State Dept. brings new innovation adviser on board

The State Department is bolstering its use of social media with the appointment of a new senior adviser on innovation to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

One Economy co-founder Alec Ross, whose nonprofit organization brings technology to low-income people, starts at the State Department on Monday, The Washington Post reported. As a senior adviser for the State Department, he's charged with using technology to enhance the department's diplomatic missions in areas such as health care, poverty, and human rights.

Internet diplomacy is nothing new in Washington, but the Obama administration has put more emphasis on the potential to increase public dialogue through the Internet.

Ross served as an adviser to the Obama transition team on the technology, innovation, and government reform policy working group, which was led in part by Julius Genachowski, President Obama's choice to chair the Federal Communications Commission. As executive vice president for external affairs at One Economy, he coordinated efforts between the private sector, government, and nonprofits to achieve the organization's mission. He also led the organization's public policy initiatives, which focus on federal and local laws and regulatory issues regarding technology and telecommunications in low-income communities.