From IT Specialist to Strategic Leader

When I began my career in technology, I never imagined I’d one day be sitting at the leadership table helping shape long-term decisions about power grids, water infrastructure, and public trust. Like many in the utility sector, my path to the CIO chair wasn’t direct. It was built over decades of hands-on work, learning from great mentors, and embracing roles that blended technical depth with organizational strategy.

Today, the role of a CIO—especially in public utilities—looks very different than it did when I started. It’s no longer just about overseeing IT systems and troubleshooting issues. It’s about driving change, enabling resilience, aligning with regulatory frameworks, and building bridges across departments. As I reflect on my journey, I want to offer a few key lessons to those stepping into—or aspiring toward—this role in the future.

Mentorship: The Leadership Legacy That Lasts

If there’s one thing that’s stayed constant throughout my career, it’s the importance of mentorship. I’ve been fortunate to learn from thoughtful, principled leaders who showed me what it means to serve with integrity and humility. They challenged me when I needed it and trusted me before I fully trusted myself.

As a leader, I’ve always tried to pay that forward. Mentorship isn’t just a feel-good initiative—it’s a long-term investment in your team and your organization. And in the world of utilities, where institutional knowledge is crucial and continuity matters, growing future leaders from within is not just smart—it’s essential.

For new CIOs, I recommend making mentorship a deliberate part of your leadership practice. Create space for honest conversations. Share what you’ve learned from failures as well as successes. And most importantly, listen. The next generation may not need to follow your exact path, but they will need your wisdom.

Governance: Building Structure Without Stifling Innovation

One of the biggest transitions I had to make as a CIO was learning how to move from reactive management to strategic governance. In large public organizations, governance gives structure to decision-making. It defines how priorities are set, how budgets are allocated, and how accountability is maintained.

But governance doesn’t have to mean bureaucracy. Done right, it empowers teams to move faster—not slower—by giving them clarity, consistency, and confidence. Good governance outlines the “why” and the “how” so people can focus on the “what.”

Throughout my career—whether at ERCOT, EPB of Chattanooga, or Austin Water—I’ve worked to create governance models that are flexible but firm. Clear enough to guide decisions, but adaptable enough to respond to changing needs. That meant building cross-functional committees, tying initiatives to strategic goals, and making sure technology planning wasn’t happening in a vacuum.

If you’re a new CIO, don’t underestimate the value of governance. It may not feel as exciting as a major system rollout or a high-profile project launch—but it’s what keeps everything aligned, secure, and sustainable over time.

Strategic Vision: Seeing Beyond the Dashboard

In the early stages of your IT career, success is often defined by problem-solving. Fix the issue, restore the system, complete the project. But as you move into leadership, the job shifts. You have to move beyond execution and start thinking in terms of vision, outcomes, and long-term value.

One of the most important things a utility CIO can do is help their organization see the big picture. That means connecting technology to mission. It means asking: How does this upgrade support our climate resilience goals? How does this new tool improve equity in service delivery? How do we use data to not just monitor the grid—but to plan for what’s next?

A strong strategic vision doesn’t just help you lead your team—it helps you lead across the organization. It allows you to advocate for the right investments, build alignment with other departments, and navigate complex stakeholder environments. And it gives your team purpose. They know they’re not just coding or configuring—they’re contributing to something bigger.

Cross-Functional Trust: The Real Secret to Transformation

If there’s one thread that runs through every successful initiative I’ve led, it’s trust. Trust between departments. Trust between leadership and frontline workers. Trust between technologists and operators.

In utilities, where OT (operational technology) and IT have traditionally lived in separate worlds, building that trust takes time. It means showing up consistently, respecting the expertise of others, and speaking a language that resonates across roles.

I’ve spent just as much time in water treatment plants and substations as I have in data centers and boardrooms. Not because it was required, but because it mattered. It signaled that I was part of the same mission—and that my role was to support, not to dictate.

Emerging leaders should remember: your technical knowledge gets you in the door. But your ability to build trust is what keeps the organization moving forward.

Leading with Service and Clarity

Becoming a CIO in the utility space isn’t just a career move—it’s a service role. The decisions you make don’t just affect balance sheets. They affect neighborhoods, hospitals, schools, and essential infrastructure. It’s a position that calls for humility, foresight, and a strong moral compass.

The next generation of utility CIOs will face new challenges—cybersecurity threats, climate uncertainty, rapid digital evolution—but also incredible opportunities. With the right mindset, governance structures, and relationships in place, they’ll be ready to lead the way.

And as someone who’s walked that path, I’ll always be here to mentor, support, and cheer them on.