The Center for Technology Leadership (CTL) will be holding the Leadership and the Higher Education CIO and Technology Leadership: A Foundation for Aspiring Chief Information Officers courses at the Hampton Inn in Albany in October.

Accommodation

Located just minutes from Albany International Airport (ALB), the Hampton Inn offers free wireless Internet, a 24-hour fitness center, and daily breakfast buffet. The hotel also offers a free shuttle to/from the airport – this transportation can be arranged at time of check in.

CTL has negotiated a discounted guest room rate of $139 per night.

To make a reservation, please contact the Hampton Inn directly and reference Excelsior College.

• U.S. toll free: 1-800-HAMPTON

Hampton Inn - Albany-Wolf Road (Airport)
10 Ulenski Drive
Albany, NY 12205

Travel and Transportation

Airport

The Hampton Inn Albany-Wolf Rd (Airport) is located just 2 miles (5 minutes) from the Albany International Airport (ALB). 

At the airport you will find Capitaland Taxi located just outside the baggage claim area on the first floor. Capitaland Taxi Airport Dispatch is available by calling: 518-242-4222.

Automobile

Should you choose to drive, the hotel offers free parking. You may find it helpful to use Google Maps for directions.

Public Transit

The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) offers an easy and inexpensive way to travel around the Capital Region. Bus schedules and routes are available on the CTDA Web site.

Primary Instructors

Technology Leadership: A Foundation for Aspiring CIOs

Sharon E. Blanton is a higher education leader with over 25 years experience designing, developing, and managing information technology and instructional technology solutions. Currently the CIO at Portland State University, she previously served as CIO for the Pima Community College District and Scottsdale Community College. A Frye Fellow, Sharon is very active in EDUCAUSE and has served on the board/steering committees for organizations such as the Arizona Educational Media Association, Northwest Academic Computing Consortium (NWACC), Organization for Educational Technology and Curriculum (OETC), and WCET.

Sharon holds a PhD in Higher Education Administration from Capella University, a M.Ed in Instructional Technology from the University of Virginia, and a BA in Instructional Technology and Mass Communication from Towson University

Leadership and the Chief Information Officer

As executive director for the Center for Technology Leadership, Wayne Brown is responsible for providing organizational leadership, overseeing the development and delivery of onsite and distance learning courses, managing and developing partnerships, and identifying new services related to participant success. In his previous position as vice president for information technology for Excelsior College, Wayne was responsible for the leadership and management of the information technology department. Prior to joining Excelsior College, Wayne held the position of executive vice president for administration and chief information officer (CIO) for Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kansas.

Wayne served more than 20 years in the United States Air Force where he rose in rank from airman basic to captain and held the positions of CIO, director of medical logistics, and instructor supervisor for computer-based training and video-training development. Wayne is also the founder of the Center for Higher Education Chief Information Officer Studies Inc. (CHECS)

Wayne holds a PhD in Computing Technology in Education from Nova Southeastern University and a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in computer information systems from Wayland Baptist University, Plainview, Texas. His research interests include CIO effectiveness and IT organizational structure.

The following faculty have contributed to these courses:

Timothy M. Chester is chief information officer at the University of Georgia. In this capacity, he is responsible for the strategic direction and management of the University's information technology, institutional effectiveness and research, and strategic planning organizations. He also works closely with the provost and senior leadership to promote student administrative services, support faculty research, and facilitate the University's strategic planning processes. Dr. Chester is an author and advocate regarding leadership strategy and promoting organizational change for information technology organizations in higher education. He also has extensive experience with application integration in complex enterprise environments and the implementation of technology services for international campuses and emergency operations. His writings and commentary are numerous and have been published by the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, CIO Magazine, Campus Technology, and EDUCAUSE Quarterly.

Larry Haffner is the chief policy analyst at Webster University. In his previous position as chief information officer, Larry was responsible for all aspects of technology across more than 100 domestic and international sites, including enterprise information systems, networking, and technical services and architecture, desktop support, instructional lab support, media center operations, technology help desk and training, IT policy, and information security. Larry joined Webster University almost eight years ago as its first CIO and has held positions in higher education technology over the past three decades. He has served in a variety of academic and administrative staff positions across seven different institutions, including previous CIO positions at Fairmont State University and McKendree University. Larry has also taught both sociology and computer science at a number of institutions. A research sociologist by training, Haffner has an associate degree from Lindsey Wilson College, a bachelor of arts from Campbellsville University and a master of arts from Western Kentucky University. He also completed extensive doctoral work in sociology at the University of Iowa and in higher education leadership at West Virginia University.

Mary Lou Hines Fritts is currently the CIO and vice provost – academic programs at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where she also holds a faculty position and is an associate vice president at the UM System level. She has been part of the higher education community for over 25 years, starting as a computer science faculty member and then moving through various administrative positions to her current position. Her current portfolio includes, besides information services, eLearning initiatives, institutional research, international academic programs, study abroad, and classroom technology services.

She holds a PhD, MS, and BS from Kansas State University all in computer science. She grew up in Wyoming, and has three outstanding grandchildren.

George Kahkedjian's academic background includes a BS in Computer Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY), an MA from St. Joseph College (CT), and an MPA from the University of Connecticut where he is also ABD in Political Science. George was an EDUCAUSE Jane N. Ryland Fellow in 1998. He has taught numerous courses and delivered training to community members, teachers, undergraduate students, graduate students, and international professionals from several different countries. He has led training programs in Kenya and in Tanzania and provided consulting to domestic and foreign organizations.

George joined Maricopa County Community College District as the vice chancellor for IT in August of 2010. Previously, he served as the vice chancellor/CIO at the Connecticut State University System (CSUS) from 2007 to 2010 by providing leadership through coordination, facilitation, and information technology oversight for the four-university system. Previous to system level positions, George held several leadership roles at the University of Connecticut, served as the vice president for IT at Columbus State Community College, and as the CIO at Eastern Connecticut State University. George has proudly mentored many individuals in their information technology and higher education careers; some of his protégés and colleagues have become chief information officers, vice presidents, and other leaders.

Craig Klimczak is the vice chancellor for technology and educational support services at St. Louis Community College (SLCC), St. Louis, MO. He oversees district wide information technology infrastructure with an emphasis on academic support initiatives, education and training, technical standards, telecommunications, information systems security, customer service, and support. Prior to joining SLCC, Craig served as the chief information officer for the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where he was responsible for designing, planning and implementing IT and management policies and processes. He also served as the director of telecommunications for the University of Missouri system, and also worked as an assistant professor of computer engineering, health services management, and medical information at UM-Columbia.

Craig has a doctorate in veterinary medicine from Louisiana State University. His master's degree in computer science is from UM-Columbia. He also has completed post-doctoral training in medical informatics at UM-Columbia.

Classes begin on Monday, October 15th and will run 8:30 am – 5:00 pm each day, ending on Friday, October 19th.

• CIO Description and Schedule (PDF)
• Aspiring CIO Description and Schedule(PDF)

Please complete the course registration form (PDF).

Mailing and payment instructions are located at the bottom of the form.