Broward Schools Superintendent Frank Till has started looking for help to run the school district's troubled technology department, but says there is no reason to replace the department's current management.

One early candidate is Conrad DeLetis, a Davie retiree and philanthropist who worked at IBM for 30 years.

Till told School Board members at a workshop Tuesday that DeLetis contacted him recently about helping the department. In late May, Till promised to hire an individual or consulting firm after an internal audit criticized the department for mismanagement.

The internal audit followed a $35,000 report by another outside consultant, The Gartner Group. Its review criticized the technology department as being too focused on technology and vendors rather than students' needs.

Board member Lois Wexler said she's tired of hiring more consultants. She said DeLetis could help, though she hoped Till has conducted a wide search.

''Did he shop around and see what's out there?'' Wexler asked.

Board member Stephanie Kraft supports hiring an outside consultant, but she's unhappy with how Till is handling it.

''I'm very concerned there is no process here,'' Kraft said. ``The superintendent is hiring someone without a formal process. The guy might be the best guy in the world, but that's not how we do things.''

DeLetis, 64, works with the school district on a program he founded last year to help elementary students and their siblings in the Pembroke Park and Davie area.

Through DeLetis Scholars, he plans to give students a college scholarship and a computer, as well as advice, if they work hard throughout their school years.

DeLetis moved to Florida two years ago after retiring, and started the program as ''a way to get connected,'' he said.

One of his most recent jobs was working as a consultant for TWA in 1997 to make the airline's computers Y2K compliant. His previous full-time job was vice president of information systems for Santa Clara, Calif.-based National Semiconductor.

''He's the most hands-on mentor I know,'' Syd Shermett, the school district's coordinator of youth mentor programs, said of his scholarship program.

DeLetis would not speak in detail about how he might help the technology department because he doesn't have the consulting position yet.

Till has said any consultant would help Associate Superintendent Everett Abney and technology director Isadore Mason run the department, but wouldn't replace them.

''I'm looking for someone, or a group of people, who can offer short-term resources,'' Till said. ``Depending on the level of expertise, it could be one person.''

The superintendent wants to have someone in place before August. Till said DeLetis volunteered his services free, though the job would be paid with a short-term contract, the superintendent said.

A fee of $50,000 was mentioned Tuesday, though no price has been set.

The technology department has been plagued by a number of lapses, most notably a new $18 million human resources computer system that has caused thousands of employees to be overpaid, underpaid or not paid all.

Till said he told board members Tuesday about his consulting plans in order to give them a heads-up.

Miami Herald

-- Anonymous, July 01, 2002