Features September 2022

When Jill Ibeck joined Jeffco Public Schools in July 2021 as its chief information officer, the COVID-19 pandemic was still in full swing, and the district’s IT strategy was more reactive than proactive. Staff continued following local public health orders and struggled to bring students back into the classroom. Recently, circumstances have been shifting. “We […]

When Mike Towers was first asked to work in information security while with a biopharma company in 2008, he had no idea why. He’d been with the company for more than a decade occupying roles in technology and management. He was experienced with directing strategies for the company but didn’t have military or law enforcement […]

It’s safe to say very few tech leaders have worked in PR at a Pakistani hospital that treated victims of leprosy. But Feroz Merchhiya says it was an invaluable experience in his professional development—and a humbling one at that. “My journey is not a typical journey for someone who ended up in technology,” says Feroz […]

Data is often the lifeblood of a company, meaning it needs to be protected—sometimes even from employees. For instance, lumber company employees working in forests don’t need access to the cost of equipment repairs and customer invoices, though this data is imperative for leadership and accounting. Meanwhile, data-rich organizations like investments banks rely on data […]

Ryan Lee says his IT career has been built on “goal setting with ruthless execution to get there.” However, the affable IT director for KLJ Engineering isn’t the type to trample over people to achieve success. Rather, he’s always identified the skills he needs and found ways to get them. “I always wanted to go […]

When Aaron Fields became chief information officer at St. Ann’s Community, he was excited to be part of an organization founded nearly a century and a half ago. His goal was to keep tradition alive at the New York-based senior housing and health services provider—but interweave it with modern technology. He saw that the care […]

He’s in an advantageous position, albeit one where the rewards might be on hold for just a little while longer. In 2019 Pete Mauro sold his technology consultancy to private equity, which in turn sold last December to a public company. As part of the original deal, Mauro had a non-compete clause which ends in […]

Moving to Nevada a few years ago wasn’t his first choice, but now that Jason O’Connell is back in his native Massachusetts, he appreciates the time he logged as chief information security officer at Affinity Gaming in Las Vegas even more. It made for a relatively seamless transition to his role since last fall as […]

While it’s mostly about the product, the customer experience is important. A smoothie, protein bowl or salad is to be savored, not gulped, at Juice Press. It may taste even better with an agreeable soundtrack.  That’s just one of many amenities Brian Kozlowicz has refined as he nears his second anniversary as JP’s infotech director.   […]

According to the K12 Security Information eXchange, student data is one of the top commodities on the dark web. That’s because it’s not monitored as closely as data generated by adults, giving criminals more time to exploit information including social security numbers and medical histories.  “Students don’t have established credit, so we need to do […]