On the left, Rick Pastore of CIO Magazine honors Nancy Cox of Intel and Dennis Sato of Salem Hospital
as winner and runner-up of Portland's IT Executive of the Year (Private Sector).
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2005 Portland IT Executives of the Year
March 10, 2005
On March 10, 2005, the Portland Society for Information Management (SIM) presented their annual Portland IT Executive of the Year Awards in conjunction with the Oregon InnoTech - the region's largest gathering of IT executives, educators & vendors. The InnoTech/SIM awards ceremony was held at the Portland Convention Center, and it was attended by over one hundred area IT professionals. Andrew Wihtol, principal at Andrew Associates served as the master of ceremonies of the event.
As the premier network for senior IT executives and thought leaders, SIM recognizes the efforts of local IT executives to innovate and contribute to their organizations. These recipients have demonstrated the implementation of innovative technology, active participation in enhancing his/her organization’s competitive advantage, and leadership in the IT community.
The keynote speaker for this year's event was Rick Pastore, Editor of CIO Magazine. He discussed the latest characteristics and qualities which seem to make the perfect CIO.
The Oregon InnoTech is a private conference and exhibition built for Business and Technology Executives, guided and directed by local Executives. The intention is to provide the most comprehensive and collaborative Information Technology event for the regions leading executives in a two-day format. InnoTech directed by the region's most distinguished business and technology leaders (who form InnoTech's Advisory Council) and significant technology related organizations.
The primary sponsors of the event were FORTiX, Computer Associates, ACS, Intel, and Time Warner Telecom. Two major awards were presented: the Portland IT Executive of the Year - Private Sector and the Portland IT Executive of the Year - Public Sector.
Nancy Cox, Oregon Site IT Manager of Intel, named Portland IT Executive of the Year (Private Sector)
Intel Oregon's "wireless warrior" led the charge to make all of Intel's Oregon facilities wireless, despite 2004 being a year of drastic budget cuts and belt tightening at the semiconductor leviathan.
Nancy Cox, Oregon site manager of the information services and technology group, was responsible for negotiating budget and service levels as the buildings were switched to wireless technology, and she also oversaw the building of infrastructure to support the wireless effort.
"Nancy has led a host of programs to improve and increase wireless usage by way of upgrading notebooks, proliferating instant messaging and championing home wireless usage," said Luis Gimenez, Intel's Americas region information services and technology group manager.
Wireless computing is more than just a cool extra at Intel. The initiatives launched by Cox are driving down spending on printers, copiers, and expensive conference room projectors Direct savings at Intel's Oregon sites totaled $4 million over two years.
Technology, however, isn't just hardware for Cox at Intel.
The company has a stated goal of improving customer service and business relationships. As a part of that effort, Cox developed a four-course program to improve the so-called soft skills of Intel employees. Cox created interactive workshops customized for information technology personnel that incorporates sales and negotiation tactics to teach improved relationship skills.
Cox has put those lessons to use in her role as the public face of information technology at Intel Oregon. She travels to each campus on a regular basis for monthly IT performance reviews and feedback.
But in January 2004, a travel issue of another kind posed a challenge for Cox and her team. The ice storm presented Intel Oregon with the biggest business continuity challenge it has ever faced. Instead of forcing essential employees to hazard the treacherous roads, Cox's planning efforts allowed most Intel workers to put in productive days from the comfort and safety of their homes.
Needless to say, information technology is a key function at Intel, where it is judged by the competitive advantage it provides to the corporation.
"Nancy has been a leader at the local level to advance Oregon's IT stature by providing a testing ground for new technology, while being careful not to interfere with the productivity of our workforce," Gimenez said.
Cox also brings an "infectious" sense of humor to a job not usually associated with high-jinx. Described as the "heart and soul" of the Oregon IT organization, Cox earned a place in company lore by sumo-wrestling with the vice presidents and giving an operations review to the tune of "The Impossible Dream."
Dennis Sato, IT Manager of Salem Hospital was named runner-up for the award. Sato partnered with hospital CEO and president Norman Gruber to develop an integrated strategic plan for the IT operation. The cornerstone of Sato's efforts was Salem Hospital's clinical information system which includes a clinical data repository, pharmacy functions, clinical documentation, order entry, and a computerized physician order entry function.
Mark Gregory, Information Officer, Portland State University, named Portland IT Executive of the Year (Public Sector)
Facing a severe budget crunch, Oregon's universities have had to scramble for ways to stay competitive and grow while keeping a lid on costs.
At Portland State University, Chief Information Officer Mark Gregory has been at the forefront of that effort through his work automating processes with the goal of encouraging growth without spending big bucks.
Gregory, who has been CIO since 2000, has faced these challenges while PSU grew 43 percent to become Oregon's largest university.
His efforts have been focused on creating self-service online tools for functions such as bill payment, registration, financial aid applications, course catalogues, grading, human resources, long-distance education, student voting, research computing, and library access.
In a way, Gregory has demonstrated that it's possible to do more with less people if information technology can pick up the slack.
For example, Gregory's team developed an automated, Web-based degree-advising system that allows students to quickly determine if course-work they are transferring from other schools or classes they are taking at PSU will allow the student to meet degree goals.
PSU is now considering sharing the technology with community colleges so those students can ensure that courses they take will transfer to the university.
Another initiative Gregory launched is PSU's on-line grading process. University faculty submit grades through a secure on-line server, and those grades are then posted to a secure Web interface for students to view. Grades now get to students more quickly and costs are reduced by eliminating the need to produce and mail reports.
The CIO also has been a leading advocate on campus for expanding the information technology assets available to PSU students. The university is building 12 specialized computer labs and a large open access computer lab that will be available around the clock for students.
"Students also are well served when they leave the labs," said Ann Harris of the university's office of information technology. Harris nominated Gregory for the award.
PSU's 40,000 account holders have access to a full suite of campus-licensed software, and high capacity e-mail, file storage, and Web space.
Because of Gregory's proactive role in helping the university deal with many challenges, he has raised the profile of information technology professionals throughout the university. "IT staff are now regularly involved in campus initiatives like new buildings, site acquisitions, community college partnerships, and enrollment planning," Harris said.
Gregory also has played a highly visible role in IT circles beyond campus confines.
Curt Pederson, Vice Provost IS of Oregon State University was named runner-up for the award. Pederson made huge strides for the University through his efforts to effectively utilize a dark fiber regional network and by being an advocate for the state's Open Source Lab.
Portland InnoTech Focused on IT Educational Offerings
The educational programs at InnoTech are designed to meet the needs of IT Leaders, providing the latest information that companies need to make solid and sound technology decisions. InnoTech presents a wide variety of speaking opportunities across the technology themes that are relevant to the region. By design, the educational programs provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and networking peer-to-peer.
Industry experts who present at Innotech are widely regarded in the IT community. The goal of the InnoTech educational program is to feature speakers who are objective and dynamic, and who will work with the InnoTech team to most effectively educate the regional IT leaders. InnoTech educational program attendees expect a technology focus and are highly critical of speakers who lapse into product promotion.
