Colleagues,

I write to share several important updates regarding appointments and unit-level reporting changes within our division. As I shared in a previous message, the departure of Dan Lutz and the move of the television and radio stations to CCIM provided us with an opportunity to examine and reshape some of our services.

In addition to the opportunity provided by Dan’s departure, Fawn, Todd, and I have also invested time in reviewing existing structures and reporting paths in the other IT areas. I know several of you have also provided feedback and suggestions, all of which we have considered, and several ideas from which we have been able to incorporate into the final plan I describe below:

• Tobey Coffman’s title has changed to Executive Director of Information Security and CISO. I am grateful for the ongoing work of Tobey and his team in keeping Ball State University protected from cyber threats. Tobey is a valued member of the IT leadership team, and I appreciate his continued counsel and leadership.
• Todd Meister’s title has changed to Associate Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Enterprise Architect. As Associate Vice President, Todd will oversee the Enterprise Systems area, the Enterprise Information Systems area, the Financial Information Systems and Technology area, and three additional currently unfilled positions: the Director of Enterprise Information Technology Architecture, a CRM Developer, and a CRM Administrator. I am reliant on Todd’s leadership, counsel, and guidance regarding enterprise architecture, and I appreciate his willingness to accept this new and expanded leadership role.
• Fawn Gary will remain as Associate Vice President and oversee Unified Communications Technology, the Enterprise Project Support Office, Enterprise Computing Operations, Unified Technology Support, and University Media Services. I am grateful for Fawn’s leadership and continued dedication to overseeing all of these areas and her willingness to accept additional responsibilities associated with UMS. I also appreciate Alan Gordon’s leadership, and I know he will be an essential member of Fawn’s team.
• Brandon Smith’s title has changed to Executive Director, Digital Corps. Brandon will report directly to me as a member of the IT leadership team. Under Brandon’s outstanding leadership, the Digital Corps has become a pride point not just for Information Technology but for the entire university community. I am grateful for the tremendous work the Digital Corps does in serving the university community and the unique and transformative experience that the Digital Corps has in shaping the students who work there.
• As part of our expanding role for the Digital Corps, I have asked Stuart Sipahigil to join Brandon’s team and continue to serve as the Senior Strategist for Enterprise User Engagement. Stuart brings an incredible set of skills and knowledge around user experience and design to the Digital Corps. I know Stuart will be a critical member of the team and invaluable in helping our Digital Corps students. On several occasions, Stuart has expressed to me that one of his most personally fulfilling roles has been to work with students and see them develop and grow their skills and abilities. I am delighted to offer Stuart the opportunity to move into a role where he can be directly engaged in this work.
• Joey Narramore will continue in her role as Director of Finance and Budgets and Vendor Relations. Deb Leohnard and Karen Fisher will join Joey’s team as direct reports, and Joyce Lewis will continue to report to Deb. As many of you know, managing all of the budgets and finances for Information Technology is enormous and incredibly complex. I appreciate Joey’s dedication and efforts as a member of our leadership team and her enthusiasm in accepting her new duties in vendor relations, which are also ever-expanding.

Please join me in supporting these individuals in their new roles, which are effective today. Where we have made organizational and supervisory changes, I would also ask that you remain flexible and keep open communication with your unit leadership. Our primary mission is to serve our students and the other university units in their roles. Please continue to share your ideas and insights and conspire for each other’s successes in fulfilling our mission.

Thank you for all you continue to do; your work and dedication are greatly appreciated.

Loren