Thomas Flagg is the Director of IT Operations and Services within the Department of Labor (DOL). He went above and beyond in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by quickly creating IT solutions that allowed staff to continue their mission critical work, regardless of the circumstance. He led his team in supporting the workforce with poise and compassion in an everchanging environment. In unprecedented times, he provided guidance and resources for employees that was tangible and easy to use so that they could continue to sustain critical public services for America’s workers.

 

Thomas’ efforts enabled the Department to stay ahead of the curve and respond to changing demands throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Some key successes included implementing procedures to address Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card expirations, which affect network security. This included proactive outreach to customers with expiring PIV cards, enabling digital signature capabilities on all laptops to facilitate paperless processing, and improving the VPN to make remote connections faster for average daily users.Thomas led a campaign that revolved around virtual onboarding and offboarding of staff for nearly 5,000 employees in FY21, launched a collaborative workspace tool (Microsoft Teams), and improved Virtual Private Network (VPN) connections at a critical juncture. 

 

As a result of Thomas’s efforts, 95% of non-essential staff maintained a telework posture with uninterrupted delivery of services while keeping cybersecurity a top priority. These initiatives also reduced the use of paper in support of the Paperwork Reduction Act and allowed for more innovative processes for the everyday workforce.  He made certain Department of Labor staff felt prepared and able to continue mission critical work in support of the American workforce.