Databus Issue: 2007 2 05/29/2007
President's Message
Carl Fong President
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In the last issue, I mention that “the first of many selected
candidates will start the Chief Technology Officer’s Mentor
Project in February.” Well, they’re off to the races to
discover what the next generation of IT Executives in the K12
community will be like. I use the term IT Executive because
there is no one title that fits what we do. One thing is certain;
these IT Executives will not just be supporting the business
applications, student information systems, or any in-house
developed custom applications. These IT Executives will be
helping to reinvent them. They will become the leaders of
tomorrow.
I read somewhere that, “IT leaders are becoming fullfledged
business strategists.” How true. We no longer just fix computers, install
software, or maintain networks. As current CTO/CIO/IT directors in our educational
communities, we now need to understand the fiscal impact of implementing technology,
the infusion of new technology in our organizations to meet the demands, the security
to protect it and the impact of legislation in our environments. In short, we need to wear
the hats of a chief business officer (CBO), chief technology officer (CTO), chief information
officer (CIO), chief security officer (CSO), and customer service representative
(CSR). But wait, there’s another hat—the chief academic officer (CAO). As current and
future IT executives, we need to understand curriculum requirements and, at the same
time, understand the changing nature of the technology and its potential in this environment.
Opportunities are here with CETPA’s mission, the CTO Mentor Program, the 3C
Council with CoSN, the various partnerships and our conference theme for this year of
“Enabling Opportunity.”
As you read through this issue, I encourage all of you to consider the opportunities
available to you.
