[IT Matters Podcast] Ep. 4 - Ron Horn + Higher Education Technology

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The IT Matters Podcast is about IT matters and matters pertaining to IT.

In this episode, host Aaron Bock interviews Ron Horn, Former CIO of Guilford Technical Community College (now VP IT of YMCA of Greater Charlotte).

Conversation Highlights:

  • How Ron became a technologist (3:22)

  • Transitioning from the military to corporate and organizational IT (5:15)

  • Ron's thoughts on communicating the business use case of IT within an organization (12:14)

  • The importance of an IT annual report and socializing the accomplishments of an IT department (15:17)

  • Ron shares how organizations are doing IT well through COVID and a changing economy (20:11)

  • Ron's advice for how to stay agile in a rapidly changing IT landscape (23:42)

  • IT trends and priorities in higher education to pay attention to (25:45)

  • How to stand out in IT at a college or university (29:56)

  • Navigating fully remote, hybrid, and in-person classroom instruction (31:55)

  • The #1 piece of advice Ron would give to millions of people in a technology state of the union address (33:33)

About Ron Horn:

Ron is an Information Technology Executive with over 25 years of experience leading and transforming technology initiatives in healthcare, higher education, retail, manufacturing, and the federal government. He is focused on his craft, capabilities, and expertise in enterprise cybersecurity, process improvement, risk management, technology innovation, and leadership.
Ron has spent his entire 25-year career in Information Technology leading teams responsible for strategic planning, IT governance, service delivery, infrastructure operations enterprise cybersecurity, compliance, and regulatory reviews to clients. Ron leads with a specialized focus in current state and future state assessments enabling organizations to remain competitive in their industry, maintaining sustainable architecture, staff alignment, and training on process improvement.
Areas of Expertise:

  • Operating as a Chief Information Officer, Chief Technology Officer and Executive Director of IT, for client organizations, overseeing the development and leadership of technology programs

  • Managing cybersecurity assessments to identify and design strategic remediation plans for people, process, and technology risks

  • Overseeing compliance for entities and business associates with protected information

  • Leading teams in identifying and remediation controls to protect networks from intrusions and resulting breaches

  • Reviewing controls to ensure data and processes are outsourced to service providers in a secure manner

  • Over 25 years of experience in the technology community

Ron holds an MBA in Computer and Information Technology from Bellevue University (NE) and a Certified Healthcare Chief Information Officer (CHCIO) as well as a certification in Blockchain Technology.

About the YMCA of Greater Charlotte:

The YMCA of Greater Charlotte brings people together – from all backgrounds and circumstances – to create connections that transform lives and community. For nearly 150 years, our Y has fostered meaningful and lasting personal and social change.

PodcastElizabeth Davis