Mark Drapeau is the Epitome of Government 2.0

by Ari Herzog on January 28, 2009 · 12 comments

Mark Drapeau is the epitome of Government 2.0 and I am sorry I thought anything contrary.

Five months ago, I saw Mark’s name for the first time after reading his debut Mashable article providing an insider’s perspective to government.

Mark is an Associate Research Fellow at the National Defense University’s Center for Technology and National Security Policy in Washington.

While I enjoyed reading the article, I thought less of him and responded on my blog with harsh words and questioned his motives.

I’m sorry, Mark.

In the months since, I’ve come to respect Mark as a guiding light that other federal government managers should emulate. He understands the intersection of technology and policy and he speaks with an authority that is commendable.

His subsequent probing Mashable contributions aside, I’ve particularly enjoyed conversing with Mark (usually in private, direct messages) on Twitter under his moniker @cheeky_geeky.

Earlier this month, Mark wrote an eye-opening op-ed at PBS’ MediaShift blog projecting into ways social media can transform government collaborative models and empower individuals to take action.

Every citizen now has the potential to be a collector, an analyst, a reporter, and a publisher — and so does every government employee. Engaging, trusted personalities employed as brand ambassadors will complement — not replace — traditional public affairs and government outreach.

Depending on their agency or office’s mission and goals, individuals can follow customized strategies to engage specific niches of the public at events, in interviews, and through constant, pervasive use of new and emerging media tools.

Did I mention Mark’s single? Another great piece at that link that delves into Dr. Drapeau beyond his social media passions.

As Jake Houseman told Johnny at the end of Dirty Dancing, “When I’m wrong, I say I’m wrong.”

I was wrong to say Mark was confused about social media. He knows more than me, and I look forward to learning more from him–and collaborating with the biological scientist–down the road.

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Comments:

{ 6 trackbacks }

adrielhampton (Adriel Hampton): January 28, 2009 at 9:53 AM
cheeky_geeky (Dr. Mark Drapeau): January 28, 2009 at 9:58 AM
planetrussell (Michael J. Russell): January 28, 2009 at 11:13 AM
Posts about Mashable as of January 28, 2009 » The Daily Parr: January 28, 2009 at 12:42 PM
NicolePRexec (NicoleN): January 29, 2009 at 9:46 AM
Tonight on DC’s NewsChannel 8: Government 2.0 — evolution or revolution « DorobekInsider.com: February 4, 2009 at 4:23 AM

{ 6 comments }

1 Adriel Hampton January 28, 2009 at 9:48 AM Twitter: @adrielhampton: Wow, two mending fences posts on the same page! Mark actually is a genius, but sometimes it’s easy to take him lightly because he also has so much fun in social media. When I start doing that, I think, “What must people thing of me!” Great citation on the valuable contributions @cheeky_geeky is making.

Adriel Hampton´s last blog post..Authenticated Twitter Accounts are a Great Monetization Strategy
2 meznor January 28, 2009 at 10:17 AM Twitter: @meznor: hahaha

I agree 100%… and I love this blog entry!
3 Mike Russell January 28, 2009 at 10:54 AM Twitter: @planetrussell: The cigar clinches it for me.

Looks like that might be Shelly’s at 13th and F (http://www.shellysdc.com) from the in-wall humidors.

Any dime-a-dozen Fauxcial Media poser can blather on about “authentic transparency” and “personal brands” (cue sound of snoring), but it takes a Renaissance man to write about them with competency …and, say, a Montecristo #2 and a Lagavulin single-malt.

Happiness? A good cigar, a good meal, a good cigar and a good woman – or a bad woman; it depends on how much happiness you can handle.
—George Burns
4 Mark Drapeau January 28, 2009 at 10:59 AM: Good journalism skills. That is Shelly’s. It was a Padron 6000 Torpedo and a Knob Creek on the rocks. You know, in case anyone ever sees me out and wants to kiss up to me…
5 Ari Herzog January 28, 2009 at 4:01 PM Twitter: @ariherzog: I dunno, Mark, I don’t smoke cigars so not sure I’ll see you there… I bet Mike will, though.
6 Christopher Dorobek January 29, 2009 at 9:32 AM: Kudos to you Ari. How refreshing.
I certainly try not to question people’s motives. Generally, motives are too difficult to assess — and I’ve done enough therapy in my life to know that healthy people have boundaries because it allows us to define what is ours — and what isn’t. In general, I don’t really care about motives. I care about the results.

To that end, Mark Drapeau is a simply remarkable thinker on this subject. I don’t always agree with him, but he is definitely one of the preeminent government 2.0 thinkers out there. Keep up the good work Mark… and keep up the good work Ari.

Christopher Dorobek´s last blog post..NAPA’s Collaboration Project helps with government 2.0 policy and legal issues — highlighting the problems and starting the work on solutions