2019 IT Vanguard Award Honorees

Jen Holtvluwer

May 23, 2019

Introducing the 2019 IT Vanguard Honorees: The Unsung Heroes of Customer Experience

Meet the IT Vanguards who are challenging the status quo, using innovative IT network and enterprise communications technology to improve the customer experience.

As technology continues to reshape our world, delivering amazing customer experiences is the present and future of successful business operations—and IT network and communications teams stand to play an integral role.

Organizations need forward-thinking IT leaders at the helm of those teams to successfully adopt new, innovative technologies to continuously improve the customer experience; leaders who are willing to go beyond legacy processes and technologies to find creative, fit-for-purpose solutions. And as it so happens, there are plenty of IT leaders already blazing this kind of trail—and we wanted to recognize them.

Earlier this year, we launched the inaugural IT Vanguard Awards recognition program. Today, we’re proud to announce our 2019 honorees. This group of inspiring individuals from a range of IT network and communications backgrounds and a variety of industries, are reshaping the customer experience and the future of IT.

Learn more about each of our winners at ITVanguardAwards.com and read their advice for driving transformation within your organization.

The Vanguards Who Are Shaping the Future of IT
We received countless outstanding nominations for our inaugural 2019 IT Vanguard Awards program. After a careful review of every nomination, 11 talented leaders were selected for this year’s honors. These IT network and enterprise communications leaders are delivering more business value, improving experiences for end-users, and meeting the unique needs of their businesses:

PJ Way          
Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Northland Pioneer College
Follow PJ on Linkedin.

Thomas McCarthy
Director of Network Operations, Transit Wireless
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Don Otto                        
Director of Computer and Network Services, Ridley School District
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Neelam Saini
IT Business Relationship Manager, Technology Services and Solutions, County of Santa Clara
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Kevin Uren
Director of Infrastructure Solutions for Ellucian, College of Southern Nevada
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Christopher J. Chagnon
IT Service Management Architect and Ph.D. Student
Follow Christopher on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Denise LeFevre
Chief Information Officer, Oroville Hospital
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Arne Saustrup
Senior Manager, IT Operations and Networking, Alamo Community Colleges

Derrick A. Butts, CISSP, ITILv3
Chief Information and Cybersecurity Officer, Truth Initiative
Follow Derrick on Linkedin.

Michel Davidoff
Chief Infrastructure Officer, California State University, Office of the Chancellor
Follow Michel on LinkedIn.

Jim Whalen
Traffic Operation Technology Manager, Nevada Department of Transportation
Follow Jim on LinkedIn.

Visit ITVanguardAwards.com to learn more about this year’s class of honorees, why they were selected, and their top tips for driving better business and customer experience outcomes.