Sector With ECS, GSA and SEWP
Contracts (03/11/2004)
http://www.cdwg.com/webcontent/InsideG/press/pressG031104.asp
CDW-G Acquires Assets of T3 Corporation's Scientific Information Technology
Products Division (02/05/2004)
http://www.cdwg.com/webcontent/InsideG/press/press020504.asp

   3. Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about this nominee:

James R. Shanks is president of CDW-G and executive vice president of CDW
Corporation, Inc. (CDW), a FORTUNE 500 company.  Shanks leads the CDW-G senior management team and oversees the company’s strategic direction.  Prior
to his current role, Shanks served as CDW CIO from 1998 until 2001 and was one of the original architects of the company’s e-commerce strategy.  A technologist
by training, Shanks leverages his in-depth technology knowledge and experience
to recognize IT challenges from the customer’s perspective.  In addition, Shanks
shares this insight through industry committees such as the Government
Information Technology Executive Council (GITEC).