A passion for solving complex challenges motivates this longtime public servant.
Ask Dan Collins about himself, and the first topic is almost always his family. Second is just as likely to be about coaching lacrosse. And then, maybe boating. A 40-year veteran of the public-sector marketplace, Collins tends to downplay his impressive resume.
Still, his background is inspiring, covering a quarter century of leadership roles at IBM and a few forays into tech startups, along with executive posts at several public agencies. Animated by his career experiences as a “player-coach”—and still very much focused on evolving technology—Collins says each career step moved him forward on a path that led to AgileAssets, where he is now the Account Executive for the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic region.
Early Accomplishments Set a Trend of Excellence
After earning a graduate degree in City and Regional Planning from Harvard, Collins led diverse teams at government entities and other organizations along the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. At just 25, he was named General Manager of Streetlighting for New York City. That’s two years younger than Theodore Roosevelt was when he became New York’s police commissioner, Collins points out with a chuckle, “though Teddy went on to do a few other important things with his life.”
For that matter, so did Collins. He served in several other managerial positions at New York’s public works departments and was later Deputy Commissioner of Information Services for the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. Even at IBM, he was dedicated to serving public-sector customers.
“I have a deep passion for solving challenges in public policy and operations at the state and big-city level,” says Collins. “I also have a longstanding interest in systems that relate to transportation and infrastructure.” Little wonder, then, that he now channels his passion toward helping agencies identify and implement solutions to complex challenges in transportation infrastructure asset management.
“I’ve been fortunate to have worked for agencies of all types and sizes in my career,” he says. “At AgileAssets, my goal is to help coach our clients through whatever challenges they’re facing.”
With a Coach’s Insight, Collins Looks to the Future
Collins takes a values-driven approach to his career responsibilities. “As a coach, I focus on teamwork, cooperation, and collaboration,” he says. “These are the same values AgileAssets upholds, and the reason I’m energized by the many opportunities to serve the transportation industry.”
AgileAssets Director of Sales Greg Earp admires Collins’ deep expertise and commitment to customer success. “Dan’s breadth of experience, from policy and planning to IT implementation and oversight, gives AgileAssets clients valuable perspective—and the confidence to make informed decisions about their asset management solutions,” Earp notes.
Collins reflects on his decades-long career journey as he looks toward the future. “After 40 years in this industry, it’s clear to me that asset management technology is a key component to running any transportation agency effectively and responsibly,” he says. “The best part is, the industry is poised for new leaps in innovation: Artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and virtual reality will eventually come together to give the public sector even more robust capabilities.”
Learn More
Learn more about how Collins and his teammates are bringing value to AgileAssets clients in the article, 3 Regional Account Executives Join AgileAssets.