Strategic Planning Teams

Team membership

For this IT strategic planning effort, the core, support and advisory teams play a pivotal role, bringing together a diverse array of perspectives that drive innovation and foster resilience. Emphasizing collaboration and actively seeking community input, these teams harness the collective wisdom of the Illinois, higher education and IT communities, ensuring that the strategic plan is not only robust and forward-thinking, but also deeply rooted in the shared values and aspirations of the community.

Core team

The core team team is responsible for gathering essential information, guiding the development of the plan and overseeing its execution.

Members include:

  • Laura Herriott – associate director for research consulting, National Center for Supercomputing Applications. Illinois
  • Jim Hurst – executive director of Engineering IT, The Grainger College of Engineering. Illinois
  • Ryan Ladd – associate director of IT strategic planning and portfolio management, Office of the CIO. Illinois
  • Tracy Smith – deputy CIO of innovation and technology strategy, Office of the CIO. Illinois
  • Candice Solomon-Strutz – director of IT services, College of Applied Health Sciences. Illinois
  • Mary Stevens – technology architect, Office of the CIO. Illinois

Support team

The support team provides day-to-day operations for the effort including project management, facilitation, business analysis and communications.

Members include:

  • Troy Gagne – associate director of service and process management, Office of the CIO. Illinois
  • Ginger Hundgen – lead business process improvement analyst, Office of the CIO. Illinois
  • Stephen Kemp – assistant director of organizational consulting, Strategic Project Management Office. Illinois
  • Todd Nelson – lead project manager, Office of the CIO. Illinois
  • Jyotika Sirohi – senior project manager, Office of the CIO. Illinois
  • Rob Watson – assistant director of communications and marketing, Office of the CIO. Illinois

Advisory team

The advisory team, comprised of IT and higher education professionals both within and outside the university, provides critical input in their areas of expertise.

Members include:

  • Joe Barnes – chief digital risk officer, Digital Risk Office. University of Illinois System
  • Michel Bellini – associate professor, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and director, Center for Innovation in Teaching & Learning. Illinois
  • Kelly Block – senior associate vice president and CIO, Administrative Information Technology Services. University of Illinois System
  • Lois Brooks – vice provost and CIO. University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Amy Clay – teaching assistant professor and Faculty IT Senate member, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. Illinois
  • Amy Edwards – assistant provost and director, Division of Management Information. Illinois
  • Steve Fleagle – associate vice president and CIO. University of Iowa
  • Jeff Fox – CIO, College of Veterinary Medicine. Illinois
  • Ingrid Fulmer – professor and advisor, Office of the Provost. Illinois
  • Katherine Galvin – director of programs. Big Ten Academic Alliance
  • Bill Gropp – director, National Center for Supercomputing Applications. Illinois
  • Bernie Gulachek – vice president and CIO. University of Minnesota
  • Patty Jones – assistant vice chancellor for research and innovation compliance, Office for the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation. Illinois
  • Robin Kaler – associate chancellor for strategic communications and marketing, Office of the Chancellor. Illinois
  • Cindy Leavitt – vice president and CIO. The Ohio State University
  • Jessica Li – associate dean for research, College of Education, director of the Bureau of Educational Research, and professor of human resource development, Department of Educational Policy, Organization and Leadership, College of Education. Illinois
  • Tulio Llosa – associate provost and CIO. University of Illinois-Springfield
  • Brad Mahaffey – director for enterprise infrastructure, Office of the CIO. Illinois
  • Becky McNaught – executive director for project management & business service quality, Office of Strategic Project Management. Illinois
  • Shari Mickey-Boggs – senior associate chancellor for human resources, Illinois HR. Illinois
  • Kevin Morooney – vice president of trust & identity and NET+ programs. Internet2
  • Anita Nikolich – director of research and technology innovation and research scientist, School of Information Sciences. Illinois
  • John O’Brien – president and CEO. EDUCAUSE
  • Staci Provezis – associate provost for planning & assessment, Office of the Provost. Illinois
  • James Quisenberry – executive director for Student Affairs Technology and CIO, Student Affairs. Illinois
  • Paul Redman – executive associate provost for budget & resource planning, Office of the Provost. Illinois
  • Sean Reynolds – vice president for IT and CIO. Northwestern
  • Matt Riley – associate vice chancellor and CIO, Technology Solutions. University of Illinois-Chicago
  • Dominic Saebeler – senior associate director of the Information Trust Institute, The Grainger College of Engineering. Illinois
  • Claire Stewart – dean of Libraries and university librarian, University Library. Illinois
  • Bill Sullivan – professor and director of the Smart, Healthy Communities Initiative, Office of the Provost. Illinois
  • Sandra Thompson – associate director of cybersecurity program administration, Office of the CIO. Illinois
  • Chris Tidrick – senior director of information technology and CIO, Gies College of Business. Illinois
  • Tracy Tolliver – director of Library Information Technology, University Library. Illinois
  • John Towns – deputy director, National Center for Supercomputing Applications. Illinois
  • Nick Vance – assistant director of data innovation, Office of the CIO. Illinois